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Monday, February 4, 2013

Darwin - sitting out the wet season.

(Darwin just before nightfall with a storm cell passing)

I have not written in the blog for some time which is due to the fact that there is not much exciting news to write about. Most of the week days have been spent working on the boat and weekends helping friend Rob with his boat.
(Mindil Beach sunset, during the dry season (April-October) they hold the famous Mindil Beach Markets, I believe it is so big now they hold it on two nights)
 
 
Although I must say we had a very nice Christmas and New Year. We had Christmas Day with Rob and Alison  and their family which was a great day with lots of food, they are a really nice family and we enjoyed the day very much.

New Years Eve we went to the Darwin Waterfront Precent where the main celebrations were being held with live entertainment and a 2100 hour Fireworks Display you the children and us oldies that did not want to stay till midnight. It was an alcohol and glass free area. The place was packed but plenty of room to walk about or sit.
(Happy New Year, they held a great show on the Waterfront Precent with live music and the firework display)
We have been out and about a few times for a look around and have lunches. We have found a few places that are value for money in the dining, The Cool Spot at Fannie Bay have hamburgers you can barely jump over, (slight exaggeration), but they are very filling. The Fox Ale House 85 Mitchell Street serve the good pub meals the plate is filled with food, the Dinah Beach Yacht Association Club open for evening meals and Saturday and Sunday lunches.

The weather has not changed much the wet has not properly set in so days are hot and humid at times with the occasional thunder storm at one stage they announced that the wet was arriving with the monsoonal trough moving down. However, this resulted in four days of rainy weather and lightening storms and then it went away. Most of the weather went towards Gove then formed a cyclone in the Gulf which the crossed land and brought all the nasty weather down the east coast. An earlier cyclone formed prior to this one and went down the west coast but stayed out to sea. We had cooler weather over the four days of rain periods to the extent that I had to adjust the air-conditioner during the night as it was too cold.

Nancy went away for ten days, she flew to NSW to see the grandchildren and when she came back my sister Jeanne and hubby John came to visit for a week so we had a good week with them here. A good friend of theirs drove them up here from the Alice because they had their new car stolen and wrecked just before Christmas. After their visit I then flew to Alice Springs to stay with them and visit my sweet Mother who is 91 in April, she cannot travel these days due to her knees, she has to use a walking frame when she walks, her body is letting her down but her mind is as sharp as a tack.
(A croc named 'Wendel' at the Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, this place is right in twon in Mitchell Street)
(For those that want to get up close and personal with a croc and be safe, for two people it is $110 per person for one person it is more, I think it is a little expensive)

We went out a few times for lunch whilst there, the Gillen Club, (originally called Westies, they serve good meals at good prices, the Vietnam Restaurant which is just south of Alice Springs, very nice meals and if you want to go of a night time you have to book as they get busy, 'Sporties ' The Sport Cafe/Restaurant in Todd Mall, a favourite of mine great people, great service and great meals and the Gap Hotel, Sunday roast $10.
('Sporties' at Alice Springs)
(A great Mexican dish)
 
I returned from Alice last night to the heat again, the weather in Alice was kind to me with day temps being 31⁰C and cooling down during the night to 16⁰C.
(Simpsons Gap, west of Alice Springs)
(A Rock Wallaby at Simpsons Gap)
(Simpson Gap)
(These trees on the ground were the famous Twin Ghost Gums that were painted by Albert Namatjira, over the years they have suffered and were not totally healthy trees, being on the tourist tours for many years probably did not help them but now some thoughtless person or persons have set fire to them and these are the remains).
(This picture from the internet of Albert Namatjira painting)
We still have a few months here in Darwin before the end of the cyclone sean when we will start again on the circumnavigation starting with the Kimberly's, this may be April of May depending on the season.
(One of two storm cells that we flew between just before landing in Darwin last night.)

 

Cheers
(There you go Colleen).

 

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