Kakadu- arrival

We drove int Kakadu National Park today.Contrary to information we had received, we do have mobile reception here, so I can update this page after all. 
The Arnhem Highway from Humpty Doo winds through the tropical woodlands we have become familiar with over the last few weeks.  What I had not expected to see were the fruit orchards- row upon row of mango trees, interspersed with the occasional bananas and some other fruit trees I didn't recognise. It's hard to take a good picture from the moving car, but this gives a bit of an impression.  Unfortunately the mangoes are still not quite ripe...

We stopped and had lunch at the Mamukala wetlands.  Getting out of the airconditioned car it was a shock to find how hot it was!  I was quite overcast and didn't look like a warm day, but the temperature had reached 39 degrees by then, and the 100 metre walk to the bird hide overlooking the lagoon was quite an effort. What a sight, though!  At this time of the year- the end of the dry season- thousands of magpie geese gather at the lagoons and waterholes.  We saw several groups of these, as well as a number of other species of water birds including tall white egrets, whistling dicks, darters and plovers.  The waterlilies, with their huge leaves and big pink blooms made a beautiful backdrop to the scene, while closer to the hide there were some with tiny white flowers.

A hot walk through dry woodlands to get to the lagoon!

I love the way the pandanus palm's leaves spiral around the stem!

We arrived at our destination- the caravan park at Cooinda- by about three o'clock.  Our original plan had been to stay at a bush camping site nearby, but when we realised just how hot it was going to be we decided to opt for the powered site at a resort-style park instead.  Not really adventurous, I know- but the temperatures don't drop much, even overnight, and there is a lot to be said for a good night's sleep.  Arthur (of course) chatted to a man who was cleaning some fish, asking him what he'd caught.  A little later, the man came over and gave us two big barramundi fillets!  So, while the boys cooked the fish on the barbie, Esther helped me make some salad and we had a delicious meal of freshly caught "barra" for tea! 

Both of the children are sleeping peacefully... and I think I'll follow their example shortly!

Goodbye Darwin!

Well, our final day here in Darwin has drawn to a close!  In spite of a few setbacks and disappointments (especially not being able to get to Milingimbi as I had hoped) we have thoroughly enjoyed the time here.  Living at someone's home rather than at a tourist park helps you get a feel for the way the locals really live, and spending two and a half weeks here has allowed us to learn our way around town.  We have found a good mechanic, could recommend a doctor, know where to shop, where to eat out or have a coffee, and where to entertain the children.  We even find ourselves using local abbreviations for place names!  The other day Philip was doing some business in town when he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked around to see the technician, Aaron, who had replaced the suspension on the Patrol a few days earlier.  He greeted Philip by name, asked how things were going and told him to bring the car in before he left town so he could check that everything was in order. 
This morning we did some shopping and got the caravan ready so that we can make a reasonably early start in the morning.  That is to say, Philip got the caravan ready while I spent the afternoon in the Nijhuis's pool with the children.  We had fish and chips at the Wharf this evening, together with Helen and the Vreelings, who we have seen a fair bit of while we've been here. 
Hopefully we'll be camping somewhere in Kakadu National Park tomorrow night.  We hope to stay for a few nights, leaving the caravan at a camp site to explore the surrounding area.  There will probably be no phone reception, so I will update the blog when we are back on the highway!   Unlike today, I'll try to take a few photos of the places we visit!

East Point Beach

We have finally discovered the underlying cause of our petrol issues!  I'll let Philip explain the mechanical details in his own words:
"The cause of the problem was a faulty non-return valve, the function of which is to maintain residual pressure in the fuel line to the engine.  This had been intermittently choking, causing the pump pressure to pop the hose off the end of the pump.  It finally jammed shut completely, enabling the mechanic to diagnose the problem correctly. So about $5 worth of plastic has caused close to $1500 worth of headache!"

This morning we drove to East Point.  Philip visited the World War II Military Museum.  This part of  history holds particular interest for him as his father served in Darwin during the war.  He never spoke much of his experiences here, and Philip had often wondered what he had been through. The area underwent air raids over almost two years, but the heaviest casualties were suffered on the first day of bombing, when the toll was 423 fatalities and almost as many wounded.  There was also information about the work done to seal the Stuart Highway, which up until then had been little more than a dirt road, in order to transport supplies and munitions to Darwin during the war.

