Daly Waters to Darwin

13th May - We went to dinner for a 6.30 seating and had the most fantastic Barra and Beef with lots of fresh salad.  Fantastic meal and well worth the money.  This was then followed up by a great entertainer by the name of ‘Chilli’.  He was very funny and made for a great night.

Unfortunately Buster was not being good and was barking and crying most of the time we were out [We were approximately 30 metres away].  Darryl went back to the van to give him his dinner and Buster was not very receptive and growled at him severely. 

14^th May I did not start off very well this morning.  Wobbling everywhere and nausea galore L L  I was not a very happy camper and it took me until 11.30 to be able to get vertical.  This did not stop Darryl from doing part of the Historical walk around Daly Waters – I say part because he didn’t take the brochure with him and he missed half of it (hehehe).  

 A sign about the area

 the pale pink petals seem white at night

 water feature

 bower bird

 a sign about the bough shelter

 the 'original thong tree'

I then spent the afternoon trying to get enough reception to do some work on the net BUT it wasn’t to be.    Darryl and I went to the pub for a cold drink in the afternoon and we could hear Buster barking again so Darryl went back to the van and put him in the van – Buster really didn’t like this idea and had a nip at him.  Not a good move Buster Bob.  Once we returned to the van he was well behaved and slept at our feet for the afternoon.

Darryl and I were going to stop off at Bitter Springs – a new camping and swimming area at Mataranka to have a geek and  possibly stay but when I did manage to get reception the page told us that we had to book in for 3 nights.  That doesn’t suit us at all :D.  We will continue onto King River near Katherine and then on to Adelaide River and then arrive in Darwin on Thursday.  

We will be staying at the KOA Caravan Park at Malak, right near the airport – but at least we can have Buster with us.  We will stay here for 2 weeks before heading back to Katherine and spending 9 days there before heading west with our friends.

Well it seems that I am VERY behind in my posts.  By the time I get to go on the computer I am really tired and nothing gets done L

So here is a catch-up.

15^th May   We drove today to King River Rest stop 46km south of Katherine.  What a great spot.  Lots of shade, good sized sites, 3 big water tanks and new toilets with a brand new dump point.

 our camp at King River

 tables and water tank

We checked it all out and then set up for the night – at 11.30 in the morning heheheJ   We cleared a spot so that we could set up our choofa for a fire tonight and got to collecting wood for the fire.  This wasn’t hard as there were plenty of small branches around for us to get.

By 7pm we had been joined by 10 vans, 4 motorhomes, 8 whizbangs a huge bus and 4 cars.

16^th May we headed into Katherine just after 8am and stopped at the visitor information centre and then wandered the street and went to Woolies to get some groceries.  There are some big changes to the main street at Katherine and they now have a huge Coffee Club and a McDonalds in the Sturt Hotel……  Some shops have seen better days but it is still a nice clean town.  We are going to have a longer stop here on the way west so will have time to catch up with our friends then.

 Katherine main street looking south

Katherine main street looking south but road heading north

 Katherine river from the bridge

Continued on our way north and there are big changes to the road north.  Lots more overtaking lanes and some of the smaller stops have grown into much bigger stops. There were lots of ‘prescribed’ burn-offs happening on the way up from Katherine and the smoke was very thick in some spots. 

 fire as we are passing Edith falls

 coming into Pine Creek

 We reached Adelaide River and headed out to the War Cemetery and had a wander through the very tropical surroundings.  

The little café opposite is now gone but the picnic areas are lovely and welcoming.  We then headed south again and turned off toward the Adelaide River Show Society van park. 

 ant/termite  mounds getting bigger again

 Adelaide River

  What a welcoming place this was.  Some sites had a shade cloth cover; all had power and filtered town water, and huge sites.  There is a swimming pool, a bar and a restaurant.  Yep that is correct.  Darryl and I went for our first swim this year J and thoroughly enjoyed the hour we spent in the water.  Unfortunately there was a bush fire near the township – not part of the ‘scheduled’ burn and some of the workers at the ARSS had to go home to protect their properties.  We then went to the bar for happy hour and decided that our marinated pork could wait another night and we would have seafood for dinner……

Apparently Buster was still misbehaving here – so we were told and continually barking and whining – so Darryl went back to put him in the van and Buster took a nip at him (not a good move Buster Bob).  I went back to the van just after 8 and sat with him as he would not eat his dinner that was given to him a t 6pm L  By 8.30 he had finally started to eat.

