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!
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