Blogs from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania - page 81

Decided to change my flight over to Heathrow... Mainly cos' I could use the extra fortnight before I leave, but also because I decided I wasn't too keen on my first extended stay in another country was gonna be Ho Chi Mihn city for 7 hours!!  So going thru Dubai now and on to Amsterdam, then into London!!  I'm about to head out now and buy my luggage for the trip, so...... Will write again later!!  Ciao for now!! Toni   :o)... read more

The top-end of down under...a place like NO other! As the big red-orange ball slowly sets on Australia’s Top-End horizon, it sinks and gradually dissolves out of sight. The warm tropical sea breezes blow the coconut tree palms softly as families picnic nearby on the northern foreshore by the Timor Sea. Darwin Australia - the top-end of the land down under. Also known as the Gateway to Asia, Darwin is located on latitude 12 south, meaning it’s very hot 9-months of the year, and just right for 3-months, or better known as the wet and dry season. Cyclones out in the sea bring the tropical rains & flooding. I’m hearing down south there is drought and fires, and they are much hotter than we are at times. We usually have our temps in the 30’s Celsius ... read more

I saw Darwin as an ideal starting point for my trip around Australia, bearing in mind that May until October is the dry season when there is little or no rain and temperatures peak at 32C. From November to April, temperatures average 33C with high relative humidity and heavy rainfall (406mm of rainfall in January). This makes access to many of the territories natural wonders very difficult as the access roads are buried under water! After insuring and registering a 4WD van for the year, Michael (a Swiss backpacker) and myself would leave Darwin for the township of Katherine taking in a trio of major attractions en route. I had met Michael in the Chillis backpackers in Darwin (www.chillis.com.au) were he had been looking for a companion to do a two day canoeing trip ... read more

I arrived back in Darwin and saw the place in a whole new light. Obviously, I was not in the mood to appreciate the place last time, but this time I really got to like the place, very much like Alice Springs. It's not too big, but not too small; not too quiet, but not too noisy; not too cramped, but not too spread out. The weather was beautiful and the general philosophy was to chill-out, relax and enjoy life. Did you know that they consume more alcohol per head in Darwin than anywhere else on earth. That doesn't mean however that it's a town of alcoholics, far from it in fact, drinking is a social thing and Darwin is a very sociable place. I met an Australian girl on the bus called Sarah who was ... read more

May 27, Wednesday. Had a bit of a look around Darwin. Sent another batch of transparency’s back to Melbourne and wrote a letter to the children. I’m now travelling with an English girl that I met at Catherine. English girls seem to be everywhere in Darwin. Didn’t do any filming while I was in town. Went for a meal with Linda and headed back to the caravan park around 7:30. Spent the rest of the evening writing postcards and letters. ... read more