Back to Darwin

---

Yes, back again. We liked it soooo much the first time (bar the disgusting dorm) that we had to come back for more. This time we opted to stay in a much nicer hostel that we found with cleaners, a pool and only 6, not 16, to a room. That does not meen, however, that Lara and I are staying in the same room. oh no. It is peak season here with not a cloud in the sky and not a degree below 30. This is proper weather and a welcome change from that crap out East. the place is packed and no prisoners are taken when trying to get into a hostel or onto a tour (later).

The main reason for being here is that Bali (Indonesia) is only just over 2 hours away and a package deal we happen to have scored is pretty sweet. So we're staying a couple of weeks here on the way. We've been just about every where there is to go in Australia and Darwin is without competition the most laid back, cruisey, friendly and homely city. It is a nice place to spend some time doing nothing - which, as luck would have it, is exactly how much there is to do. As I said last time round. Man, have we gotten through some books here! Lara can devour a 400 page novel in about 6 hours, if that. Hence, a little groove has been worn in the pavement from the poolside to the book exchange in the mall by the trapsing of Lara's flipflopped feet on her mission for the next trashy, girly book, most often with a picture of a high heel shoe or a handbag on the cover for some reason best known to the publishers of such pap.

With a little bit of time on our hands and seeing that we were so impressed with Kakadu we felt it neccesary to revisit. As it is later in the dry season and the wet season was freakishly long there a loads of places in the park that are now accessible that were not when we went before. And we found out about a different kind of tour that involves alot more walking, climbing, sleeping on the ground and other such heroic activities that our previous attempt. Needless to say, as Darwin is under pressure from intense tourist activity Lara and I could not even get into the same tour bus. She went on Saturday and I left a day later. Three days camping without the missus, Woohoo! Unfortunately, we stayed at the same campsite for the night that our tours overlapped and she recognised me even though I pretended not to be me. Kakadu was so much better the second time round. We did some of the same stuff we did last time but the best bits, Jim Jim Falls, Barramundi Gorge and Twin Falls, were those that were flooded two months ago so this was defo worth doing again.

We had very different groups and Lara lucked out with a previous guide we had had (the one with the inappropriate sexual advances) and had the more party bent tour which involved a swim out 200m into croc infested waters to stand beneath the mighty Jim Jim in an image I can only imagine looked like a Timotei advert. Go Lara though because my balls shrivelled up inside me when I put my toe in the bottom of the start of that pool. She also did a little bit of an extra hike to some more secluded swimming holes, although I got to walk up to the top of Twin Falls. Potatoe, Potato...we are both still hotly debating who had the better tour! We love Kakadu. I would go again tomorrow but I am in Bali at present so maybe a surf will have to suffice!

We were also lucky enough to catch the Darwin Cup, which is one of the Territory's major events (other than daily excursions to the drive through bottleshops). Horse racing akin to Ascot. Well almost. The girls all wore dresses and hats and shoes (excpt Lara) and the men wore blue singlets and thongs. We did not put any bets on...best not to gamble with borrowed money we think.

aaahhh this is the life...home.....never!

---