17^th May Up early and ready to ‘hit the road Jack’ so all on our way by just after 8.15am.  We made it to Darwin – a whole 102km away – by 10am and we left the others and headed to KOA caravan park.  Unfortunately the signage for the park saying that the office is closed and that you have to go to the Malak van park is not visible until you are IN the park L  So we had to turn around and go out and next door to book in.  Then back out of there and into KOA to find the spot allocated.  We are down the back and we have the airport grounds behind us.  When we arrived there was a grader in there knocking down all the tall grass and clearing a strip about 8 metres wide.  Our immediate neighbours are people that Darryl met at Adelaide River and they have an American van called an Out Back.  Apparently it is the American version of the Jayco. We then went for a drive to Casuarina shopping centre and got some more supplies and then went to take Buster for a walk.  He had been in the car in a lovely shady area whilst we were in the shops.  

 part of the craft stalls

the main thorough-fare

Peta and Eli

 Sun is going

 beautiful

 gone

 We headed to Mindil Beach Markets at 4.30pm and had a lovely time.  We met up with Peta and Eli at about 5.15 pm and enjoyed dinner whilst we waited for the sunset.

We left Peta and Eli just before 8pm and returned to the van to find that Buster had been a very good boy and had not made a noise all evening.  He had been outside the van in his bed.

18^th May Friday – Today we went for a drive around the town and went to Fanny Bay and got lunch at the Outback Bakery.  We then went down to the park near Lake Alexander (a man-made salt water lake that has fresh salt water filtered into it each day) so that Buster could have a bit of a run around.  Drove out to East Point and saw the changes that they have made to the military display out there – nice new building but a nice price to enter - $25 per person concession.  We then went along the Esplanade and down into the wharf precinct. They have moved the ‘Bombing of Darwin’ display from Fanny Bay Gaol to the wharf in a nice new building. 

 panorama of the new area at the wharf

 a mural

 outside the display

 We parked the car on the wharf and wandered and got some nice shots of the big fish under the wharf.

 looking back along the eatery area

 Back to the car and for a drive out to Palmerston (Pinelands) and to the caravan spares shop at the Coromal dealer.  Here we met a chap who owns a Billabong Grove 20 feet van and is in love with it J.  We then went back to the van so that Buster could have some free time.

19^th May Saturday – off to the Parap markets this morning and we made a bee line for the stall with the Popai – small mini rolls with meat and vegies and a lovely honey sauce.  The stall is in the same spot even though we haven’t been here for 15 years. J  We wandered through the markets whilst eating the Popai and checking out what is there – so we can come back next week and get what we want J.  We then met up with Neil and Barbara McInness – friends from the Australian Caravan Club [ACC] – who are in Darwin for 6 months.  It was good to see them and catch up – they are staying out of town at the Oasis Van park which takes small dogs only.

We then met up with Peta and Eli again and joined them for breakfast – berry crepe and berry smoothie – yummo.  We left them at 10.30 and made our way back to the van and Buster as he isn’t allowed at any of the markets……

20^th May Sunday – Didn’t do much today, just vegged around the van BUT we did get to meet a fellow GreyNomad.  His name is John and he had a German backpaper travelling to Kakadu with him.

