Two weeks and 6000ks later we arrived in Darwin. Not bad travelling time for amateurs.
While in Darwin we were setting up the vans at our friend Shannon's five acre property in Humpty Doo. Humpty Doo is approximately 30ks south of the city so it was perfect for us to see the sites.

The first day in Darwin we used as a recovery day for us and the car. Washing to be done and a good sleep in. That night we did venture into the city to check out the famous Mindel markets. The markets are a mixture of cultures, selling everything from Crocodile back scratchers to dresses. The options for food are endless including fresh oysters and Korean BBQ. The atmosphere is amazing. We watched a Malaysian marching band and a guy teaching people to crack a whip. It's easy to see why people from all over the world flock to this market.
After looking at all the stalls we bought our dinner. The kids had pancakes and ice cream, and we headed down to the beach to watch the sun set. It was beautiful.

The next day we headed off for Crocodylus park. It is a croc breeding and research centre. We watched them feeding a couple of crocs and the kids and I got to hold a baby croc. They also have a great range of other animals such as lions, tigers, turtles and monkeys. It was a lot of fun and interesting to see how their breeding program is set up. After the park we drove in to the city to have a look around. The Wharf area has a section of the ocean sectioned off for swimming and not far from the cafes and restaurants is a wave pool. Only in Darwin.

The third day in Darwin we headed south again to Litchfield National park. We had packed lunch and were going to visit Florence falls and Buley rock pools. The first stop in the park was at the magnetic termite mounds. When you get your first glance at the mounds it looks like a giant cemetery. The magnetic mounds are flat on two sides facing east and west to make sure one side captures the sun .It's amazing to see what these termites can do when they're not eating houses.
Next stop Florence falls. You have to walk down 130 steps to get to the falls ( well that's what the sign said) but what a reward at the bottom. A huge waterfall with a crystal clear pool. The water was really nice and we stayed there for a couple of hours,swimming under the falls, and chasing the large fish which Kaden offered to catch for dinner :))) . Just before lunch we reluctantly packed up and headed for Buley rock pools. Surely it couldn't have been better than the falls, but we were mistaken. The rock pools were brilliant. There are four larger pools with lots of smaller pools in between. We stayed for the rest of the day, swam, ate lunch and just relaxed.

Our fourth day in Darwin started very slowly...just before lunch we headed for the Leanyer Water park. This water park consists of three giant water slides, a giant pool area and a little kids water park, all for free. Darwin has two of these types of parks as well as the wave pool ( which is $12 per family). I really started to ask myself what is NSW government is doing with our money....after four hours of trying to keep up with the kids on the slides we dragged them away. Our last stop for the day was a short, but great visit with Luke's cousin Tracey. It was great to catch up.

Our final day in Darwin we decided to visit the Museum and Art Gallery (Also free). The museum was fantastic with heaps of animal displays. One of the animals being Darwins biggest croc "Sweetheart"which died while being relocated. They also have an amazing Cyclone Tracey display. The display has lots of photos which show before and after the cyclone. It also has a sound booth that leaves you in complete darkness, and plays the sounds of the cyclone. Scary stuff. I won't be scared of the Wollongong wind again.
We finished our day with milk shakes at the cafe, while looking at the turquoise ocean...now home to pack.
We are sad to be leaving Shannon's tomorrow. I could have spent a couple of weeks in Darwin. So much to see, but the Gibb River road is calling....off to Kununurra in the morning.