Off the beaten track

Thursday meant we were back on holidays and with the alarm set for a very early start we left home long before the sun came up. We were on our way to Corroboree Billabong, a couple of hours out of Darwin, where we hired a little pontoon for a half day on the water. The billabong abounds with bird life and whether it's in the air, the trees, in & on the water or the wetlands, it's an experience you won't forget. In the water there are plenty of Barramundi. We shared the billabong with many fisherman and saw quite a few caught & released. And of course the Crocodiles. We saw 7 or 8 as we gently motored along, all but one minding their own business. The highlight was the rather large crocodile lunching on an equally large python. Certainly gave us shivers up the spine as we watched the whole thing be consumed. Awesome but scary.

It was so hard to hand our boat back but we did so and on the way back stopped at Windows on the Wetlands. The Visitor Centre is perched on Beatrice Hill, one of the highest points on the Adelaide River floodplain. Beatrice Hill was named in 1864, by Naval officers Hutchinson and Howard while surveying the Adelaide River on board the HMS Beatrice. There are fun & interactive displays about seasonal changes, the ecological processes that occur in the wetlands and the problems of feral animals and weeds. That night we joined friends, Greg & Virginia at Mindil Beach markets, and sunset no 6 was enjoyed with another freshly grilled seafood platter and a drink. Ah, this is the life.

Friday morning the alarm went off even earlier, 4.30am, as we were going to watch the sunrise at Fogg Dam. Again clouds subdued the sun but it was still lovely. The bird life in the wetlands is just wonderful and we were treated to a special performance of 2 Jabirus dancing. That & the 3 Brolgas were certainly worth the early start. It is just so great to see these creatures in their natural habitat and not in a Zoo. From Fogg Dam we drove further out to the Adelaide River where we joined Harry on his crocodile cruise. If you have seen the Darwin/Yahoo Ads on the telly then you will have seen Harry and the big croc. Up close, Brutus (as Harry has named him) is even scarier. We did see about 6 more that morning and got a close up look at a Crocodile nest. Quite amazing really.

Our 2 early mornings had taken their toll and we went home for a nana nap that afternoon. Feeling refreshed we boarded the lovely old Pearl Lugger, The Anniki, for a Sunset Cruise. The old lugger recently starred in the movie 'Australia'. We had a great night and Bill was a real hit with all the ladies up the pointy end of the boat with us. Sunset no 7 was beautiful and I think the most spectacular of them all.

Saturday morning we had a look at the Parap markets and then we wandered around the city and local areas taking a closer look at the new waterfront precinct. A safe beach and a wave pool gives everyone the opportunity to swim all year round instead of just in the dry season. From October to May the beaches are off limits because of the stingers. A quick trip to Darwin's biggest shopping centre kept us out of mischief for the afternoon and then it was time for the other highlight of our trip, catching up with Peter M, who had just returned from skiing in NZ. All in one piece, I must say. Dinner & drinks with Peter were wonderful and we had a great night. Thanks for having us and again for the next afternoon allowing us to use your bathroom as a changing stop as we shed the holiday clothes and got back into the city gear to fly home. A four hour flight back home saw us swap summer for winter, a little hard to take, and the following morning it was back to work.

Still all good things must come to an end, we had a wonderful 9 days and can't wait to do it all again.

until next time.............