Darwin to The Queensland Coast 2016.

For us, the drive from Darwin to the Queensland Coast, across the vast open spaces of the Northern Territory and Outback Queensland, is as long and monotonous as the more famous Nullabor Plain drive. This time, we have added the searing summer heat of interior northern Australia! With this in mind, we have had to do a little more planning, as free camping at the many good free campsites along the route, will be out of the question, due to the heat! No power, no air conditioner!

The Drover's Monument in Katherine.

The first day was a relatively short 300km drive back to

Termite mound dress up!

Katherine, where we again booked into the lovely Boab Caravan Park, just for the night. To avoid unpacking everything for just one night, we headed down to the Black Russian Caravan for a late brunch, and based on the advice of a fellow traveller Carolyn had spoken to in Darwin, we headed out to the Katherine Country Club for dinner. It was very hot and humid, with thunderclouds all around, and at 5.00pm with a huge gust of wind, the heavens opened! Within minutes, the caravan park was a lake! As quickly as it came, it was gone, and at around 6.00pm we headed down the street a short distance to the club. With WA being pokie free, we hadn't seen a poker machine for months, so decided to have a little flutter, and with luck on our side, we paid for dinner and drinks, and a little bit of tomorrow's fuel!! The meals were typical club style food, delicious, and enormous. We both had crumbed steak(schnitzel), and it was so big it fell off both ends of the plate! We had both asked for no chips and salad, as we had seen the free salad and veggie bar, but they had loaded us up anyway! After 30 minutes we surrendered, and offered our leftovers to feed the homeless for the following week!!!

That night, the storms continued to hammer away. In the morning, we were on the road early, in the rain, and on the way to Tennant Creek, some 650kms south. At Adelaide River, we took a detour off the highway, along a tourist drive which ventured out into the Daly River Region. It was still raining spasmodically, but it was a lovely drive. The country was so green, and we have never seen so many wallabies!! They were everywhere, so it was a slow drive, but we really enjoyed it. More country to visit some other time!! We hardly saw another soul on the entire drive.

Fran's Café at Larrimah.

We trundled into the small highway town of Larrimah in

Fran's Collectibles.

search of morning tea. We had remembered Fran's Café from an earlier trip, but expected it to be closed after the tourist season. But there were Fran and Maurie, sitting under an umbrella, waiting for customers! Fran is a quintessential Aussie Outback girl. What you see is what you get! Her language is colourful, bordering on psychedelic!! You're open Fran, we said. "Cause I'm F.....g open! I'm F.....g here, so I may as well be F.....g open!!" Can't argue with that kind of logic!! She showed us to a table, and with cloth that left more than it removed, wiped it off. She asked us what we'd like, but didn't have any of the first five things we asked for, so we asked what she had. When the reply came back as "anything you want", I could see us being here for weeks, so suggested she surprise us! She did!! We both got a party plate of cakes and biscuits, arranged around a centre piece comprising home made jam, and cream that looked like it had been carved from a loaf!! Carolyn had wisely ordered a ginger beer, but I had ordered a coffee. My coffee arrived in a very large mug with lots of small white things floating on top. Fran told me that she had trouble keeping fresh milk so used long life milk, to which she added cream, cut from that same loaf! I must have looked a little pale, because Fran proclaimed that it didn't look great, but it had tasted OK when she tried it!!! If I had been pale before, I was now ghost like!! Still I survived, and we headed down the road, anticipating a seizure at any moment!!

Fran, Francois & Carolyn.

By the time we left Fran was our best friend. Maurie, who

Francois is right at home!

we had found out was the latest boyfriend, was more aloof, and kept to himself. A young Sri Lankan couple had now arrived. I can still see the whites of their eyes as they surveyed the scene and survived Fran's welcome. Bravely they joined us at our table, encouraged by Fran and fearful for their fate if left alone! They were a lovely young couple from Darwin, she training to be doctor and he an engineer. Clearly this was an experience like no other they had had! She saw my coffee and changed her order to Ginger Beer, and the young guys mystery toastie looked good, but by now he was wishing his major was pathology!! As we got up to leave, Fran asked us to wait, as she wanted to give us a gift, since she thought we were F....g lovely. She returned with a teddy bear and some photos. She told us the bear was a Travel Bear, and we had to take it on our travels and take photos, and one day bring them back to show her. She had photos of two other bears she had given to a bikie, and a couple of English Tourists, and she was obviously very proud of her photos. We promised to look after the bear, and take lots of photos, so he was given the name of Francois, and now travels with us in pride of place.

