DAYS 53 – 65 11/06/16–23/06/16 DARWIN

Michael

Long weekend in Darwin, so Brett and Phuong are around for the weekend.
Brett, Phuong and the boys plus Claudia take us into the city bay area to sample some of the Greek food on display at a special Greek festival.   Brett recommends the Greek cakes from the big Greek mamas, so Tony tucks in with a plate of cream horn, vanilla slice and mile fai.  Dot and I share the latter two, which are very nice.  The place is pulsating with Greek & Cypriot music and various dance groups of all ages.  The mass cooking of chicken and lamb for the Souvla stalls is quite spectacular and smokey.  The others head home, so Dot & I stay on for a tasty lunch of Lamb Yiros and some Greek savoury pastries.
Tony and Michael cool off in the swimming pool with Damian & Ray , playing keepings off with a ball.
Friday evening, off to Tim’s Surf and Turf.  everyone else was happy with their meal, but not me, I stupidly chose a seafood platter, way too many chips and calamari, I could only eat half of it.
Tony can’t stand the state of the grounds that he worked on 12 months ago, so he organises a working bee for Sunday morning…..3 trips to the tip with the trailer by Brett of palm tree fronds and trunks.     Will have to rename Tony to Stumpy after his efforts with the chainsaw and the various palm tree stump coppices left standing…....   Tony [AKA Stumpy] moves from the chainsaw (at a very early hour) to the blower then the lawnmower.   Next day back on the lawnmower following pruning overhanging branches and encountering bites from green ants’ nests, then the whipper snipper followed by the ladder to get to the roof and gutters.  The boys and Jen  are coerced into assisting load the trailer for Monday’s final tip trip.
Late Sunday afternoon we head to the Mindil Beach Markets and see sunset on the beach.   It is such a big market, especially with the choice of food on offer.  Claudia takes the opportunity of buying some Australiana type presents (Boomerangs, Aboriginal painting on rocks, crocodile leather bracelet)  for family members in France, as she is heading home in a less than a month.
We catch up with Rob Farrington, Dot’s brother-in-law and his travelling companions.  It is great to see Rob and we spend some time talking to him and bumping into him later in the evening as we stayed on to ensure we had a good look at the market.   Music from electrified didgeridoos provide a haunting sound in the background.   We ate tea on the beach and after sunset returned our chairs to the cars then wandered around for the next hour and half taking in the sights and sounds of this very popular market.
On the way home we pass a cool burn being undertaken in the evening, immediately beside the main highway.    The undergrowth burns so slowly up here, not like it does in Victoria with the forest fuel and undergrowth.   When we arrive home, we see a curlew (bird) on the lawn near our caravan.   They have a splitting shriek, usually at dusk.
Monday, we visit a huge shopping complex at Casuarina, where we have a look around and then have lunch in their food court.   Brett & Phuong are doing their big weekly shop, with Tony & Jen following them.    We took our own car to enable us to go on and do different things in the afternoon.  After lunch we drive into the City and do a self guided tour of the underground tunnels prepared for the protection and storage of fuel from the Japanese bombing raids on Darwin in 1942.  The main tunnel we walk through is about 184 yards in length and has pictorial displays at intervals on the wall.  It is most informative and tells a few truths that were not told to the Australian people after these bombing raids.
It is then a wander down to the swimming beach and wave pool complex where we sit on the grass and enjoy a luscious ice cream each.  We then take the lift to take us up the equivalent of 5 stories to a walkway over the road.   This provides a spectacular view of the Darwin beach area, and saves us walking the flights of stairs back to our parking level behind their Parliament House.
Back home where we catch up with Brett, Phuong and the boys.   Claudia brings over slices of a chocolate brownie cake she has made…..very tasty.
Around 5:00, Michael heads off for a walk with the family, whilst Dot is working on computer repairs and transferring photos.  Michael does not return till near 7:00pm and Dot is thinking should she send out a search party.   We then find out we are not all going out for tea, as previously arranged,  so it is scratch meal of a bacon and egg sandwich, as we are out of stock.
Both Dot and I are covered in red welt bites from mosquitos/midges on the backs of our arms and legs (thigh to ankle) from the other night.  We have tried a number of chemist supplied creams, which supply very short term relief before we are back gouging at ourselves, occasionally drawing blood.  Tony and Jen do not have this problem, as I guess they would not be game to bite Tony.
Today, Tuesday, we went to the caravan repair centre where we will have our shockers replaced as soon as they arrive.  We have tentatively booked in for Friday in the hope that they will be here by then.  While there we asked about our caravan wheel hubs, we have been told they are too small, but the chassis builder is denying this saying that his method is all that is required.  The man we spoke to rang Vehicle Components for us and was told that only 2 chassis builders do the build like our guy and that it is not the best configuration, what a surprise.  He also told us not to be too upset over our caravan since all the manufacturers were alike.
