Return to Civilisation....

We stayed at Lee Point C'van park as it was just around the corner from Peter Miller's house. We were really looking forward to seeing him again and couldn't wait to hear all about his adventures in France. So hard to believe that it is almost 2 years since we last had dinner. The Cajun spiced salmon & vegies were just wonderful and desert really decadent. We had a great night sharing stories and sparkling wine as we christened the redeveloped deck. Love those lights! All too soon it was time to say goodnight and head back to our patch of grass for our last night on the road.

As always it rained overnight but had no impact on us this time and the morning dawned warm & dry once more. We had a quick look at Lee Point before heading off East Point Reserve. We had one more bird on 'our have to find' list and it was here in the Monsoon forest walk the the Rainbow Pita was supposed to be found. I was beginning to think that this was going to be another hooded parrot story when all of a sudden Bill spotted the elusive little creature and proceeded to stalk him. The Rainbow Pita is a very colourful ground bird and even though we didn't manage to get much of a look at him at least we can say at least we saw it. In comparison the Rainbow Bee Eater we found a little earlier was a much better subject almost posing for his portrait. From East Point we went on to Winellie where we were going to have lunch at THA to celebrate Greg's Birthday. Virginia had made him a Tiger cake, very cute, and they were having a bar-b-que lunch for him. All very yummy though I have to say the Crocodile sausages are not something I will try again. I'll stick to watching them in the billabongs. After lunch Bill stayed to have a meeting (work) with Nolan & Greg and I went home with Virginia & Toby. We had a great afternoon catching up and watching the rain which had started at lunch. I have never seen such heavy rain, even the pool overflowed. Bill picked me up a little later and we made our way back to our 'driveway home' at Josie's & Nolan's. It was good to see them again and once again they spoiled us with a bar-b-que dinner and we had a great night catching up on all that had happened during the last 2 weeks. And even though our 'turtle' had been very comfortable, I was very excited about being able to sleep in a 'real' bed again.

The next morning we were up bright & early to visit Parap Markets. We all bought breakfast and then we drove to the foreshore to eat it. Bill & I could not go past the banana pancakes & watermelon juice. It was a beautiful morning and what better way to start the day than breakfast with friends looking at the spectacular view that is Darwin Harbour. Leaving the harbour we stopped at the Botanic Gardens for one last look for the Barking Owls. This time there was a Children's modelling class doing a photo shoot and while kids were in abundance, owls were not. Oh well, nothing else for it now, we have to come back for the owls and the hooded parrots.

Our last stop was at Dripstone just near Nolan's place. The coastline here is rocky and with the tide out this morning you could walk for miles if you wanted too. We would have loved to but had to get back to clean the van. The 'turtle' was going back today. It was a sad moment when we had to say goodbye to our little home of the last 2 weeks. As I said earlier this whole trip was a bit of a test run to see how we liked 'camping' Grey Nomad style. We both loved our time away and can't wait to do it all again.

We spent Saturday afternoon with Virginia, Greg & Toby having a drink or three before all heading off to have dinner at the Trailer Boat club.
The plan was too see one last sunset with dinner. With the storm clouds brewing it was a bit of a race as to whether the sun would set first and dinner finished before the rain arrived. We won, just. The sunset was lovely and we did just manage to eat the last of our dinner before we had to head for cover as the rain fell once more.

A even earlier start the next morning as we had a 7.15 flight to catch. We said goodbye to Josie & Nolan and a huge thank you for all their help & advice along the way. We arrived home safe & sound mid afternoon and after unpacking it was time to get the washing machine going and get ourselves organised for work the next morning. And so for the first time in over 2 weeks when the alarm went off there was no spectacular gorge or beautiful wetlands to explore. I have to say it was a bit of a challenge to get out of bed that first morning. Still there was only 4 days to go before Easter and I reckon we can just about cope.

until Easter.........

