Blogs from Karama, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania

Amazing, it is six months since my last blog and hard to believe that it has taken me so long to, once more, put words to type. Working full time again certainly makes time fly by exceptionally fast but I think maybe it helps that I am still enjoying my job as assistant manager at the book store. The job as manager did arise but I turned it down as I am happy to just cruise these days and leave the responsibility to someone else. Pete has been working in Darwin and also WA as a fly in fly out sheetmetal fabricator and cryogenic insulator (ability to work on hot and cold pipes) and is currently back working in Darwin at the Gas Plant here and still making ridiculously high wages so we are certainly not ... read more

After setting off from Alice with trustworthy tyres we continued blissfully to Darwin in a much more relaxed mood, even stopping at Mataranka for an amazing soak in the natural springs there where the gentle current enables you to swim downstream before emerging at a bridge further down. If you can avoid looking up at the incredibly enormous spiders, dangling in their webs from the overhanging trees above, then it is amazing but if like me and you look out for each and every spider then it is with incredible relief that you arrive at the destination without screaming in terror. What a wuss I am! We really enjoyed our second trip up the centre just as much as the first time as we stopped at different camp sites on the way up. We had a ... read more

Hi all, what a long trip! 13 hours flight plus 5 hours in airport plus 5 hours on plane....to arrive in Darwin at 6am....to find the hostel wouldn't let me in before 1pm! So I spent some time wandering around very hot and unshowered, went for breakfast with some Dutch girls, I'm sure they have melted salt instead of butter on toast, not so good! Anyway, Darwin city is pretty cool! I'm about 10 mins walk from the "heart" and 15 the other way from the beach...which I've been informed has a no-go ocean due to box jellifish and crocs! Hmmm! Its ok tho, my hostel has a pool. Already reunited with my favourite biscuity friends- chewy caramel tim tams :) It's very hot and I rather stupidly went to sleep for a few hours...so now ... read more

Hillary and I had been using the Northern Territory Reference Library quite a bit for the free wireless internet. Unfortunately’ one day issues arose with their hardware and it was taken away from the lower levels of the library (the quiet areas). This left only the main level which was crowded with other backpackers and therefore had a very slow and unreliable connection. So we stopped going. But the Darwin City Libraries had internet too (though no wireless), so we became temporary members. Talk about a good find! It never occurred to us at first, but this would be a great way to borrow movies and books to keep us busy here in Darwin too. Since we were travelers, we’d have to put down a deposit, but it was worth it for the convenience. Not only ... read more

Hi, it’s Hillary! That’s right, I’m doing a blog entry! I thought I’d write a short entry on my work experiences here in Darwin. As Kevin mentioned in an earlier entry, I ultimately had no problem finding employment. Initially, after arriving in Darwin, my plan was to find a job outside of health care. You know, for a change of scenery. I quickly learned, however, that employers in the hospitality field will only hire people (especially travelers looking for short-term employment) with hospitality experience. Well, that counted me out! And so, with my only experience being health care, I quickly found a job at ITEC Health, an agency, as a Personal Care Assistant. I couldn’t work as an RN here in Australia because I do not have an Aussie nursing licence, but I thought working for ... read more