FRI 23 OCT DARWIN
SPENT THE DAY AT THE DARWIN WATERFRONT WAVEPOOL-BOTH TRIED TO SURF WITH LITTLE SUCCESS.YOU CANT SWIM IN THE SEA HERE-CROCS,BOX JELLYFISH AND ALLSORTS! OUR FIRST REAL ENCOUNTER WITH ABORIGINAL PEOPLE-MOST OF THEM SITTING AROUND DRINKING CANS OF BEER.WENT TO THE CINEMA TONIGHT-ONLY THREE OTHERS IN THERE!

SAT 24 OCT DARWIN
WE "RODE THE CROC" TODAY,A SUNSET TOUR ON A STRANGE VEHICLE THAT GOES ON LAND AND ON WATER.TOURED MOST OF DARWIN AND THE MASSIVE HARBOUR.TONIGHT WE HAD OUR FIRST DECENT STEAK IN MONTHS AT THE HOGGS BREATH CAFE.HUGE STEAKS COOKED FOR A MINIMUM OF 18 HOURS-VERY WELCOME AFTER SO MUCH RICE.GOT BACK TO OUR HOSTEL AND AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT OUR BED BEGAN SHAKING! NOT UNTIL MORNING DID WE FIND OUT THERE HAD BEEN A 7.2 EARTHQUAKE IN DARWIN!

SUN 25 OCT
WENT ON A DAY TRIP TO LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK.HAD SWIMS AT WANGI FALLS,FLORENCE FALLS AND BULEY ROCKHOLE.VERY GOOD AUSSIE TOUR GUIDE AND VERY FRIENDLY GROUP.SAW MASSIVE TERMITE MOUNDS AND BEAUTIFULL SCENERY.WE ALSO WENT ON A JUMPING CROCODILE BOAT CRUISE ON THE RIVER ADELAIDE.SAW LARGE CROCS,SOME AS BIG AS 6 METRES.THE GUIDE DANGLED LARGE CHUNKS OF MEAT ON THE END OF BIG POLES,TRYING TO GET THEM TO JUMP OUT OF THE WATER AND ATTACK THE BAIT.SURPRISING HOW FAR OUT OF THE WATER THEY CAN JUMP! GOT SOME GREAT PHOTOS AND THEN HAD A CHAMPAGNE LUNCH WHERE WE TRIED BARRAMUNDI-VERY TASTY.GLAD WE BOOKED THIS TOUR (GOANNA ECO TOURS)AS MANY OF THE OTHER TOURS WERE WITH MUCH LARGER GROUPS OF YOUNGER TRAVELLERS WHO SEEMED MORE INTERESTED IN DRINKING BEER AND UNFORTUNATELY LEAVING THEIR EMPTIES AND SPOILING A WONDERFULL NATIONAL PARK

MON 26 OCT DARWIN
BIG FISHING CONTEST BETWEEN MIMI AND ME TODAY.AFTER BACON AND EGG SANDWICHES COOKED ON OUR BOAT,IT WAS TIME TO STEAM OUT TO SEA WITH "DARWIN REEF AND WRECKS".
LOVELY AUSTRALIAN FAMILY ON OUR BOAT AND WE HAD A GREAT DAY.MIMI HAD A FANTASTIC DAY AS SHE CAUGHT TWO SMALL SHARKS AND WON OUR CONTEST.WE SAW QUITE A FEW SHARKS AND ALSO SOME DOLPHINS.AM GLAD NOT GOING DIVING HERE AS NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR CROCS AND BOX JELLYFISH-THEY ALSO HAVE LARGE TIGER SHARKS!

FRI 30 OCT START OF 6 DAY TOUR-DARWIN TOALICE SPRINGS
DARWIN TO KATHERINE GORGE
0530AM START OF ADVENTURE TOURS TRIP.23 PEOPLE ON OUR TRIP-A MIX OF GERMANS,AMERICANS,FRENCH AND ITALIENS.WE STOPPED OFF AT KATHERINE GORGE TO KAYAK AND SWIM.THE PHOTOS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES-STUNNING.WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE FRESHWATER CROCS IN THE GORGE BUT NO "SALTIES" AS THEY SET TRAPS.A LITTLE UNNERVING SWIMMING THERE BUT WE SURVIVED! AFTER A FEW HOURS AT KATHERINE WE WENT TO OUR CAMPSITE -BASIC TWIN TENTS,LARGE KITCHEN AND SMALL TOILET/SHOWER BLOCK.GOT ASKED FOR ID WHEN BUYING SOME ALCOHOL IN KATHERINE-STRANGE AUSSIE RULES INSIST ON PHOTO ID FOR ALL.HAD TO GET OUR TOUR LEADER TO BUY IT FOR US.LUNCH WAS BURGERS WHICH I HELPED TO COOK(?)ON THE OUTSIDE BARBIE (DIDNT KILL ANYONE!)
IN THE EVENING WE PLAYED FUZZY DUCK,PING PANG PONG AND I TRIED TO TEACH THE GROUP THE b**** GAME.AFTER SHARING A COLD SHOWER WITH SOME FROGS IT WAS TIME FOR SOME SLEEP-UNFORTUNATELY WITH NO FAN/AIRCON IN OUR TENT AND THE TEMP NUDGING 30C AT NIGHT-LITTLE SLEEP WAS HAD.

