Darwin, NT -Interesting but I wouldn't want to live there!

20th - 24th August 2013

The title "Darwin, NT -Interesting but I wouldn't want to live there!" probably has a lot to do with the fact that my arms and legs have been severely bitten by sandflies and look a lot like the bomb craters left after Darwin was attacked by 188 Japanese aircraft back in 1942.

It seemed strange getting ready to set up our tent in Darwin less than an hour after leaving our previous camp in Batchelor. This has to be our shortest (89km) trip between camps since we started. The Shady Glen caravan Park was the closest we could get to the City and about 9km out. Right next to the airport and some old geyser had told us it just sounds like distant thunder - bulldust! The old b***** must have been deaf. We have learnt to deal with all sorts of noises from road trains to partying locals, so we will survive. First priority was to book motorcycle services and tyres. A new unexpected front tyre for Trish as I found a very deep cut right across it, and we have no idea how long it had been like that. Also to find someone who doesn't throw their hands up in the air like a crazed Italian when you say you want a service on a Motto Guzzi, which luckily we did find and after a few choking sounds agreed to the service. My bike needed front and rear tyres, better here than repeat the Port Hedland experience where we waited 6 days for trailer tyres. All sorted and booked in for the 23rd.

We had seen some people back at Batchelor who had been to Darwin and attacked by some very vicious kamikaze sandflies so you think we should have been prepared. Not so, you don't feel the little b*****s until too late and massive red welts appear. I did feel a bit better after seeing a guy covered from head to foot with larger 5 cent size blisters. Apparently they found the camper van they had just hired was infested with fleas, so my troubles seemed small but irritating.

Day 2 - 21st August - It was off to the Military Museum at East Point to find out more about the history we were never taught at school. The extent and number of Japanese bombing raids has astounded us. As usual it took us over half a day to get out of that Museum. Not content with one Museum we headed off to the NT Museum and Art Gallery which of course filled the rest of the day. On the way home I thought we would check out the fish feeding at Doctors Gully, it turns out that what was once a free and casual event has now been commercialized. The fish have been lured and trained to be further around the corner on private property and now fenced off with a high wall and a $15 per person entry fee. $30 for the two of us to feed a few fish, no way, we could feed ourselves fish for that price instead of the other way round. Trish gave the evil eye to some smoking backpackers in the camp kitchen before they scurried off. She has plans to talk to management to make sure there is a prominent NO SMOKING sign displayed. That's my Girl!

Day 3 - 22nd August - Sandfly bites starting to meld together into one huge red itch! Heat and humidity starting to take its toll, luckily we are still finding Darwin very interesting. The inevitable washing day has come around a bit sooner thanks to the humidity and the body odours that go with it. With that chore out of the way we headed off to explore the new heart of Darwin and all the waterside development. Sydney has Darling Harbour, Melbourne has Docklands and Perth will have the riverside development. Even though we whine about the costs of Colin Barrnet's dream it will give a heart to Perth as it has done in other places. I personally look forward to the new Perth. Anyway having checked out and being suitably impressed by the new areas in Darwin we stumbled across the historic WW2 Oil Tunnels and not being the ones to turn down a bit more history and culture we ventured in and really enjoyed the experience.

Now that Kevin Rudd has finally announced a date for the election we realized we had no idea where we would be but fortunately a Pre Polling Booth in Darwin made it easy to get that out of the way. A must do in Darwin is the Mindil Beach markets at sunset. For an Asian food enthusiast like me, the only problem was what to choose from the dozens of stall on offer. Trishy's love of girly stall hopping and browsing gave me time to decide. The final part was to intimately share the beach with several thousand other people taking photographs of the sunset. The clouds obliged and opened up a few holes for the golden sunbeams to rain down, it was a great sight and I was expecting a God like voice to give some profound message from above but it never happened. I guess I will have to continue to be an unbeliever. He had his chance!

There are hints of the Monsoon season starting, with the build-up of clouds late afternoon. Sure enough it did rain later in the night. We both felt for a single Mother with three young kids camped just behind us, they were doing it rough and tough. A small roof top camper on the 4WD and a flyscreened enclosure that was not waterproof. Of course everything in that got wet.

Day 4 - 23rd August - Bike and tyre servicing and a Seniors day out on the buses to town. Seniors have unlimited travel for 3 hours for just one dollar, which suited us fine after dropping off the bikes. As it was a bit over the 3 hours on our return we had to invest another whole dollar each to get back to the bikes. Still gritting my teeth and trying not to scratch the bites. Even Trishy, whom mosquitoes avoid like the plague, is getting a few bites. Welcome to my life darling!

Red Raw Itchy Dave

PS: NO SMOKING sign now displayed in the Camp Kitchen