G’day from the Top End,
We made it. This is the dry season. The fabled dry season. Beautiful one day, glorious the next. Sitting here I see a brilliant blue sky with just a couple of white fluffy clouds skittering across the horizon & it’s 32degrees (again). Humidity is way down – every day is like a perfect Melbourne summer’s day. And that’s the forecast every day from now until ~September. Mmmmmm.
Since the last edition, CJ & I have had a good run. Can’t say the same for our tree frogs, though, which seem to have virtually disappeared in the absence of rain.
Mum & Dad came up to visit Darwin for a week, before driving down to the red centre. That was great fun. Had a long weekend over at Kakadu, checking out the rock paintings & waterways & wildlife. The waters had dropped a lot since our previous trip at easter (http://worldsafaridave.50megs.com/gagudju.html).
Just as we were thinking of heading back to Darwin, Dad suggested we all take a scenic flight. Seeing the whole area from the air was unforgettable. The little 6-seater single-propeller plane flew over the draining floodplains and out to the escarpment country, circling Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls. It was about here that mum hurled. But we also flew close by Nourlangie Rock and right down to the South Alligator River, where the massive snaking rivers and waterways were magnificent.
Later that week Dad & I went fishing on the mighty Daly River. A guide took us out for the day in his boat, providing all rods, gear, food & drinks. He confidently predicted we would each catch a barramundi, but couldn’t say whether we would catch any keepers (a barra has to be between 55 and 120cm length to keep it – maximum 3 per person, per day – not likely to be a concern). Dad & I each landed a couple of 40cm barras and were pretty happy with the morning’s work, when all of a sudden we went BANG BANG BANG & had barra coming out of our ears. I pulled up one at 77cm and Dad then landed two – at 62 and 58cm. All keepers. So we’ve now got a freezer full. The river was a beauty – tidal 100km inland and a beautiful sight. A bit like the mighty Murray in places; except that melaleuca lined the edges, crocs were sunning themselves all along the banks and we saw a few jabirus wading about. Plenty birds of prey were also circling, mainly whistling kites.
Since then, CJ & I have hit the Parap market most Saturday mornings, and we’ve been to a few public lectures on health & river issues. We saw the new Star Wars (what do you think?), and we attended an open-air evening show of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra at the Botanic Gardens – a similar spot to the Myer Music Bowl.
A couple of weeks ago we had a feed with Cuan, who was in town for a conference, and last weekend we caught up with Luke for a camping weekend of swimming and fires & food down at Litchfield National park, as he neared the end of an epic road trip that took him up the WA coast from Melbourne.
I’ve had my last guitar lesson for a while & submitted two short stories in the NT writer’s awards. CJ continues to be involved with the Greens, who have cranked up now that the NT elections have been called for 18 June – about 70 of us are having dinner with Bob Brown tonight.
I’m working now at Charles Darwin University. Will be instrumenting our field site in the next couple of weeks/ months. Last night I visited an old field site & lit a few fires as part of a savanna fire experiment. It’s good fun.
And last but not least, Cath (and I..!) have got a 19-20 week ultrasound tomorrow. We reckon we’d rather leave the gender of the little ‘un, known these days as Little Litchfield, as a surprise. Cath is very healthy and we’re both very excited (and getting more excited by the day).
In the coming weeks Cath’s parents will be up for a holiday, followed a bit later by Jeff & Kirsten. So we’ll soon be hitting the road for some more top end adventures. The dry season is upon us & life is beautiful. Hope all is well wherever you are.
Ciao belli, top end tom & Kakadu cath
Photos (check out the barra) at http://worldsafaridave.50megs.com
