Week 15 : 1 June to 7 June 2012 -- Darwin

It’s now 15 weeks since leaving Brisbane, and we’ve seen and experienced so much that it’s a bit of a senses overload. We’ve learned a lot about this great country, about travelling and caravanning, about living on a budget, and what happens when you break that budget. We’ve met some awesome people and confirmed our belief that most Aussies are more willing to give than to receive, and most of all, we’ve learned a lot about ourselves, and our relationship.

With our 32^nd anniversary just a month away, I’ve never enjoyed my time with Vic more, and am reveling in the opportunity to just be a couple. In saying that though, we are both missing our family and looking forward to seeing them in August when we go home for the birth of our grandson.

Fannie Bay Anti Aircraft Gun Site

After dropping Vic at work on Friday morning I visited the Fannie Bay Anti Aircraft Gun Site, which is on the way home. This was originally part of the East Point Golf Course and, due to it’s northerly position, was one of the first positions to engage the enemy during many of the WWII air raids. In partnership with the American Spitfires, this site was responsible for shooting down 7 of the 11 Japanese bombers, which attacked Darwin over Easter 1942. The site comprised 4 x 3.7 inch guns, a command post, Sergeant’s quarters and instrument pits. Each gun had a low roofed, earthen-floored tin hut, which provided primitive living for the personnel. Health was a concern and smouldering rags in cake tins were used to deter the disease bearing mozzies.

Fish traps were set in the bay to supplement the poor food supply, and on one occasion, the duty fish gatherer was emptying the traps by the light of his lantern, when he stepped over a log. He gave the log a kick to move it out of his way when it reared up… it was an 11ft 6inch croc!

Saturday was a lazy morning after a good sleep in. After baking some cookies, (with no oven in the van, it’s been a while since we’ve done any home baking!) we took Flash for a long walk on the beach. The weather in Darwin, now that the Dry has set in, is absolutely glorious, with days around 28 to 31 degrees and nights around 17 to 22 degrees. The news shows stories of cold temperatures and rain in the southern states, so it’s plain to see why the ‘Nomads’ sit out there winter’s up here.

fresh coconut milk drinks
$2 a coconut

Sunday, Vic and I went to the Rapid Creek Markets that are just a short drive from here. These are a fresh produce market, with heaps of fruit and veg, seafood, meat, flowers and fresh food stalls to keep you occupied for ages. I finally found a really good coffee here as well, so I’m a happy little vegemite!! It’s really interesting to see the different tropical fruits (and veg) that we don’t normally get at home, especially from the little old lady, wielding a hooked cane cutter, who chops the tops off coconuts and puts in a couple of drinking straws… Bingo… fresh coconut milk.

Vic wasn’t marketed out yet so we moved over to the Nightcliff Markets where more art and craft is available. These markets, along with Mindil Beach Markets, are all close to each other so it’s easy to have breakfast, lunch and dinner at a different market on Sundays.

We were home in the afternoon to watch the Broncos whip the Knights 50 – 24.

It’s fair to note that since leaving the Free Spirit last weekend, Vic and I haven’t had any alcohol. I’m not suggesting The Free Spirits were a bad influence, I’m just saying!! ....we did need to dry out a little though.

At the caravan park there is a lady, who does hairdressing, and Vic had used her services while at the park. After work Monday, I took Vic back out there to have a haircut, and I took a caravan magazine to keep myself occupied. As we walked past Phil and Bev’s van, they were having a drink with BJ and Robyn. Phil very kindly offered me a beer which I was glad to accept. I was finishing the second one when Vic got back. Now, I’m not saying the Free Spirits are a bad influence, I’m just saying!!

A word of warning to any ladies considering a perm, as Vic did, before leaving home. Vic made the decision to have one, thinking it would be easier to control while free camping. Typical woman...you know "what am i going to do without a hairdryer every morning!" She wasn’t aware of the chemical reaction that some spring water has on it. As it turns out the swims we had at Mataranka resulted in Vic’s hair turning into a frizz ball nearly overnight. Many attempts to rectify it had failed and she has had to cut off 3 years growth to get anywhere close to normality. She wasn't a happy camper!

Paul & Vic having coffee

On Tuesday, I prepared the caravan for our good friends, Neil and Jan, who were arriving in the NT for a fortnight. Meanwhile, another good friend of ours, Paul, was in Darwin on business, for a couple of days. We took the opportunity to catch up over a coffee and spent a couple of hours with him on Tuesday night. It was really good to see a familiar face and to know that I still have more hair than him!