Our Tennant Creek stop.

By now the rain had stopped, but thankfully it remained

Not sure how golden!!

overcast and we avoided the real heat for the rest of the day. We played our music and watched the miles fly by. A stop for fuel at Dunmarra Roadhouse, where the guy behind the counter told me I was his second customer of the morning, and on and on we went, finally pulling into the Outback Caravan park at Tennant Creek, mid afternoon. There is quite a bit of mining around Tennant Creek, so there were plenty of people around, but it is foremost an Aboriginal town, which means that everything is security grilled, barred or shuttered. These kinds of towns are so uninviting! We again just stayed overnight, then refueled in town, pleasantly surprised that fuel in town was 20 cents a litre cheaper than at the Threeways Roadhouse just up the road. At the Threeways Roadhouse we turned east, and we were on our way to Queensland.

It is about 450kms from Threeways to Camooweal, just on

The old look!

the Queensland side of the border. It is almost a flat, straight line of treeless plain. I think we saw about 10 other vehicles over that entire distance! It was much greener than when we passed through in June. You can see for miles, and when you do spot a road train in the distance, it takes a minute or two to figure out which way it is headed! There are millions of termite mounds. If termites ever get their act together to conquer the world, we are doomed!! There seems to be a great sport in dressing termite mounds! God knows why, but some are quite innovative! Apart from that there is only an occasional cow, an occasional tree, an occasional emu, and an ever present Whistling Kite or three, soaring above

Thousands of termite mounds.

The new look.

the road or joining the crows in a feast of roadkill, though thankfully there wasn't too much of that! They all wait until the last minute as you approach, then scatter into the air with a screech and a squawk, indignant at the interruption. After 190kms you reach Barkly Homestead, the only stop on this section of road. It has undergone a paint job and re branding since we last passed by! Gone is the mural with the quirky cactus and camel, replaced by a dark blue wall and the new Barkly Homestead logo! There are still backpackers manning the counter, and a few road trains parked out front. It is a good roadhouse, with good food, and even good coffee and cake!! We took Francois on a tour, enjoyed our coffee and cake, and were back on the road. Fuel was $1.68 per litre, so I did a 20 litre top up, and was glad I only topped up, because fuel in Camooweal was 22 cents a litre cheaper!!

The only other place of note along this road is Avon Downs

Refuelling road trains.

Police Station. At least this time we didn't get stopped for a breath test. The Police Station and adjoining residences are beautifully kept, with green lawns and lovely gardens, and there is now a nice roadside stop just across the road. There is a large Aboriginal Community nearby, which is the reason for the police presence. Otherwise they would be making a regular 400km trip from Tennant Creek!! We made our lunch stop at Camooweal, where Carolyn made sandwiches in the caravan, and then it was on to Mt.Isa, where we planned to stop for 4 nights.

Discovery Park Argylla, Mt Isa.

This time we decided to stay at a new caravan park, The

Mt Isa Mines.

Discovery Park at Argylla, just on the eastern outskirts of town. It was as quiet as we expected. The two people in reception were quite excited to see us and have someone to talk to!! We were allowed to choose any site we wanted, and joined the one other casual. We chose a huge, green grassy site and settled in. A few days affords us enough time to justify setting up home, and doing a full unpack. It also allows us time to catch up on washing and other domestics! This was the nicest park we have stayed at in Mt.Isa.

Francois taking in the sights.

