Hot Days and Cool Pools

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Yesterday I spent the day doing washing, some housework and catching up on my blog, while Barry went into Darwin and hung around the town while the ute was being serviced then took it to get four new All Terrain tyres. Hopefully, it will now be set for the next part of our trip – Western Australia.

Today, we were woken early by the roar of more jet fighters going off from the military base and heading towards Kakadu. I think that means the joint exercise is still on. Later in the morning, as we prepared to leave, we saw some returning and Barry identified F16s and FA18s, among others. We were rather later leaving than we had intended because our neighbours, John and Denise, at Robbie Robbins Reserve returned from a side trip to Bali, and when they heard we were heading towards WA insisted we came in for a coffee and got the maps out to show us all the features you mustn’t miss. There were some great ideas but also some that were for serious 4WD enthusiasts with camping equipment and lots of experience – not really what we want for this trip. Still, it would be nice to do a few of them. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find out what to see and do.

We finally got on the road at 12.30pm, and drove straight to Batchelor, close to Litchfield National Park, where we had some lunch at the Butterfly Farm and Café. It was set up rather like a cross between an Indian and an Eastern tropical house with lush comfy chairs and lots of wall hangings and oriental ornaments. The tables and chairs were set up outside under a wide verandah with a lovely strong breeze that helped cool us down, aided by the fans high on the walls. We saw a few black butterflies with white wing spots but were told that the other varieties were still in cocoons. We’d ordered a toasted sandwich and were surprised to see, on its arrival, that it came with a little very fresh salad and, best of all, two slices of melon, Watermelon and Honeydew, to cleanse the palette and finish the meal on a high note.

While we were sitting there doing nothing it was quite cool but the moment we started to move it was a different matter. Definitely didn’t want to do much else, although we had intended to go to Wangi Falls. Barry was looking tired too so we looked up what caravan parks were nearby and found Banyan Tree Caravan Park just a few kms up the road.

We had no difficulty getting in as most sensible people are starting to head South. We found a nice shady spot that should stay covered most of the day and set up. There were lots of birds calling out around us and we spotted a pretty one with a bright yellow breast and belly and red around the eyes, just above us. I checked in the book later and found it was the Australasian Figbird. We then went straight into the pool, which had shade cloth covering it, to cool off. It was very pleasant swimming around, although they had rather too much chlorine in it. After a while we started getting chilly and went to wash off the chlorine in the shower, feeling considerably refreshed.

Barry said there was a small shop and bar at the office in the front of the park so we strolled over and bought some ice creams and then some fresh coffee, We sat in the covered open-air bar out the front, with ceiling fans working hard, and enjoyed the strong breeze that had also come up, until the sun set and almost immediately the full moon rose, glowing bright orange from the sun set. Very impressive. Then back for dinner and we sat to watch a movie on TV but I fell asleep before half way. A sleepy ending to a hot but good day,

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Photos

Toasted Ham Sandwich Butterfly House Style
Batchelor Butterfly Farm also had a quirky cafe which served a limited but delicious menu. We were surprised when this arrived with a huge slice of ham hanging out of the sandwich, fresh salad and the melons. We ate it sitting under the verandah with a fan blowing a cool breeze on us.

A Huntsman Spider
This cheeky spider had hitched a ride from Darwin between the window frame and the fly screen. Barry managed to persuade him out of the space with a stick. We like these spiders but not in our van, thanks.

The Banyan Tree
This impressive tree is where the caravan park gets its name. Another name is a Strangler Fig or Ficus Virens. They usually grow in coastal monsoon forests so this one is very old and so far hasn't killed its host tree.

A Lovely Shady Spot
In all the heat we've been having, we were very happy to find this spot at the Banyan Tree Caravan Park which offered shade nearly all day.

Banyan Tree Bar
The Banyan Tree was also a licensed bar and you sat outside under the awning to drink, surrounded by odd things like these legs sticking out of the ground.

Mail Box Batchelor PO Style
Barry was rather nervous when asked to put his letter in this mail box when at the Post Office in Batchelor. (See 10/9/14)

Comments

[David Duffee]

Short Changed
That's not a big slice of ham! Rather, it's only a half sandwich! !!!! Nice touch with the melon, but dont sneeze before you've eaten the leaf of salad (or is it two) lest you blow it away.

[dragonlady]

Small Salad and Sandwich
Cheeky thing. We'd only ordered a sandwich so all the rest was a bonus, which we were happy to see. It was delicious, too.

[Branka]

Lucky you :)
Hi Kathy, I am enjoying your posts. It seems you are having great time. We talk about you very often and tomorrow i am going to tell them your whereabouts. Regards from all staff from Community West