g’day all from the fine dry Top End,
Two versions here; slow and quick versions.
Slow version:
Cath is growing a big belly. She’s coming up to 24 weeks pregnant now and there’s no denying it. Last night, for the first time, I felt the little ‘un kick. Breath-taking. There seem to be a lot of pregnant women waddling around Darwin at the moment. From what I hear, it’s the same in Melbourne. I don’t know if that’s true, but what is definitely true is that this is a very good season in which to pregnant. The humidity has gone and instead the air overnight is cool and dry.
A great big brush-tail possum has taken up residence near our veranda but we haven’t seen or heard of any frogs in recent weeks. In fact, not since the last Top End ramblings. Part of the seasonal dynamic, I guess. We have seen a heck of a lot of ginger fire ants. That’s my name for them. When they bite, it feels like your skin is on fire for minutes afterwards. I’m waging a major war against the fire ants as we speak, which recently crossed the line into chemical warfare. Ant-Rid is yet to prove its worth, however.
Since last time, I’ve been busy at work installing field equipment at our site in the Douglas-Daly region ~200km south of Darwin. Working in beautiful tropical savanna country can seem idyllic in a photo, but photos can’t quite replicate the full experience which includes furnace-like heat and various biting bugs. Maybe it’s character-building. I don’t know. I’m really starting to doubt that phrase.
One field trip was enough to persuade us that we needed to see the Douglas-Daly area properly. So we took a long weekend & went bush. Swimming in the Douglas River, devouring a buffalo roast (OK, so we weren’t “roughing it” too much), enduring a rough 4WD track & climbing over rocky ledges to find the oasis of Butterfly Gorge and swimming & snorkling in it were well worth the trip.
Even more recently, we’ve had Jeff & Kirsten come up to stay. We all had a ripper of a road trip to Kakadu taking in Parap markets and Ubirr on the Saturday before having our tents surrounded by those of a pack of Year 10 girls in our absence. Came back from dinner to find a tribe of giggling young ladies all yakking and laughing and otherwise causing a general nuisance in the area. I ask you, is that any way to behave? Gave them a stern talking to and then snatched a few zzzz’s and we continued on to the south the next day. Checked out Nourlangie and Cooinda, and, after that a magical spot called Barramundi Gorge. Picked up a Czech backpacker on the road on the way in there & had a dip in the crystal clear waters of the escarpment country. Camped at Katherine Gorge & paddled the river the next day, right up to the second gorge and swam near a spot aptly called the Narrows.
At the moment Jo & Dean are up for a visit – they are out bush in the Top End – we’ll catch them again on the weekend. And caught Sarah at the Mindil Beach markets last Thursday. It’s great seeing Melbourne mates in the Top End.
Monday night Cath & I bought a house. We haven’t seen it in person yet, but we reckon it’s a great buy. It’s in Coburg. We’ve been searching for a little while, and Mum & Dad & Kirsten & Jacqui have been our eyes at the Open For Inspections. And now we’ve got a 3 bedroom renovated Californian bungalow to move back to in October. You beauty!
Hope all is well in your patch.
ciao from top end tom & kakadu cath
Quick version:
Our little ‘un is in good health as is CJ
Had a great holiday at Douglas-Daly, Butterfly Gorge
Had a great holiday at Kakadu, Katherine with Jeff & Kirsten
Bought a house in Coburg
Photos at:
http://worldsafaridave.50megs.com
