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Hey y'all,
Well I have been in Darwin now for 5 days and really I haven't done much at all. Darwin is not the baron land I had expected; it is green and lush and looks quite tropical. Also, although it is the wet season it hardly rains at all, but it is very humid.
On the Sunday I arrived at about 3pm, so after getting my bunk together, sorting my clothes out, doing a bit of shopping and stuff it was the evening, so I hung around the hostel - I am staying at a place called Chilli's - and watched a couple of films.
Backpackers at Chilli's have the use of a really nice pool around the corner from the hostel, so after catching up with a few emails I headed there on Sunday afternoon for a swim, which was lovely.
In the evening a girl from my hostel called Kelly and I went to an Irish bar up the road called Shenanigans. We had a wicked time, as fortunately for us there were about 20 navy lads there to dance the night away with - I must have danced for about 3 hours straight! At closing (I was obviously a bit drunk!) I tried sneak out our unfinished jug of beer to take back to the hostel (Of course I would have brought the jug back the next day!). Unfortunately I was seen by the bouncer, who proceeded to chase me down the road. Alas being in heels (and rather tipsy) he caught me rather easily....must have looked really funny though!
It was a good job that the jug didn't make it's way back to the hostel. As it is I didn't get up until 2pm and it was with a rather heavy head. Kelly and I went swimming in the afternoon, though which sorted me out.
In the evening loads of us from the hostel went to a bar called the Vic, (Interesting fact - one of the only buildings to remain standing during the destruction caused by Cyclone Tracy in 1974, which had winds over 215km) and yes Marky I have a picture of me under the sign just for you, though it looks a little more upmarket than the Cheam version! They do free meals there for backpackers, which is a great idea, as we spent tons in alcohol afterwards!
That evening I earned the name 'Flex' from my fellow backpackers. I was involved in a game where you have to pick up a box with your teeth without using your hands or knees or allowing them to touch the ground. Every round the box gets torn, so you have to bend down lower. In the end three of us were still in the game and the box was just the base- which was on stage in front of the whole bar I might add - so they decided to time us to see who could pick it up fastest, which I managed to do in just 5 secs, 18secs ahead of the 2nd.....not bad aye!?! I didn't know this, but it seems I am able to do sideways splits quite easily, hence the name Flexi/Flex/Flexible! I won a jug of beer and a Crocodile Cruise (there are loads of Salt Water crocs living in the Northern Territories).
The next day, all the hung over backpackers could be found around the pool, which is where I spent the whole day. In the evening I watched some more films and planned what I wanted to see and do over the next couple of days.
Yesterday I made myself get up for the free breakfast (this finishes at 9.30am), which was the first time I had done so far. I caught up on the Internet/emails for a bit and then in the afternoon caught a bus up to the NT Museum and Art Gallery. They had a really interesting, though sad, exhibition about Cyclone Tracey, with amazing before and after ariel photos of the different areas that were hit by the cyclone. It is amazing that you can actually see the trees lying down in rows and rubble everywhere. It also shows you how houses have been cyclone proofed since then. There was a photograph exhibition on there which I enjoyed loads, called The Policeman's Eye, focusing on aboriginal cultures and NT landscapes in the late eighteen hundreds. And I also met 'Sweetheart' a crocodile that has been (can't remember the correct word), but preserved/stuffed type thing, because he was sooo huge - he is 6 metres and massive! During the 70's he kept attacking boats and eating their propellers/engines, so they tried to transport him to another area, but in the process he unfortunately drowned.
Today I am sorting out communications (yes I have a mobile phone!) and some trips: I hope to do a three day trip through Kakadu/Litchfield down the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs via the Devil's Marbles and such on Sunday, so that I have time to visit Ayer's Rock before I fly out to Cairnes next week. I'm really looking forward to seeing Ayer's Rock, though I've been told the flies are really bad there at the moment. I might purchase a fly net....nice! Tomorrow I will be heading up to East Point to check out the WWII museums and memorials....I'm such a geek!
Anyway take care
Loads of Love to you all
Lynds x x
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