Wednesday was the day Neil and Jan were to arrive so I did a bit of housework before picking Vic up from work and meeting them at the airport. Their flight was already an hour late when it left Brisbane so we dropped their gear at home and went back into Stoke’s Hill Wharf for a dinner of fish and chips.

Jan & Rod

Neil and Jan had a motorhome booked and after collecting that on Thursday, we came back to Casuarina to get some groceries, before returning home and packing for our planned trip to Kakadu National Park.

It was a beautiful tropical evening when we went into the Mindil Beach markets for a bite to eat and to watch another glorious NT sunset.

Mindil Beach markets

Until next week… Happy travels!  

Week 14 : 25 May to 31 May 2012 -- Darwin

During week 14, I spent time, on Thursday and Friday, packing stuff away in preparation to leave the park and move to our housesit for the next 8 weeks.

On Friday night the Free Spirits (x10) grabbed a maxi taxi and went to the Sailing Club at Fannie Bay, for dinner. There was a table reserved adjacent to the beach and as the sun set on a slightly overcast day, we sat enjoying the view, the wonderful company and quite a few cold drinks. 

The 10 Free Spirits

It was a beautiful balmy tropical night, and the meals were thoroughly enjoyable and good value. I’d recommend it when you visit. Back at the park, we had a nightcap at the bar before calling it quits.

Vic and I were home in time to watch the Broncos get absolutely flogged by the Storm… 34 – 10. Should have stayed for another nightcap!

Saturday, Vic and I finished off our packing so we would have an easy start in the morning. That night, we all ( Free Spirits) went down to the third pool area in the back corner of the park and had a bar-b-q dinner. It was a fun night amongst really good company and was topped off by Shirley’s Apple Sponge Desert. Her blood's worth bottling…Yummo!!

The boys

The girls

I’d found a bottle of cream liqueur under the bed, while I was repacking, so an executive decision was made to ensure it travelled no further… and as Frankie Valli said… Oh what a night!

When we checked in to the Free Spirit 6½ weeks ago I’d asked if any discounts were available, if we paid up front, or any other offers were given. I was told that as it was peak season, no discounts or concessions were available. Consequently, we decided to pay week by week.  

Every Thursday I went up and paid the bill, and every week there was a drama of some sort. When we checked out, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I got my $20 key deposit back, without a fight. I’d heard at happy hour that some of our group had received a free night, free drinks at the bistro, or a discount, and some guests even got a bag of jelly beans on checkout. A fortnight ago I made this known to the park manager, and he offered us a free drink at the bar each, and said that, because we’d been there over a month, we would receive a rebate on the GST, when we paid our final week. The result was that after paying over $1,650.00, we got one house beer and one wine and $1.60 discount. Put that in your memory bank if you’re coming up this way!

We had coffee with Dave and Sandi before we left the park on Sunday, then drove down to Dripstone Cliffs where we had lunch and relaxed, before arriving at the house at about 2.30. The family was out giving Flash a good run before they headed off on their 8 week trip to the UK. Once they got away, Vic and I spent quite some time trying to put the caravan in the driveway. I’d been confident it would fit, but I hadn’t allowed for the swing of the gates, and consequently we were forced to put it down the side of the house. Sunday night we relaxed, settled in and spent time with ‘Flash the Wonder Dog’.

Dave

Dave and Sandi were to leave the caravan park on Wednesday and continue their travels west. On Tuesday night, Vic and I went back out to the park for another ‘Farewell’ bar-b-q with the Free Spirits. It was a great night again and a-laugh-a-minute, particularly when we played celebrity heads. It was a fairly sad farewell at the end of the night, but we’ve all made some lifelong friendships and will all meet again somewhere on the road. I am sure with the emails, blogs and mobiles we will anyway.

Gary & Shirley

Sandi

Dora the Explorer aka Phil

Rod

Vicki

George

We’ve settled into a new routine now that we’ve moved and it’s a quicker trip to the city each day. In the afternoon when Vic gets home, we hop on the bikes, and take Flash down to Casuarina Beach where we let her run. She loves to chase fish (that she’ll never catch) in the shallows and catches up with some of her mates down there as they go mad and burn off heaps of energy. She has dinner when we come back and usually passes out on her mat for the rest of the night. I’m sure she is pressing the envelope with me (she’s trying to convince me that she always sleeps inside!), and, no doubt, the owners will wonder what’s happened when they return, but she’s a lovely dog and very easy to look after.

