We made it, yes we are in Darwin. It's 153 years later than John McDouall Stuart and a bit of an easier journey but we have followed the path he paved.

It is a balmy 30 degrees as we pack up our campsite at Mt Bundy station. It's hot work and we depart camp at 10:30. Emily entertains herself for much of the pack up by picking leaves off small bushes and twigs and inserting them in the mouth of a plastic water bottle.

The drive to Darwin is easy and there is lots of traffic on the road including more 4 trailer road trains.

As we approach Darwin there are almost 10 km of road works running alongside the highway. There are dump trucks, graders, excavators, water trucks etc. and they are all working. William is enthralled. What more does a 4 1/2 year old boy need? Emily sleeps the entire way and wakes as we hit Darwin city and are about 2 minutes from our accommodation.

We walk into the city centre to find something to eat and it's pretty hot. After food and a short stroll around town we head back to the apartment to cool down.

We are super keen to do the markets here as we have missed the majority in the places we have visited so far. Off to the Palmerston night market we head. It is fantastic, loads of yummy food stalls, kids entertainment and music. We eat green pawpaw salad, samosas, spring rolls, pad Thai amongst other stuff and share some tropical fruit smoothies. William has a go on the big blow up slide but we can't convince him to join in the kids dancing.

We visit the Rapid Creek market on Sunday morning which is filled with lots of fruit and vegetables that I have never tried before and plenty that I have. It is crazy busy and we join the bustle stocking up on pawpaw, jackfruit, guava, pandan sponge, snake beans etc. and eat crepes for breakfast. Mark has pho.

That night for dinner it's off to the Mindil Markets where we take in a spectacular sunset. Mark has pork ribs for dinner and Emily tries to jump out of the Tula to get her hands on them and proceeds to clean the meat off 2 bones. She is one very happy girl! Needless to say she wouldn't have a bar of my caesar salad and spinach and ricotta ball.

We really love the feel of Darwin, the traffic moves easily and nothing seems too far away but it is still a city. We purchase some fresh fish and prawns which Mark cooks for a dinner. There are lots of places to fish. Mark goes fishing a couple of times down at the Stokes Hill wharf and gets a bite. The fish wins this time and snaps his line.

We swim every day in the apartment pool. It is a sloped pool and our water baby has no fear, she would just walk right in. We have to keep a close watch on her! William loves chucking the ball with Mark (this has only just been replaced after the previous ball was kicked into a giant cactus and got a puncture!). Desert hazards!

Tomorrow it's off to feed the fish but more about that next time!