Darwin Update

The weather up here is hot and humid, both day and night. We're told they've just had the coldest dry season on record, with four nights below 20! We've now entered the "build up" or "pre wet"- the weeks before the first rains of the wet season.  Each day there are big clouds on the horizon, but they move on without rain.  Even in the week we've been here the increase in humidity has been noticeable.  To help them cool off a bit, I let the children take turns at having a "puddle bath" yesterday. The shower base in the caravan only holds about four centimetres of water, but that is enough to get wet in.  Being allowed to hold our temporary pet for a bit made it even more fun!

In the evening we went to Mindil Market- a bi-weekly event on the foreshore at Mindil Beach.  After strolling through and looking at the interesting items for sale we bought something to eat at one of the many food stalls and sat on the beach to watch the sunset... along with every tourist in Darwin!  Helen says that sometimes the crowd bursts into cheers when the sun goes down, but not this time!

 

 
Today we had a busy day, driving around to find somewhere we could get wet and cool!  We had planned to go to the water park, but found that it is closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. Naturally enough, the children were disappointed, but we ended up having a swim at Nightcliffe swimming pool, overlooking the beach.  The tide was right out, and we went for a walk among the rockpools afterwards. The box jellyfish season hasn't officially started yet, but no-one, including the locals, swims at Darwin's beaches.   I read today that the sting from these creatures is so excruciatingly painful that victims are likely to go into shock and drown before the toxins even start to take effect. Children are especially vulnerable, so no matter how inviting the water looks, it just isn't worth the risk. 

Whe Arthur picked this shell up, he found it was home to a hermit crab!

There are lots of nice shells, but also beautifully coloured stones along the beach.

Back home, Arthur heard Rex barking at something and when he went to investigate he found a turtle that had strayed out of the lagoon at the back of the property.  We asked the children if they was sure it wasn't a tortoise, but they pointed out that it had webbed "flippers".  It also had sharp claws and a strong looking beak! After observing it for a while, we took it backto the lagoon.  As with all the waterways across the Top End, it's advisable not to go too close to the water in case of salt water crocodiles, so we left it in the grass and hoped it would find its way home.