The children would have lost interest in the Military Museum quickly so, leaving Philip to spend some time taking in the information by himself, the children and I walked along the beach at low tide.  The tide line was littered with treasures- shells, beautiful coloured stones and pieces of broken coral- while there were many interesting things to discover on the tidal flats- crabs, barnacles, mysterious towers of mud... We also walked among a stand of mangroves, where the children enjoyed the squishy mud between their toes and were fascinated by the way the roots grow upwards, allowing the trees to breathe. 

Arthur collected a tub full of treasures "to give to Mrs Joanidis so she can put them on the nature table at Kinder."

We spent the afternoon at the Water Park again, to the children's joy! It is really an amazing facility to have just a five minute drive from where we're staying and completely free of charge!
Now that we have the car fixed, we will be leaving Darwin on Friday and heading for Kakadu national Park.  Tomorrow we will be getting the caravan packed and ready.  We'll need to re-stock our fridge, too, so a trip to the shopping centre is also part of the plan.  .

Quiet Days

Yesterday and today were quiet, relaxing days.  This morning Philip had to take the car into town for yet another check-up and this afternoon he visited Helen's school to have a look at their technology department and FACT (Fabrication and Construction Trade) Training Centre- an initiative aimed at providing students (including indigenous students) with an opportunity to learn skills and trades which will help them find employment after leaving school. 
The children and I, meanwhile, stayed at home, caught up with a bit of schoolwork and spent a large part of the time in the Nijhuis's pool (Helens landlords- they have said they are happy for us to use the pool but we have been hesitant to invade their privacy too much.)  Arthur refused to wear any swimming vest and is gaining confidence in the water, which is great but means I had to be watching him the whole time as the pool is out of his depth!

This little frog is a superb swimmer and doesn't seem affected by the salt water in the pool.

When Helen came home from work she suggested that we should go to East Point, where there are barbeque facilities and a a playground beside a man-made lake.  It was a pleasant evening.  I love this weather!  Not everone agrees-  many find the humidity uncomfortable- but I really enjoy it.  After a swim and a barbeque we went to a cafe called "The Cool Spot" for dessert and coffee.

The car has continued to have some small problems.  The hose connected to the fuel pump has been coming loose repeatedly since we had it installed in Alice Springs.  Today the mechanic consulted a hose specialist.  They have concluded that the wrong type of hose was used, which softens when immersed in petrol.  They will replace it tomorrow.  Hopefully that will solve the problem!  The next stretch of our trip takes us through some remote areas with long distances between fuel stops. It would be comforting to know that we can rely on our petrol pump working, so Philip wants to stay in Darwin for a few more days in case there are any further issues.  Besides which, he hasn't visited the aviation museum yet...

Darwin Museum, the Harbour & Litchfield National Park

We visited the museum/ art gallery yesterday, where there were very interesting displays of many kinds. In particular it was interesting to see the section dedicated to Cyclone Tracy, the tropical storm that flattened Darwin in 1974.  As well as the visual presentation including models and photographs, there was a sound room where you can sit in the dark and listen to a recording of the storm raging. 
The section the children liked best was the discovery room, where they could play with all sorts of interesting toys, books, puzzles and activities.  We spent quite a lot of time there while Philip went and picked up a few wheel nuts he'd orderd.

In the evening we took Helen out for a dinner cruise on the harbour.  We have been staying free of charge at her place and she has been so good to us; we wanted to do something special in return.  The restored schooner, the Alfred Nobel, is a lovely vessel.  The dinner was very special and the service was friendly.  The captain even invited Esther and Arthur (the only children on board) to come and help him steer the boat for a while!

Today Helen took us to Litchfield National Park, about 100 km south of Darwin.  We stopped to have a look at the magnetic termite mounds- thin structures all facing in a north-south direction. Biologists believe they are built this way to maximise the amount of sunlight they get.

From there we drove to Florence Falls, where we climbed down 135 steps and had a swim before walking back to the carpark via the "Shady Creek Trail". 

The most popular destination in Litchfield Park is Wangi Falls, where we went next.  A ranger came and sat with us while we were having lunch.  He explained that the water here is so clear and clean because the rocks it flows through are predominantly made of dolomite which acts as a filter. 
The swimming vests we bought for the children last week have proved to be a very good in-vest-ment.  It gives them so much freedom to enjoy the places we visit- and makes it possible for us to swim properly, too!