Adventures in Litchfield

After leaving Hayes Creek we a sign that said the Daly Waters Rd was open so decided to take a look and see if we could get to Batchelor that way. We did and it was a more scenic drive that the Stuart Hwy. We arrived in Batchelor mid afternoon and stopped at the Litchfield information centre to get the lie of the land. With all the rain areas of the park were closed but all the waterfalls were open, though not for swimming. We decided that we would drive through the park and stay overnight at Wangi Safari Park seeing the falls on the way back the next day. Driving through the 50kms we saw lots of signs telling us there was water over the road but only one of these was a little wet. Why were they still there I wondered. After sorting out a site for the night we visited Wangi Falls that afternoon and off we went. We could hear the water from the car park so knew that the falls were running but we were just amazed by the amount that was coming down over the rocks. The noise just as amazing as the sight. Getting photo's was a challenge as the spray from the falls was just like a solid mist. I took a few with my little camera but could not do it justice. From there we walked through the Monsoon forest walk for about half an hour before we were drenched with the humidity and decided that relative dryness of the park was a better option. A wander round that night before the huge thunderstorm hit concluded our activities for the day and we spent the evening cool & dry in the van. It rained all night but stopped just before we woke up the next morning to a blue sky & sunshine.

Leaving the park early we played tourist as we stopped and looked at Tolmer Falls & Florence Falls where, like Wangi Falls, the water was running hard and fast. They truly are spectacular sights and there was some people swimming at Florence Falls. To do this you had to walk down 135 steps and the thought that we would have to walk back up them decided us against that course of action. I know we are pikers but. Our next stop was the Termite mounds. These are amazing structures built by two different types of termites. One builds huge cylindrical cones and the other ones builds a flat mound facing magnetic north south. It was here as we were going back to the van that we met a tour bus driver who asked me 'has the water dropped now'. When I told him that we had stayed in the park overnight he then told me that we were not going anywhere as the road was cut at Aida Creek. It had flooded overnight and was still rising. Only 4WD vehicles could get in or out of the park and it was not expected to change until that afternoon. Goodness me, a real adventure in the making.

We arrived at Aida Creek a short while later to find to other vans already there on both sides of the road. Two lots of water were dividing the road with a dry section in the middle. We spent 3 1/2 hours here and during that time we had many other cars & vans come along. Most were 4WD and after some initial caution most of them were able to drive through. We had a great few hours with the other couple of campers. A real improptu road party. One couple from Holland had been in our park overnight and they had been there a copule of hours when we arrived. The other couple in a van the same a ours were from Horsham and were lovng their adventures in the NT. A Wicked van with 3 backpackers from England provided us with great amusement as they had to be convinced that they could cross safetly in their 4WD. After about 2 hours they tried and made it. A motorbike coming the other way provided us all with our 'What the' moment as the young P plater just rode straight into the water. Did not even slow down. Needless to say as soon as the current caught the bike he was turned and the only place he was going was off the road and into the creek. The ranger told us later that when he reached him his legs were shaking so much he could barely stand up. What possessed him to even try to ride over we will never know. Another Wicked van on the other side with 4 young guys entertained themselves in the current with a boogey board and surfed all day. The ranger had warned them that this was not really sensible as there was the possibily of crocs but obviously this did not concern them too much.

About 3 hours had passed and we could see the level of the water had dropped on our side at least. I had walked over the first bit and it was below my knee but I could not see the figure on the marker on the other side. Once I got back Bill and the other chap from Horsham walked all the way over and spoke to the ranger who advised to wait for another 30 mins. We did and then with a deep breath took the plunge. I always knew turtles could swim! Once over and a stop in Batchelor for fuel we were on our way again for our last night in a C'van park.

Lee Point here we come.......

Home Billabong & Yellow Waters Kakadu

Arriving at Cooinda we organised a site for the night, booked a cruise on Yellow Waters and discovered that we could do a second cruise for $10. We jumped at this offer and so spent 4 wonderful hours experiencing both Sunset & Sunrise over Yellow Waters in Kakadu. There really are no words to describe the beauty of this place. Words do not do it justice. Beautiful, Majestic, Serene, Spectacular, Magical all only paint a very small part of the picture that is Kakadu.

Last time we were here the cruise left from Yellow Waters but with the water covering many acres of ground we had previously walked on it now left from Home Billabong just a five minute walk from our campsite. This means that you are cruising for a half an hour longer along Jim Jim Creek through an area of Mangrove forests that are just beautiful. The cruise takes you through an area the local people call Dingo Dreaming before you then go out into the South Alligator River. Here you look across the floodplains for as far as the eye can see and all around are birds and of course the star of the show - the Crocodile. We saw one at night and 3 of these fearsome creatures during the morning cruise.