By Friday this week the Free Spirits have certainly spread out, with us housesitting, Dave and Sandi on their way west, George and Shirley at home in Townsville (car and van stored in Darwin) and Gary and Michelle in Bali (car and van also stored). Rob leaves next week for Cairns, also, Bob and Helen will head on next week and Phil and Bev fly home to Melbourne this week. BJ and Robyn will be at the park until August when they will also head south looking for cooler weather.  

DC3 at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog may recall my comments in week 5 regarding The Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach. A few weeks back I received an email from the Marketing Manager (didn’t give his/her name!) apologising for our experience and letting me know that the tour times are clearly listed on their web site. We were given the times by the staff at the Longreach Tourist Info Centre, who, I imagined, got their info from the attraction. My complaint wasn’t so much about missing the tour, as it was about the attitude of the person we dealt with at the counter. The email also informed me that the museum was currently running a training program to ensure the professionalism of the staff. If we are ever  passing through Longreach again, we were asked to please drop in and receive a VIP tour of the centre. Vic and I will certainly take them up on the offer, and hopefully, I’ll have nothing but praise for the place when I write about it in the blog.     

Since leaving Brisbane, I’ve started and finished each month with full fuel tanks so, on Wednesday, I tallied the fuel figures and the result is:

Fuel average for the trip so far :  19.1 L/100

Total kilometres : 10598 kms

Total litres          : 2065.1

Total dollars       : $3050.02 (av $1.47 / litre)

Average cost      : 28.8c / km

Highest price for fuel was $1.91 / litre at Camooweal and the lowest was $1.29.9 at Katherine. This was with a 20c Woolies voucher that we got at Mt. Isa.

Until next week… Happy travels!

Week 13 : 18 May to 24 May 2012 -- Darwin

It’s been another busy week for us both with Vic proving her worth at work and the people in the department making use of her experience. She’s enjoying being busy but also really enjoys her Saturday sleep ins.

On Friday this week it was an overcast day and a bit cooler than we’ve become used to so I headed south about 10kms and had a look at 17 ½ Mile Camp. Following the air raids of 19^th February 1942, a land attack was expected within 3 days, so many defensive decisions were made in an effort to prepare Darwin ( and indeed , Australia) for the imminent enemy landings.

Looking downhill from the dugout

This was the first line of defence and, as the name suggests, was 
17 ½ miles from Darwin. The troops were given supplies to last several weeks so they could stall the enemy while further defences were organized. They were told to hold their positions to the very end. This site was chosen due to the elevated ridges in the area which gave commanding views across to the harbour and Darwin city which would have to be taken before any move south could be made. The elevated positions also gave the defenders a good view over the Old Stuart Highway and main North – South Railway Line to Adelaide, which it was anticipated, the enemy would have to use in order to make a speedy advance.

The camp was hastily set up under the threat of invasion and it was necessary to create a water supply, drainage, build huts and command posts, mess, latrines etc. Trip wires were placed in front of camp perimeters to create fields of fire and camouflaged.

 Concealed dug out

Concealments were dug into prominent ridges and fortified with low semi-circular walls of local ‘coffee’ rock. Positions were effective because the defenders were well hidden in shallow positions on high ground.

Remnants of the Flaming Fury

Remnants of the various buildings, huts and drainage remain as do some of the latrine pits. These were dubbed, ‘Flaming Furies’ because of the cleaning method. To prevent disease, fuel was regularly tipped down the hole and set alight. This was easier than filling in the holes and digging new ones. 

Nowadays the area is a reserve with good walking trails ( a 2.1 km circuit), good descriptive signage and well preserved dug outs. There are some life size steel cutouts of soldiers, in position, and you are encouraged to stop, look around and consider the site from the perspective of those defending it.  

Damaged old oil storage tank

In the afternoon, on my way to pick Vic up from work I found the remaining oil storage tanks which were one of the primary targets on many of the Japanese air raids.

On Saturday, after a sleep in, Vic and I went to the Coolalinga Markets again to buy a mosquito coil holder. The one we got differs from the usual ones in that it’ll hold the pieces of coil, which I always end up with because they’re damn near impossible to unpack without breaking! We were told these ones are hand made locally but our fellow Free Spirits, George and Shirley from Townsville, have one they bought there!! (So much for self promotion!)

