Day 30. Up early today as we are driving south 250km to Katherine for a couple of days before we head west towards the Kimberley. Stopped for morning tea at the Leaping Lizard Cafe at Pine Creek. Finally arrived into Katherine around lunch time, a comfy 27 degrees. After a visit to Toyota to get advice on a fuel tank problem, we headed for the hot springs to soak up the water and bubbles under the little waterfall, of course armed with our noodles! We are booke...

Day 29. Today we headed 80km south to the small village of Batchelor on the edge of the Litchfield National Park. Originally established in 1911 as a Government Experimental Farm and in 1941 as a heavy duty airstrip for General MacArthur's B17 bombers. In 1949 it developed further to service the uranium mine of Rum Jungle, Batchelor is a green, leafy tidy little town. We checked into the Batchelor Tourist Park, a lovely grassy, shady place and shown a great site...

Day 28. Lazy Sunday swimming, shopping and resting. Short drive south to Berry Springs for a swim in the spring-fed main pool and under the little waterfall. At first we were nearly alone with our swimming 'noodles' then gradually others arrived and the springs were alive with colourful noodles. Some fish swimming about the clear water surrounded by rainforest. WW2 troops used to swim here for relaxation, maybe my grandfather! I last swam here 42 years ago, not...

Day 27. Sitting on the shady deck of Eva Cafe, a beautiful old restored Wesleyan Methodist Church in the Darwin Botanical Gardens. We spent the early morning at the very busy Parap Markets where we had icy smoothies and stocked up on fresh produce and coffee. While Raechel visited the hair salon, I drove up Bagot Road to Bunnings for a look and onto my old haunts of Nightcliff and Rapid Creek. Cullen Bay now a boat marina, trendy village and waterfront mansions!...

Day 26. Up early to the ARB 4WD shop at Winnellie to fit a new Century deep cycle battery and upgraded wiring to our car fridge. Next Jaycar to buy a multimeter to check DC currents as we go. Back to the van where Raechel had prepared a nice ham salad lunch, our car fridge now working to keep our drinks cold. Then back into Darwin to visit the Darwin Military Museum at beautiful East Point Reserve. Great portrayal of the 1942 bombing of Darwin by the Japanese a...