A lot of the area you pass looks like the floodplains but is in fact floating grass. The roots of this grass can be up to 6 ft long and as the water deepens the grass appears to float on top. It is so thick and looks just like dry land and our guides told us some stories of how people have come to grief thinking just that. Another floating plant that looks amazing but is in fact a noxious weed is Salvinia. This is a free floating fern that can eventually choke waterways. It floats on still or slow-moving water and can grow rapidly to cover the entire water surface with a thick mat of vegetation. This shades out any submerged plant life and impedes oxygen exchange, driving out fish and other animals. Even a tiny fragment of the plant left behind can regrow and rapidly cause a major infestation under the right conditions. While on one hand it is chocking the waterways on the other it is providing homes for the Comb Crested Jacana known as the Jesus Bird as it looks like it walks on water. We found a family of these birds out on the South Alligator River, Dad was looking after 3 chicks and they were so cute. Still the spread of this weed is trying to be halted and hopefully it can be controlled in the future. During our sunset cruise we saw two Golden Tree snakes, a majestic White Bellied Sea Eagle, numerous kites, Great Egrets, 3 beautiful Sacred Kingfishers and lots of smaller birds. The little Flycatchers are just so cute. They look just like a Willy Wagtail but without the white eyebrows. The ladies are a beautiful rust colour and look lovely. Once home again we had dinner in the bar and I have to say the Barramundi was just delicious. The insects that we kept having to combat were not and it was a pleasure to get back inside that night.

An early start next morning for the Sunrise cruise was easy to do when you know how beautiful the destination is. It was so nice to be cool before the heat & the humidity had arrived as well. Like the night before the cruise was just magical and we were greeted by a hive of activity as the wetlands & floodplains came alive with birds. Flocks of Magpie Geese all arriving back from their winter homes were very noisy and they do look very strange sitting on trees. Not sure how they hang on with their webbed feet but they seem to manage OK. Spangled Drongos in the treetops and the pair of White Bellied Sea Eagles were just magnificent as they sat side by side as we cruised past. Egrets of all types were most prolific and the Flycatchers, Crimson finches, the very colourful Bee Eaters & Willy Wagtails were very busy as they hunted insects for breakfast. Another visit to see the baby Jacanas before it was time to turn around and head back to home billabong. And of course seeing the 3 crocodiles completed the Kakadu experience for many. It is amazing how quickly 2 hours can fly by when there is so much to see.

And the excitement didn't end with the mooring of the boat. We were visited at breakfast by 2 more Great Bower birds. Seems like they are following us. Bill took a walk with a local guide and found their bower a few hundred metres from the park. All to soon it was time to pack up and leave this wonderful little corner of Australia and it was as we were leaving that we had another adventure. Bill had left his thongs outside the van before getting in on the other side thereby leaving them at the campsite as we drove off. As our first stop was at the shop still in the grounds this was discovered very quickly and we returned to find just one thong sitting where two had been. A quick look around soon showed us that the little dingo pup we had seen the night before had absconded with the other one. Bill set about on a rescue mission for his thong and after a few minutes was successful but not before the dingo had chewed the toe from his prize. Still a chewed thong was better than none and 'the dingo's got my thong' story will keep us amused for a while.

We left Cooinda and drove straight back to Pine Creek where we stopped for lunch. One last look for those pesky parrots proved fruitless and as we had 'done' Pine Creek twice we decided we would keep going and stay at Hayes Creek. This is just a dot on the map with the one building incorporating the Pub/Petrol Station/Restaurant & accommodation. The C'van park is at the bottom of a hill below this building and we were the only people here. No worries about queueing for the shower. We had a great night with dinner at the pub with a couple of the locals making it a night we will not forget in a hurry. And still that Great Bower bird seemed to follow us again. The first thing we saw on setting up the van was another pair. They are lovely birds and fun to watch. It was a bit hard to leave this peacful place the next morning.

Still more miles to travel...........

'Gorgeous' Katherine

We drove on to Katherine with just one stop to take in the view across the plains to the ranges beyond. Our main aim here was to go shopping. Bill needed batteries for the flash and had been unable to get them at the smaller towns. We had been told all the way along that the Gorge was still closed because of the rain so had given up on the idea of seeing anything here. On arrival we dropped in to the Visitor's centre to see what else there was to do while here and were thrilled to hear that the gorge was open and tours were on. We booked a morning cruise there and then and once the shopping was done headed out to find a home for the night. Shady Lane C'van Park was our choice about 7kms out of Katherine along the Gorge Rd. It was a lovely park and we had a quiet afternoon here catching up on the washing and the swimming. And the bathrooms were sheer luxury after Leaping Lizard's last night. The cane toads must have thought so too as there were dozens of them here. We took a walk down to the river here in the afternoon but stayed well clear of the banks as it was just mud. Water water everywhere.

