Darwin
18th August to 5th September 2020
Well you wouldn't believe it but I've been in Darwin now for two weeks.
The weather here is so predictable, 35* everyday, nice warm evenings and cool enough in the mornings, that's it. I don't think they have a weather man here, after all what's he going to say? "Today will be the same as yesterday folks" .
I think I've become a bit climatised as I'm finding it not to bad.
I stayed at Coolalinga caravan park for a week and did a fair bit of work on the van.
First up a big wash, I also put another 120 watt solar on the roof and wired that all up. Plus service the suspension and bearings, So I have been busy.
I managed to do some touristy things, The first day I went into Darwin and just wondered around town. They have these scooters that you just hop on and scoot around town, so I took one for a spin, that made it easy.
I finished up at the Ski club on the beach and had a nice seafood basket and a few beers, just nice seeing the sights and enjoying the nice sea breeze.
Another day I caught the scenic bus that you can hop on and off at different sights. The bus does a loop so it's easy to see the city and get commentary which was great.
Before I left I phoned them up and asked where best to park my car. He said, " I always tell everyone to park at the Art Centre and there is free parking all day".
'Great' I said.
I planned to get off at the next stop as I wanted to see the military Museum but for some reason he by-passed that, no worries, I got the tour and commentary of the city and other parts, I got off in town as I was hungry and had lunch. The bus leaves every hour except at that particular time it's an hour and a half. I finished up lying under a tree in the park waiting.
I finally made it to the museum which was great to see. Just as I finished the bus turned up and I was the only rider. The driver asked where I was getting off and when I told him he informed me this is the last run and he didn't go that way. WHY ME.
Anyway I organised him to drop me off at the nearest point and I'll walk. That wasn't to bad as I dropped into three different clubs and had a beer plus got to take some nice shots.
Whilst I was at Coolalinga I met up with a fellow traveler who spotted my you-beaut golf scooter, turns out he has the exact same thing. So we went and had a hit at Humpty Doo golf course. Lenny only has one leg but he goes ok.
On the way out I asked him is handicap and he said he's never had one. So to find out his skill level I asked a few questions and he said before he lost his leg he had no trouble hitting 300 meters.
I love people who say that.
After a couple of holes I hit a really great drive that he was amazed at, I said "well it's not as long as you used to be Lenny".
He said, "well that one was probably around 290". I said, " Well considering there is a tail wind, I'd say 225". Don't you just love that?
Humpty Doo (don't you just love that name) has a great little course and I enjoyed playing there.
I also played at Parmeston and that was great. I played in the comp there with three others and when I went to the pro shop they printed off my card and said "your off 18 handicap today", I said "18, are you sure,? I haven't been off 18 since I was a kid". Then I realised that it wasn't my name on the card. After doing a bit of checking she printed off another card and said, "that's better, your off 3". Gee thanks, you may as well put me off +10. I think I played to about 14 that day.
I played at The gardens Golf Course that is a 9 holer right in town and played with three others in a social round. I didn't like the course and my score agreed.
My personal golf guide from Albury advised me to play Darwin GC which I did, he said it was the pick of courses (Joe's not usually right, but he was this time) I played on my own there and played great. Thanks Joe.
I enjoy playing on my own and have done so for many years. I find it very relaxing and it's something I just, enjoy doing.
Sorry I've got another story to tell you.
When We lived at Batemans Bay we lived right on the golf course, I could just walk out the back gate and have 27 holes to choose from. My wife was happy for me to go out every evening and even encouraged me to do so. How good is that.
But it was my miniature fox terrier Phenix that really encouraged me.
She would get all excited when I arrived home waiting for the ‘word’, and that was, “Wanna play some golf?” When that was said she would run to the back gate and jump up and down all excited until I came with the clubs and let her out. She was great to play with and just went about searching around in the bush and was always somewhere around me. Later on I sometimes took out the golf cart and she absolutely hated that, and she let me now it too. That little dog got a bit funny later in her life and (as Kay put it, she was a bit neurotic) The vet even prescribed anti depressants for her. Probably depressed watching me hack around the course.
She eventually packed her bag and moved in with an old couple down the road (the dog that is). We finished up giving the old couple our blessing to keep her. They renamed her ‘Princes’ and spoiled her rotten. We would visit her from time to time, but she didn’t care too much. The old lady said it was the best gift she ever got and talked of nothing else but her little Princes.....
Later I inherited Daisy from my daughter to, ‘look after for a while’.
Daisy loved playing golf too and especially going in the cart. She would stand on the seat with her head out the side and just lap it up. Daisy just disappeared one night never to be seen again. I missed her a lot. So now it's back on my own again.
Sorry about that, lets get back to Darwin.
Another night I went to the Mildil Beach Markets and seen the beautiful sunset. Just before sunset everyone from the markets walk to the beach to take in the spectacular site. When it’s over everyone clapped. It was a perfect night (weather wise) but then again it’s the same every night, but sitting on the beach with a lovely sea breeze in your face felt pretty special.
There was a fire in the distance causing a fair bit of smoke around, that's why the photos seem red and clouded.
I moved to Freespirit resort for the remainder of my stay in Darwin as it’s a bit closer to town and Parmeston where I seem to be going to the most and just for a change of scenery.
I went for a drive out to Adelaide River and ended up going on the Jumping Crock Tour. That was excellent and I took thousands of shots for you but alas, I finally did it, I knew I would sometime.
I forgot to put the memory card in, DOH!
But luckily I had my phone with me, so I look some shots and videos with that, so that will have to do you. Sorry about that. You'll just have to believe me that I took some award winning shots before realising my error.
The biggest croc was 6.1 meters long and about 75 years old. The guide said that he recently swallowed a whole buffalo and was pumped up like an elephant. That’s him on the bank in the still shot next to the boat. ( I was only a couple of feet from his jaws taking some award winning shots).
One of the things that amazed me was the snap of their jaws. Luckily I captured it in the videos, so listen when you watch it. (just press the button at top of page)
It's Friday 4th and my last day in Darwin, it's kind of sad to leave really. So I went back into town and seen a couple of things I missed before. There are two old houses above Cullen Bay that are heritage listed. Burnett and Mines House. They are the typical house in Darwin before Cyclone Tracey blew the town away. Apparently these three houses survived. They also survived the bombing raid in WW11. Not like the Hospital a few blocks away where 9 days after it was built it was bombed. They rebuilt it and not long it burnt down. Finally got it built and the cyclone destroyed it. They finally rebuilt it elsewhere and gave it a new name, Darwin Hospital. Jinxed or what.
There is an interesting sight in town, or should I say under town were in WW11 they dug tunnels under the city to house 5 oil tanks to supply the ships etc. They had to be dug by hand and must of taken a lot to complete. But apparently there were huge problems with the motors plus the end of the war and they never got to be used.
I'm heading out tomorrow and at this stage I'll head for Dundee Beach, It's 120 k's SW of Darwin. after that I'll head into Litchfield National Park and maybe to Daly River.
So until next time, enjoy the photos and thanks for following.
Regards Doug, oh and Wilson.....
This video has some still shots embedded due to some idiot forgetting a sim card.