Another day doing much as before, shopping for bits for the caravan.  Since we have been told that our wheel hubs (caravan), which are smaller than the ones required for a land cruiser alloy wheels, will be OK providing the torque is kept up to between 90 and 100 nm, if they get loose, then they may break.  Sooo, Michael and Tony have been off to purchase torque wrenches for the van.  This involved travelling to several shops for the wrench and the appropriate sockets and adapters.  There are always cafes for coffee and cake as well. It seems to me that they guys really enjoy this kind of shopping and always come away with something, Repco, Super Cheap Auto and  Bunnings are male toy shops.  Hehe.
Had a dip in the pool this afternoon and will be meeting up with Rob (brother-in-law) and his travelling companions for tea this evening.  It is still very hot!
Had a lovely catch up with Rob and his travelling companions, the Palmerston Tavern served up  quite a nice meal at a reasonable cost. They had a special on for Oysters, from $1 each, prepared in several different ways.  Rob T bought 12!  Tony and Jen went to Cullen Bay fish and chip shop with their family, but pronounced it over rated, nice but not really special.
We are hearing reports of severe weather on the East Coast of Australia and now…..ICE in Alice Springs!!!!!  So much so apparently the Coles Supermarket roof collapsed.  David rang this morning and told us that the Birdsville track is flooded and the Oodnadatta track is in a bad way (we were planning to return via the Birdsville Track).  We are running out of time anyway, Michael has to be back in Mt Evelyn by 6th July and waiting around for these shockers is chewing up our time.  Looks like we will be going home on the black.
Rob, Rob T and Geoff called around this evening to look at our vans, they all  contributed some useful advice, (some has already been acted upon) if we travelled with them we would learn heaps.
Looking for something to fill in the time – Michael and I drove down to Gunn’s Point today, the road was good until the last km or so when it became very torn up.  Tony had suggested that this might be a spot to bring the caravans, but the current condition of the road precluded this.  There were notices warning that this part of the road was not maintained.  The beach is a wide open beach, very hard sand, so we did what many others had done before us (and were doing)  and drove on the beach for the thrill.
Michael and I went out to see the barra fed at Howard Springs National Park – a really lovely spot with pools for the children, an hour walk through the bush (if you are immune to mozzies) and a large pool with barra (1 metre plus in length), turtles, file snakes and many other varieties of small fish.  It was very interesting, the barra approach the hand held fish and then do a very quick, powerful SNAP to take it in.  The turtles managed to get some and it was funny to see then tussling over a piece of fish.  Then the file snakes came in see what was up.  Of course, the little fish were there all the time.  After that we went to Berry Springs, lovely little notice at the gate telling us that if the Springs carpark was full, the springs were crowded, come back another day!  The springs were lovely, picnicking grounds, bbqs and 3 lovely waterholes for swimming – beware of salties, hehe.  Apparently they try to catch any that come up in the wet season.  there were lots of people swimming, so no one was really worried.  We didn’t take our bathers, but since it looks like being at least Tuesday before the shockers arrive, we may come back.  Tony and Jen went to one of the markets with their family.
Sunday: Michael and I went to the Wetlands Information Centre on the Ahnem Land Road, it was very interesting.  In the evening we went to the Sunset restaurant at the casino.  $35 per head buffet.  excellent food and value, even the soft drink was included.  Afterwards Michael and I head back  to the Mindil market because I saw some shoes I liked last Sunday and have decided to buy them,
Monday.  There is an orchid garden near Brett’s house and M and I went for a look.  Once it would have been astounding, but it is now overgrown and looks neglected.  The rain forest walk was good and it is still well worth a visit.
Tuesday. Had coffee with Paul and Noelene, it was really great to catch up with them again.
Wednesday!  The shockers have arrived and will be fitted tomorrow.  I expect that we will leave straight after that.  Today we went to have coffee for the last time with Claudia (the lovely au pair).  Tony and Michael spent some time removing a tree stump from Brett and Phuong’s garden, there was, of course, an ulterior motive – it will be easier to move the vans closer to the water tap so that we can fill our tanks.  the rest of the day has been spent packing up ready for an early start tomorrow morning and then heading south.

Thursday, and an early arrival at Northern Caravan Repairs, for the Shock Absorbers changeover for both vans.   Chris has been very helpful and informative.   During the changeover, Chris's staff discover that Tony's inside brake pads have slipped due to missing clips.   Ours are inspected and what do you reckon, 3 out of the 4 inside disc brake pads are missing.  We are not allowed to take the vans off-site until new parts are shipped from Brisbane by air.  We are placed in Quest Apartments for hopefully only 1 night, not at our expense!!!