 Steven, Darryl and John

21^st May Monday – made our way to Nightcliff to go to the pathology only to find it was closed so went to the Private Hospital instead.  We had to wait nearly an hour before Darryl had his INR done – but at least it is done.  We had arranged to meet our friends Elaine and Rob, and Greg and Carol at Casuarina for lunch at 12.15pm so off we toddled.  We got to the centre at 10.45 and tried to connect to their free Wi-Fi but had problems.  Went to the info desk and they got us connected after a bit of a wangle…..  Darryl got to check for more books to read and so did I J :D  We downloaded some books and then went to join our friends.  It was so good to see them.

Went back to the park and did 2 loads of washing – ahh housework – NEVER goes away L J

Got a call in the afternoon to say that Darryl’s INR was low so we had to contact Dr Rod for his professional advice.  We have altered Darryl’s Warfarin dosage and will have another test next Monday.
Tuesday.

Because of the heat the 12volt van is on ALL night as it is quieter than the one in the AC.  12md I had to take Buster to ‘Bed and Bikkies’ for his hair cut --- and got a call to pick him up at 2.30pm.  When I arrived he had a bandanna around his neck ??!!!  He looks so different with his coat all shorn off, but at least he will be cooler. 

 Buster after his hair cut - they put a bandanna on him

 22^nd May Tuesday – Darryl and Michael next door went out crabbing and fishing this morning.  A hot day but a bit of a breeze.  The temperature has not been below 33 degrees during the day since we arrived and it gets down to maybe 18 degrees at night. Needless to say all the summer clothes are getting a real workout…..  If we want to use the pool we have to go to the van park next door and if they want to use the laundry they have to come to our van park. Weird but that is the way it works.

The park really needs a caretaker who likes to look after the place.  Big sites with their own ensuite (nice) but some are in desperate need of maintenance).  The grounds need mowing and the leaves need to be raked and taken away, whipper-snipping needs doing and all the little saplings removed from growing in the roads and kerbing; the trees need trimming so that the solar panels on the ensuites can heat the water and other trees need to have branches trimmed so that you can walk around the trees and back the van in without scrapping the sides.  OK that was my vent…….

 our camp at KOA

Looking down the 'street'

 and back the other way

The boys got home with NO fish L but they did have 17 crabs between them J :D  The bag limit was 10 each and they said that they threw away more than they kept……  So we had fresh cooked and chilled crab for dinner.

 ahh muddies

 our dinner plates....

23^rd May Wednesday – We have left Buster tied to the van with food and water and his Bed.  We had to go to the pathology this morning for fasting tests and then drop the car off at Ultra Tune for its 50K service.  Were told it would take a couple of hours – so we went into the shopping centre and had breakfast and a coffee and reconnected to the Wi-Fi to get more books.  We then wandered the shops waiting for the phone call.  We met with Neil and Barbara again and shared a coffee with them.  As it had now been 4 hours and no call we went back to Ultra Tune only to be told that they were awaiting the delivery of the new air filter and it would be another half hour.  So we decided that we would go in for lunch, but be this time I was starting to feel a little ‘off’ so cut our time short ad went and waited for the car.  Headed back to the van and had to lay down with the aircon on until my eyes stopped dancing and my vision cleared.  NOT NICE.

When I got up again Darryl started cooking his Singapore Chilli crab for dinner.  YUMMO.

24^th May Thursday – stayed home today and took ALL the screens out of the windows and vents and gave them a good scrub – boy were they dusty.  Now all nice and fresh and clean.  Washed down the van and the car and then wiped out the inside of the car with a mini-detail…..

We then went to visit our friends at the Lee Point Caravan Park (which is run by the same person as ours) and their park is just as bad if not worse than ours.  Our friends were told that the mowing and the tidying is starting in preparation for 1^st June and beginning of the busy season.  Hate to tell the manager this but I think the busy season has beaten him as that park is over half full already……  Our friend Elaine has been eaten alive by Sandflies and she has got some really nasty bites and inflammation with oedema.  She has been taking her B1 and using the best insect spray – but she is beside herself with the itch – poor love.  [She went to the Dr’s and he has put her on antibiotics and celestone crème to try and settle the bites and ease the itch].

So that is where we are at, at the moment – so wait for the next instalment. J  Keep safe all.