NW WA Tour - Sydney to Darwin

Friday 15 July 2016

After a cold night in Sydney I woke with the alarm at 5:30 and was ready for the 6:30 taxi I had booked the night before.

Off to the airport where I easily met up with my fellow travellers all decked out with their orange backpacks ready to start our NW WA tour with Christian Fellowship Tours

Our departure was a bit delayed but the pilot assured us he'd be able to make up the time lost. I moved into a window seat after we'd taken off and it was fascinating to watch the various landscapes from rugged bush land to farm land which gradually became the Channel Country in western Queensland. Then the Gulf Country and finally ready to land in Darwin virtually on time.

However, landing was delayed because the military gathering on at the moment had caused some issue with an “arrest line” on the runway. Thirty minutes later, after circling in a holding pattern around Darwin we were able to land.

Bags collected, we boarded our bus and quickly settled into our room which I am sharing with Joan from the NSW tour last year.

Joan and I then went for a quick walk into town, bought maps (which I had forgotten) and found Cafe C21 in the Mall. We had a most welcome, cooling fizzy drink and a yummy freshly baked warmed custard tart (the chef's own take on a Portugese Custard Tart).

Northern Brush-tailed Possum

Back to the room to sort and chill out before going down to the pool for our official welcome and dinner.

Saturday 16 July

After quite a cool and disturbed night (I had to throw my parka over me) we were both awake by soon after 6am. At breakfast I met Gill Best who is another patchworker and lives in Melbourne.

Our first visit of the day was to Nungalinya College where we were given a tour of the complex by two volunteers. It is currently school holidays (4 weeks in Darwin mid year) so there were no staff or students around and I missed meeting up with Jenny and Peter Johnson who were ex St Cuthberts.

Stone Curlew or Bush Thick Knee

Then a trip to Casuarina Shopping /centre to find some lunch to take with us to Nightcliff Beach area to have under a shady tree.

Back on the bus and off to the Darwin Military Museum. In the grounds were some fabulous banyan figs and even some of the relics had plants growing out of them.

We had a short time back at our motel then headed to Darwin Harbour for a sunset dinner cruise. Because of the smoke from the usual savanah burning the sunset was glorious and the food was great. I loved the tomato, pesto and feta salad so beautifully arranged in a rosette on the plate. The “roast mediteranean vegetables” were sliced then interleaved before roasting – sweet potato, onion, egg plant, zucchini and tomato.

Back to our room by 9 ish and time to catch up on my diary before bed. Tonight we have a light blanket each so hopefully we won't be so cold.

Sunday 17 July – Greg's birthday

The morning, being Sunday, we all went to church at Christ Church Cathedral where the Bishop of the NT (whose parents are on our tour) led the service. Garry, Helen and Helen's mum Beryl came to the service too and after morning tea we headed off for an afternoon together.

The 'alter' is one huge log

First to Rapid Creek Markets where the range of fresh fruit and vegies as well as takeaway food was enormous and very multicultural. We bought jackfruit (a fresh cut slab, a tray of ready prepared pieces, and a tray of dried), pawpaw and some Thai food for lunch.

Home to meet Joel, Eliza and Alice and enjoy a lazy but sumptuous lunch on the verandah. I loved it all but especially the jackfruit and some of the sweetmeats that Garry had selected. During the afternoon Helen, Garry and I chatted on with a quick botanical tour of the garden and I had time to hem a dress for Eliza who wanted to wear it out that evening.

At 5pm Garry and I delivered the girls to church and continued on to my motel where we enjoyed a cool drink and more chat by the pool until it was time for him to return to collect the girls and for me to have dinner.

Back in the room I was at last able to have enough time to charge up all my devices, download photos and catch up on diary. Still no time for blog though.