SAT 31 OCT KATHERINE GORGE TO TENNANT CREEK
ANOTHER EARLY START AND LOTS OF TIME ON THE COACH.STOPPED OFF AT MATARANKA FOR A QUICK SWIM IN A NATURAL THERMAL POOL SURROUNDED BY LUSH TROPICAL FOREST.LUNCH WAS AT DALY WATERS PUB-THE TERRITORYS OLDEST PUB-QUITE A SMALL PLACE-ONLY 15 RESIDENTS! HAD A BOAT RACE (FOR THOSE THAT DONT KNOW-ITS A DRINKING RACE)AND MIMI ASKED WHERE WERE THE BOATS! REFRESHING SWIM IN THE PUB POOL-HOW CIVILISED TO HAVE A POOL IN A PUB! IT WAS DARK WHEN WE ARRIVED AT TENNANT CREEK AND IT WAS A BIT OF A PAIN HAVING TO PREPARE AND COOK FOOD-ESPECIALLY AS NOT EVERYONE HELPED OUT.MORE FUN TEAM GAMES BEFORE ANOTHER SHOWER WITH FROGS.BETTER TENTS TONIGHT AND NOT SO HIT TONIGHT.NO PHONE RECEPTION LET ALONE TV HERE-NO ARSENAL GAME FOR ME!

SUN 1 NOV (SIX MONTHS AWAY TODAY!) TENNANT CREEK TO ALICE SPRINGS
STOPPED AT THE DEVILS MARBLES-HUGE ROUND BOULDERS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.LOTS MORE DRIVING AGAIN WITH A FEW INTERESTING STOPS.BARROW CREEK PUB WAS VERY WELCOMING AND FRIENDLY.THIS IS VERY NEAR TO WHERE PETER FALCONIO WAS MURDERED YEARS AGO.CROSSED OVER THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN AND ONTO ALICE SPRINGS.FINAL GROUP DINNER TOGETHER AS TRIP IS TWO 3 DAY TRIPS.

MON 2 NOV ALICE SPRINGS TO KATA TJUTA AND ULURU
STARTED NEXT 3 DAY TOUR WITH JUST 4 OF US AND TWO GUIDES.FOUND OUT WE HAD BEEN UPGRADED TO THE SAFARI IN STYLE TRIP-BASICALLY NO MORE COOKING,CLEANING AND MUCH MORE LUXURIOUS TENTS AND CAMPSITES-RESULT! WENT TO AN OUTBACK CAMEL FARM WHERE MIMI HAD A RIDE.THEN PAST MOUNT CONNOR AND ONTO OUR CAMPSITE AT YULARA.AFTER A DELICIOUS LUNCH OF KANGAROO STEAKS,CAMEL SAUSAGES,STEAK AND SALAD WE MET OUR FELLOW TOURISTS-A PARTY OF 14 GERMANS,MANY OF WHOM SPOKE NO ENGLISH.LETS JUST SAY THEY WERNT SHY OF COMING FORWARD WHEN IT CAME TO LUNCH/DINNER/DRINKS! WENT TO SEE KATA TJUTA (THE OLGAS) AND THEN ONTO ULURU.BOTH WERE AMAZING.A STORM ARRIVED OVER ULURU AND OUR GUIDE SAID WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO SEE WATERFALLS COMING OFF IT-QUITE RARE.SUNSET AT ULURU WITH CHAMPAGNE WAS PRETTY COOL TOO.

TUE 3 NOV ULURU TO KINGS CANYON
UP AT 4AM TO SEE SUNRISE AT ULURU FOLLOWED BY A 9.4KM BASE WALK AROUND IT.THE ULURU CLIMB WAS CLOSED AND LOOKED VERY DANGEROUS (OVER 40 DEATHS HERE)AFTER A SHORT VISIT TO AN ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CENTRE WE HAD ANOTHER LONG DRIVE TO KINGS CANYON.AGAIN THE CAMPSITE WAS SUPERB AS WAS THE FOOD AND WINE.OUR TWO GUIDES WERE OUTSTANDING.ALONG WITH ONE OTHER SWEDISH GIRL WE DECIDED TO SLEEP OUTSIDE IN A SWAG UNDER THE STARS TONIGHT-A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND DAZZLIND STARS.

WED 4 NOV KINGS CANYON TO ALICE SPRINGS
430 AM START (GOD I NEED MORE COFFEE!) AND ASHORT DRIVE TO THE MAGNIFICENT KINGS CANYON.DID A THREE AND A HALF HOUR HIKE AND GOT SOME GREAT PICS.FIVE OUR DRIVE BACK TO ALICE SPRINGS

HAVE A FEW TRIPS PLANNED IN ALICE BEFORE DIVING OFF CAIRNS NEXT WEEK,TRYING TO PUT PHOTOS ON HERE BUT VERY SLOW-MANY MORE PICS ARE ON FACEBOOK AS IT UPLOADS QUICKER
BYE FOR NOW