A very early start the next morning for the first cruise of the day saw us leaving the park just after sunrise. The Gorges are open for tourists but at the moment only the first one. It was just wonderful, spectacular scenery and peaceful waters. Looks can be deceiving though as the waters may look peaceful but with all the rain that had fallen they were really anything but. Also the crocodile traps along the edge left us in doubt as to what was lurking in the depths. We cruised up the river for about an hour before getting out to see the Aboriginal Rock Art. There were 3 sights here and they were all very good. The hand prints on the rocks made me think of all the kids first hand prints at pre-school. Perhaps this is the ancient equivalent. We spent some time at these sites hearing the ancient stories from our Jawoyn guide and seeing the wonderful views of the area beyond the rapids where our boat could not go. Wandering along beside the towering rock walls made us feel very small and insignificant in this magnificent area. The trip back downriver provided some highlights with a beautiful white bellied sea eagle just sitting watching us go by, a rather large crocodile taking a look as we sailed by and a colony of Red Flying foxes making an awful lot of noise. A great morning and well worth the early start. On our drive back out we stopped a number of times looking at the many Dollarbirds on the wires. They are named because of a circle of colour on the underside of their wings the size of a dollar. They are the most beautiful colours and are just happy to sit there while you snap away.

Our next stop was at Edith Falls. Again we were greeted with the now familiar 'closed for swimming' signs but never mind, the falls were beautiful. With the water rushing over the rocks, one from a great height it was a spectacular sight & sound. Coming from a state that has been in drought for so long the volumes of water we were seeing was just awesome. We had lunch here in the park before leaving Katherine and heading back to Pine Creek for the night.

Not ready to take on Leaping Lizard's bathrooms again we stayed at the other park in town and while still not quite like home they were much better. Again we were greeted by Great Bower birds, could not find their bower though. Still lots of Lorikeets, Galahs, Cockatoos and beautiful Red Winged parrots but the Hooded parrots remained elusive. That night it rained so heavy that the walk to the shower was in ankle deep water. Isn't camping fun! Bill's singing and dancing in the rain did not amuse me when I discovered that he had splashed mud all over his clean pants. Still I had to smile when I heard him serenading me from outside - don't tell him though. Luckily we were the only campers there that night or they might have thought he was mad.

The morning dawned fine & sunny and so after another walk through the water gardens to see the beautiful waterlilies and one last Mango smoothie from Mayses we were on our way at last to Kakadu. We stopped for a look at the Mary River roadhouse and then made our way straight on to Cooinda where we were staying for the night. In the dry this could take days but during the wet most areas are closed due to roads being impassable. We had been here a few years ago in the dry so were always only looking to go to Cooinda this time.

and so we drove..........

Rhos, Bill & the 'turtle' hit the road......

Our plans had been to drive from Eden to Kakadu but once again Mother Nature decided on a different course of action. With all the heavy rain the Adelaide River had flooded and the road to Kakadu was cut and not expected to open for a few days. We stopped for a quick look at Window on the Wetlands. This is a great place to stop and view the bird life from a higher view and there are also some really interesting displays inside to learn about the Wetlands. It is perched on Beatrice Hill, one of the highest points on the Adelaide River floodplain. From here we could see the flooded road and knew it was time to implement Plan B - go the other way.

We drove back down the Arnhem Hwy through Humpty Doo, I'm sure the big croc was smiling at this change of plans, and this time turned left towards Adelaide River. The town not the river. Our first stop was for lunch at a little place called Bridge Creek. Just a lay by we thought but with a little water lying nearby we were entertained by some Rajah Shelducks and some Plumed Whistling Ducks. Also some very cheeky Blue Faced Honeyeaters joined us hoping for some scraps from our lunch. They won and we left them a couple of crusts. With lunch over and the dishes done it was time to hit the road again. Our next stop was Manton Dam, built in 1942, and was Darwin's first reliable water supply. Today, although its water is still used in emergencies, the Dam is a popular recreation area. It's undisturbed drainage area is also a valuable catchment and conservation area. Once again the Do not swim signs were up and the parkland's were very soggy. We did have a walk through the Mangroves on a boardwalk and with the water very high I did just what the sign said and stayed away from the edge. I was not becoming dinner for any crocodile just yet.

