Monday (unlike Saturday) means the shops are open and we can buy food and cooking equipment. The girls were going into town so we hitched a lift with them in their Wicked campervan. A distinctive rental van that has graffiti artwork on the outside and less artistic graffiti on the inside (done by the numerous people that used them to travel across Aus). The inside of the van was basically a thin foam bed partly hidden by piles of clothes (comforting memories of...

Today's dictome - avoid Darwin and it's associated costs. Some didgeridoo music from one of the tents a couple of days back and finding out that some campers do talk has rekindled interest in staying in. Three nights of drinking is not good and does cost. Hopefully we can get up earlier to explore somewhere tomorrow. Provisions are low and we do not have any means to cook. Plain noodles, 10 km round trip to a shop or go into Darwin are the options. There are too...

I was woken by a phone call from Spiers - "how about going to the botanical gardens". As we were waiting for the bus, a helicopter hung low over the bus shelter and then hundreds of bikers rode past. Simon was a bit worse for wear when we met up - wanting to go to bed for an hour (which we all know means at least three). We all tried to think of something to do in Darwin that we can afford - but decided that we will probally end up drinking when some of Simons...

The bus into town was easy - just wait at the bus stop. Tried a bit of hitching whilst we were waiting. Hat on/off - me/Liz hiding did not produce the goods, I even had a go at hitching a police car (they just reciplicated the hitching action). The bus for no apparent reason just stopped half way to town and the bus driver started reading a news paper. Eventually the driver got out of his cabin and went up to an Aboriginal person "YOU out NOW". The Aboriginal ev...

Home sweet home for Australia and USA - complete with the worse for wear Liz. Liz was on some cheap wine last night, I was fine. The tent was a bargain in Sydney - it is the largest tent we have ever had and very well ventelated, useful in hot weather and for the effects of curry and beer. The only questions are: is the flysheet fine enough to filter out the minute things that bite, and would it stop the sand getting in when we go to the Black Rock desert in Ne...