Here is the news

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Blog day 842-I think

No sooner than I was back from Weipa, then it was cases packed again and I was off to Darwin.

Unfortunately I was leaving on Sunday evening, so I went in to the office for a few hours on Sunday afternoon with Caroline to get stuff ready for the forth coming trip. Don’t get me wrong, we are not work-a-holics, but we have responsibilities which we do take it seriously and put the effort in.

Anyway Caroline dropped me off at the airport for an evening flight and I was expected to touch down in Darwin, at round 11.30pm, via Sydney.

I was pleased to be back in Darwin, back in the Northern Territories, where we had both spent some great times on our fantastic “big lap” of Australia. My cab dropped me off at my hotel, which was just opposite the area of a man made lagoon where it is safe to swim and sunbathe, “should you want to be fried to a crisp”, without all the things that bite, sting and eat you.

Caroline and I had spent about six weeks up in Darwin and absolutely loved it, mind you it was in June of 2009 and it was winter, “When its nice and hot” but not that sticky muggy hot, that’s the wet season, confused, you will be.

I got to my room and lay everything down, I opened the curtains and looked out, happily reminiscing of the times when we were here together. The Darwin exhibition centre, was illuminated and look fabulous, I slid in to bed, happy to be in Darwin.

My taxi was booked for 8.00am Monday morning to take me to work, when I was dressed I stepped out in to the warmth of the morning looking for breakfast and ended up at a little bistro/cafe underneath the hotel on the same level as the Lagoon.

I watched the world go by, and enjoying my surroundings, whilst waiting for my scrambled eggs on toast. By the door, there was a sandwich board, displaying the latest territories news, “Boy 14 taken by Crocodile”

I read the paper associated with the headlines; and a boy and his brother were swimming in a creek, unfortunately complacency came in to play and the crocodile does only what it needs to survive and unfortunately the young boy was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My taxi arrived and I was taken in to work, boy the day was hot, I got back to my hotel room at about 6.00 and then it was out to dinner with one of our suppliers which was nice or else it would have been dinner for one which is a bit sad.

The whole cycle of going to work pursued on the Tuesday, the only difference was , I was flying out of Darwin today, on route to Brisbane.

Talking to the taxi driver, on the way to the airport, I said to him that he was a long way from home, he said he was from Neath in Wales and we talked the whole way in about his area. This guy told me he had been in Australia since 1972 and was a chippy (Carpenter) by trade and was just waiting for the next big off shore gas project which is soon to happen in Darwin.

I had asked this guy if he had always been employed and he said the longest he was out of work was 4 days, as there is 97% employment in Darwin. I paid my dues and walked in to the airport and waited for my plane to Brisbane.

About 4 1/2 hours later, I find myself in an airport that we came in to when we first came to Australia on this trip, but I could not remember anything about it, there was nothing to trigger any memories and it all seemed so unfamiliar.

I have to say the weather compared to the weather in Darwin was rubbish, grey and much much cooler. I was on a course in Brisbane, and the course was to start on Wednesday at 8.00am and I was to give a presentation for ¾ of and hour on managing sub-contractors, deep joy.

Well on Thursday the course had wrapped up by 3.00pm and my flight was not until 7.05pm in the evening, I grabbed my luggage and jumped in a cab to the airport, in the hope of catching an earlier flight.

I hurried into the terminal and up to the Qantas desk, just as they were calling the 4.05 flight to Canberra, I went up and smiled serenely and told the attendant that I was not due out until 7.05 but I would be really grateful if they could get me on the earlier flight.

She said it would be no trouble, so I gave Caroline a call and said not to bother picking me up at 9.30pm but could she come and get me at 6.30pm.

Caroline had a dinner arrangement with Susan, but said she would move it back slightly and come and get me from the airport first.

Soon I was sitting in my seat on my way home, to Canberra, I had been flat out all week and was just looking forwards to seeing Caroline and having a fairly normal Friday in the office.

Caroline was there as always to pick me up bang on time, we had a smooch as we were waiting for my bags to arrive on the carousel. On their arrival, we collected them and jumped in the Patrol and headed home, god it was good to be back.

My Friday was busy, I spent the day with my boss, who said that I needed to be in Melbourne next week and could I make the arrangements, so you will have to wait until the next blog.

It does not make exciting reading I know, but that's the way it is right now folks, pretty much all work and no play!

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Photos

Darwin
The man made Lagoon

A Darwin Palm tree
In this tropical location, Palm tree's are abundant