We arrived at Adelaide River during the afternoon and found it to be a nice little town. We found a spot in the Caravan Park as recommended by Josie and after a little wander round to get our bearings it was time to cool off in the pool. We had a good night here with dinner at the Pub right next door. There were not too many people in the park as it is still the off season so there was no waits for showers or toilets. A great result that continued for our whole trip. We did have to share the bathrooms with the delightful Cane Toads though. They seem to have settled all though the Top End and while not a pretty sight they are no trouble. I did draw the line at sharing a shower with them and had to shoo many of them out before I could get in. Ah, life on the wild side eh! While having breakfast the next morning I saw these largeish birds bouncing around on the ground. Closer inspection showed us they were Great Bower birds and there were three bowers around a tree trunk. Bill spent some time capturing all their antics and their bowers were just works of art. Unlike the Satin Bower Bird who collects blue things these Grey/White birds collect all things white. They had stones, shells, snails bleached by the sun and broken glass and all three bowers were suitably decorated. They were quite amazing to watch and listen too as the male was obviously courting the ladies. Before leaving we had a look at the Adelaide River War Cemetery. This is a sobering reminder of the impact World War II had on this part of Australia. There are 434 military burials in total and the adjoining Civil Cemetery honours 63 civilians including the nine post office workers who were killed in the 19 February 1942 bombing of Darwin.

We left then and headed on to Pine Creek, stopping for a coffee along the way at Hayes creek. Our mission in Pine Creek was to find a Hooded Parrot. Apparently while quite rare this is one of the spots they are easy to find. Nolan had given Bill the task of getting a photo of one of them. Well I'm here to tell you, I don't believe there is such a thing as we never saw one. Now before everyone screams & shouts I know they do exist as I have seen Nolan's photos but we passed through Pine Creek 3 times and were unlucky each time. Looks like we will just have to go back again. Anyway Pine Creek was a nice little town. Our first night here we stayed in Leaping Lizard Caravan park and the first thing we saw when we set up camp was another pair of Great Bower birds. These ones were not quite so friendly as the others but still fun to observe and see what they were up to. Leaping Lizard C'van Park was a nice place to stay with a quirky pub, good food but the bathroom facilities left a lot to be desired. A bit rustic to say the least but isn't that what camping is all about. We survived the night and enjoyed our wander through the town. As the home of the Enterprise Pit, now filled with water since 1993, it is full of Goldmining history and a walk through Miners Park is like a step back in time seeing all the old machinery. The Historic Railway Museum is interesting too with the old tracks, signals & trains on display. The watergardens and huge windmill in the middle of town is lovley too. Lorikeets by the hundreds descend on the town each night at dusk but not one hooded parrot did we see.

The next morning we decided to give the pesky parrots one last chance so headed out to the treatment plant. No parrots but the most adorable little family of Rajah Shelducks having a little problem getting out of the water. Mum seemed to want them to get out but each time they tried another nasty duck on the edge just flew at them making Mum go for it. Was amazing to watch but eventually they did make it to dry land. In the other pond there was also a little family of Plumed Whistling Ducks. These little guys seemed to be having duck diving lessons from Mum & Dad. All very cute but time to leave them to their lessons we are off to Katherine.

More miles to travel.........

Three days at Eden

Each time we come to Darwin we drive out to see Sunrise at Fogg Dam and always wish it wasn't so far. It's only about an hour away but at 5.00am that's a long way. Bill had found out about a B & B called Eden at Fogg Dam and as soon as this trip had been thought of he booked us in for 3 days. After a leisurely start to our Monday morning we headed out to explore some of our favourite places on the way to Eden. Our first stop was Howard Springs but with all the rain it was very soggy and the Monsoon Forrest walk was closed due to flooding. We did stop for a while watching the turtles and fish in the pool but with a few kids running riot and scaring all the birds away we left to see if we could find somewhere a bit quieter.