Making sure it is straight!!

While here, we bumped into Dave and Sandra ( fellow Free Spirits from Port Augusta) who were ordering a sign for their van. 


We had a look around together before having a coffee at the café nearby and easily killing a couple of hours. 




Dave and Sandra, like Vic and I, have sold up everything at home, put the important stuff in storage and are now on the same search as we are. None of us are sure what we’re looking for but I’ll let you know when we find it! Vic and I hope to catch up with Dave and Sandi somewhere round Australia, a great couple and great company.

Don't count the days...make the days count!!
Love it!!

We’d heard the night before that Berry Springs (refer week 10) was open at last so Vic and I headed down there hoping to get a swim this time. We did and it was worth the wait. This is a lovely spot with the stream being fed by the springs further up and feeding via the cascades into 3 swimming holes. The water is a perfect swimming temperature with easy access provided by concrete platforms. Archer Fish are clearly visible as you spend time floating and relaxing in the crystal clear water. Vic and I really enjoyed the swim before we had a late picnic lunch (with the mozzies!) and then heading home in time for happy hour at George and Shirley’s caravan.

Berry Springs

Sunday morning I gave the car a clean and in between the wash and the buff, Dave and Sandi came over and joined us for morning tea in the shade of the coconut palms. Shortly after lunch, the local Fire Department set the first controlled burn for the season, along the boundary of the caravan park. Consequently, we were all engulfed in smoke for most of the afternoon and everything was covered in a layer of ash. I hurried over to Supercheap and bought a car cover to protect my clean Jeep from it.

Control burning

Controlled burning is an important part of the NT fire management. Raging catastrophic fires that seem an all too regular occurrence in southern states, are not the norm up this way. Fires in the Top End are generally at ground level, of low intensity and self extinguishing at night by low temperatures and dew, posing little threat to humans and animals. Fire management principles are based on traditional Aboriginal burning techniques which control fires in the early dry season. 

Aboriginal people burned the country for many reasons including hunting, communication, to encourage new growth, ease of travel and for ceremonies. This regrowth provided a range of food sources and habitats for themselves and the animals they hunted.

Smoky sunset

If you come to Darwin at this time of year, be prepared for the smoke haze that is all part of local life here.

Vic and I went for a swim to cool off before enjoying another great happy hour at Gary and Michelle’s place. 

I left the Jeep back at the dealer again on Monday so they could isolate an issue with the front diff sensor which is sending false warnings. I was assured it would be done by 11.30 or I would receive a phone call letting me know otherwise. They dropped me back in the city and after a coffee I followed the Darwin Bicentenial Way which is a pathway that meanders through parkland along the Esplanade.

Along the Darwin Bicentenial Way

There are many various tributes along here to people who have contributed to the history of The Northern Territory including explorers, developers, Indigenous communities and individuals, business people, parliamentarians, teachers, doctors and nurses station owners and farmers, pearlers and many others. There are also commemorative plaques to the troops and service men and women who were stationed here during the war.

By midday I’d received no phone call so made my way back to Kerry’s, the Jeep dealer. In previous blogs I’ve made mention of Darwin time which is something you need to contend with if you visit. Basically, Darwin time is, ‘when I’m damn good and ready and that’s if I get around to it at all!’ When I got back, they hadn’t looked at my car and after some coaxing, I was able to leave at 3pm. A faulty sensor was blamed,( something I’d suggested when I left the car with them… and my mechanical / technical ability would fit in a thimble!!) and the part will need to be ordered. Oh, my stars, this will be interesting! We’ll have to wait and see how it all pans out.

On Tuesday we heard on the news that a 4.2 metre croc had been trapped a kilometre downstream from Berry Springs where Vic and I had enjoyed our swim on Saturday.

During happy hour, some caravanners down from us returned from a days crabbing with some magnificent mud crabs they’d trapped. Apparently, they had caught 10 the day prior but only 5 today because they’d lost 2 traps to crocs.

Wednesday was an awesome day. A group of us went to the bistro for dinner and watched the Mighty Queensland Maroons down  the NSW Blues 18 – 10 in the first round of the State of Origin.

As the week came to a close…. It was great to be a Queenslander!

Until next week… Happy travels.