Berry Springs Nature Park was our next stop. I loved the sign as we drove in, obviously not a problem this morning, and again we found a very soggy park. Last time we were here the springs were full of people swimming but this time were closed because of the strong currents & the possibility of crocodiles moving in during the wet. Mmm, I didn't need telling twice, no swimming here. We were not the only ones wandering the park, we came across a little family of Wallabies making the most of the peace & quiet with no visitors. They were very cute. A further stop for lunch and then it was time to drive out to Fogg Dam and meet our hosts for the next 3 days.

We arrived about 3.00pm after a photo stop along the way. The field beside us was full of Water Buffalo wallowing in the wetlands and each one had a number of Cattle Egrets on their backs. An amazing sight to see and one that kept us busy for a while. We finally tore ourselves away and kept going on to Eden where we met Heather, Jeremy and their two huge dogs, Carla, a Maremma & Emir an Anatolian Shepherd. Both dogs are bred to protect and as Eden is a working farm the dogs play an important role in looking after all who live there and visit. Our room was just beautiful, in fact more a house than a room. The Tropical Suite is the whole downstairs area of a traditional Darwin House, with floor to ceiling louvre windows and lots of fans to keep you cool. Two little veranda areas were surrounded by their lovely gardens and we spent a lot of time here just soaking up the essence of the place. Peace perfect peace! Heather & Jeremy were the perfect hosts and we loved staying at their lovely home. We hope to visit again, perhaps we'll try the dry season next time.

After we settled in, had a coffee and did a little unpacking we decided that it was a great time to see Fogg Dam in the evening. We had heard that we may not be able to get across the causeway due to flooding though Jeremy said we should be right with the van. Eden is only a 10 min drive from Fogg Dam though it took a bit longer than that after frequent stops checking out the birds as we went. Forrest Kingfishers abound on the power lines and lots of waterbirds on the way in. So we thought. Once there we got the surprise of our lives. The water was right across the causeway and the rocks on one side of it were just a mass of birds feeding. Egrets of all types, darters, herons, ducks and kingfishers were just everywhere. A photographer's dream come true. We stopped here for some time before heading across the wall to the end where there is a two storey viewing platform overlooking the wetlands. It was here that we saw our first crocodile just cruising around his billabong in the balmy conditions. We had a great afternoon and didn't get back home until almost dark after watching the sunset over the wetlands.

The next morning we were up before the birds and headed out in the dark even driving across the causeway before the sun had come up. We watched the sunrise from our vantage point above the wetlands and had a fabulous morning watching it all come to life. The two whistling kites chatting to each other across the pandanus trees was magic. From our top storey lookout we could see other cars arriving and stopping and Bill said that one of them was Wayne. Sure enough on our way back across we stopped to say hello and another couple of hours disappeared taking photos, this time of the two beautiful Jabirus that were feeding with the other birds. They are now called Black Necked Storks but to everyone in the NT they will remain Jabirus. Wayne & Georgie stayed and played while we went home for a very late breakfast and a few hours R & R on the veranda. We returned later in the day for sunset and found not only Wayne & Georgie still there but they had been joined by Nolan & Josie together with Danny & Janice. We had a great evening but the sunset was overtaken by the huge storm clouds coming across. Nolan took this awesome photo of us coming across the wall with the clouds and a rainbow behind us. Once dark we all went our separate ways and we headed back to our tropical suite to listen to the rain that had arrived on our little drive home.

We got a sleep in the next morning as it was still raining so had a wander around the property instead once it stopped. The Blue Winged Kookaburras and the Scarlett Finches were just beautiful and certainly made up for not going over to Fogg Dam. That afternoon we headed back into town as we were all meeting that night for a Sunset Cruise on the Harbour. First stop was the Botanic Gardens looking for the 3 Barking Owls that the guys had all reported on the day before. Helen had rang everyone in raptures and they had all gone owl hunting. We couldn't find them so had to leave them for another day. We had a late lunch on the terrace at Parliament house enjoying the beautiful sunny afternoon and the view untill it was time to head for the Marina to board our boat for the evening's cruise. Leaving from Cullen Bay is great fun as you have to go through the Loch and once out we hoped the weather would play nice but no, Mother Nature had other idea's and the storm clouds gathered again. More spectacular pics to be had and then the rain came and stayed. We had a great night though and mostly stayed dry & certainly warm, with the plastic sides down on the catamaran. Drinks, nibbles & water is always a great way to go. Shame about the sunset though. We also caught up with Virginia & Greg and finally met little Toby who at 10 months old is just so cute. It was good to see them again and we look forward to a longer visit next week. We drove back to Eden through the rain and on the way back decided that we would try to find the owls that the local guys had told us about. Spotlighting along the power lines and fence posts was great fun and we found a number of owls, albeit a bit damp. Finally we stopped playing and went home for our final night in a real bed. Camping for real starts tomorrow.

Our last morning at Eden was spent on the veranda again as the rain had continued, we had a leisurely breakfast and then got ready to head of on our adventure of a lifetime. We said goodbye to Heather & Jeremy, thanked Carla & Emir for looking after us and after a quick stop for a final goodbye to Fogg Dam and the crocodile we were on our way to see what else we could find in the Top End.

bring on the adventures......

New Adventures in the Top End

Our trip started as most do with a flight to Darwin. We arrived at 1.10am so had arranged to stay at the Airport Resort for the first night. Watching the weather during the week we were a bit concerned as a Cyclone watch was in place on Thursday and it continued into Friday until it was downgraded to a tropical low. All was quiet though very wet when we arrived leaving us in no doubt as to how much rain had fallen. I was expecting the airport hotel to be a block of units but instead found a resort hotel that could have come straight from Bali. It looked very nice but all we were interested in was a bed at that point. Breakfast the next morning was nice and a half an hour later we were picked up by Nolan who was taking us to collect our 'Turtle'. This was a Maui Camper van that we were going to travel around in for the next 2 weeks. Once we were in possession of our wheels it was time to find somewhere quiet to unpack and familiarise ourselves with our new home.

A step back for a moment to tell you why we were in Darwin at this time of the year. Bill belongs to a Photographic Forum where people from Australia & New Zealand post Nature Photos. Last year someone suggested that they get together somewhere to meet each other and share some ideas and this was the where and the when. About a dozen people had travelled to Darwin and we were all meeting up at various functions over the next week. Bill & I had decided that this would be the ideal opportunity to have a practice run at being Grey Nomads so had organised the van and here we were. Let the adventure begin.

We took Nolan & Josie up on their offer to spend our first couple of nights parked in their driveway. We had been going to go to a caravan park but as the first couple of events were nearby this seemed to be a good idea. And a nice safe way to ease us into 'camping' in the great outdoors complete with Hill's hoist, barb-b-que & beer. Wayne & Georgie from Queensland were staying with them as well so all in together was a lot of fun.

Once unpacked we took ourselves shopping for supplies, spent a couple of hours at East Point Reserve where we got rained on during a walk, met Nolan & Josie at Nightcliff for a drink as we watched the sunset and then headed off to our driveway home to settle in. It was great to see them both again and we had a great night at their place enjoying a bar-b-que tea and a few quiet drinks. My first adventure was to make our bed up for the night. This was achieved with a minimum of fuss though I must say putting a sheet on a bed that you are crawling all over is a bit of a challenge. Still I got there in the end and once we were in bed we had a good nights sleep.

Having survived our first night we were eager to get out and about the next day. We headed for the Botanic Gardens and spent a couple of hours playing with the cameras, the plants and the birds. The little Red Headed Honeyeaters we found there were just beautiful. There was evidence of the storm that had just passed by and also of Cyclone Carlos that had gone through here a few weeks earlier. Like the rest of Australia Darwin's weather has been more extreme than usual. They have just experienced their wettest & longest wet season for a number of years and with rain still forecast it looked like we were about to experience life in the 'wet'.

Another trip to the shops for the bits we had forgotten and then it was time to head to Nightcliff again. The first get together of the whole group was a bar-b-que tea on the foreshore. We had a great night meeting Danny & Janice from New Zealand, Helen from Perth, Wayne & Georgie from Qld, William, John & Michael like Nolan & Josie were locals. With Darwin renowned for it's beautiful sunsets everyone had their camera's ready only to be thwarted by the storm clouds rolling in. There was a tiny peek of colour for a moment but that didn't stop them all clicking away and I guess the storm photo's will look pretty good. The rain stayed away and a great night was had by all. The very funny Bush Stone Curlews that came out after dark had us all smiling at their antics. They are a funny bird that really look like they are up to no good as they run around then stop and check you out.

With our first meet & greet a great success it was time to all head home and get ready for our next part of the adventure. We were off to Eden at Fogg Dam for 3 days.

Can't wait........