We quite like the Isa. It is a mining town, and the mining

Chilling out at happy hour.

downturn has hit the town. A recent mine closure saw another 300 jobs lost. It is a big country town with a population in excess of 20,000 people. Despite Jac and Shaz winning My Kitchen Rules, the town is a gastronomic disaster. Not sure who they cook for, but they sure haven't opened a restaurant or cafe!! When you look on Trip Advisor for the Top 10 restaurants in Mt Isa, it includes Maccas, KFC, Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut!!! The Coffee Club is the pick. We find them consistently good all over Australia. It was blisteringly hot during the day, with the old mercury hitting 40 plus every day. The pool at the caravan offers little relief, as the water temperature must be around 30!! We notice the little things too, like the water quality. It comes from a dam not a bore, so there is no smell and you can actually get a lather up in the shower, and the towels are soft again!!

Once a Jolly Swagman.....

Saturday morning we saddled up early again to head for Longreach, our next overnight stop. This was another long day of nearly 700kms. We stopped in Winton for lunch to give Francois a look around. He really like Banjo Patterson, and all that dinosaur stuff! But if I hear "Once a jolly swagman........." one more time, he's travelling in the caravan!! We arrived late afternoon, and town was deserted. At check in Carolyn came up against a poor lady learning the ropes. In the end she just let us go wherever we liked!! This time it was getting crowded. Must have been ten caravans spread around the 500 sites!!! Somehow, after hours in the car, my girl whipped up a delicious baked dinner. She always amazes me with her resourcefulness!!

Lots of pubs in Barcy.

Sunday our destination was Emerald, to visit our nephew

Shearer's monument Barcy.

Darren and his family, and have an early Christmas with them. En route, we stopped in Barcaldine for a coffee and cake. We were surprised to find a little café open. Barcy is a favourite stop of ours. We showed Francois the highlights of town. This the birthplace of The Australian Labour Party, following the great shearer's strike. They have a new walk of remembrance for the shearers who led the strike, and the old dead stump that was the Tree of Knowledge, is still the biggest thing in the centre of town. There is just something about Barcy, with all its old pubs and history. To me, it is an icon of the Aussie past, and we always enjoy passing through.

We were almost on the golf course!

We arrived in Emerald late afternoon on a hot steamy day

Some lovely holes on the golf course.

with storms threatening. We checked into the Emerald Cabin & Caravan Village, which was almost deserted. Checking in was a nightmare. The officious guy in the office had told me we could have any site we wanted, and to come back and tell him the site number. So I did just that, to be told that it was only for large motor homes, and I would have to move. So, having asked if there were any other special sites, and being assured there were not, I moved and headed back to the office to tell him our site number. The furrowed brow told me there was another problem!! I looked him in the eye and said "mate, you have 200 sites and only 3 caravans. If you can't manage that around me for the 3 days we are here, seek help!!" He followed us around on his golf cart, to tell us we were facing the wrong way!! But thankfully common sense prevailed and he drove off shaking his head!

Darren,Erin Kynan & Jersey.

Darren, Erin and their two kids, Kynan and Jersey, had been away

Kynan & Jersey.

at Daydream Island for a short break, and were due back the next day. Darren works for Ensham Coal, and each year the company takes all the staff to a resort on the coast for their Christmas party. This year the venue was Daydream Island, and Darren had added a couple of extra days. They had a ball, as we found out when we caught up with them on Monday afternoon and Tuesday, checking out all the photos. It was only a short catchup, as Darren started night shift on the Tuesday, but it was great seeing them all again. Kynan and Jersey are growing so fast, and were full of news about school, holidays and their various activities. Tuesday night, we took Erin and the kids to a local tavern for dinner, where we had a great meal. Darren and Erin are doing really well in their respective jobs, and life for them is pretty good. They told us of their plans, and we genuinely hope everything turns out for them, the way they hope.  

Great town signs in this shire!

We had a little free time in Emerald, and with our caravan site looking out over the golf course, the temptation to play was just too great. It is a typical country course, with watering around the tees and greens, but not the fairways. They were sparse and hard in many places, so it is a challenge!! But we had an enjoyable round. We also sought out a lovely little restaurant we discovered on earlier trips, called Le Porte Rosse. It is open all day, serving breakfast, great coffee and cakes, lunch and dinner. The quality of food is first rate, and the service exceptional. It is the best place in town to eat and have coffee, and we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast there on the morning before we left.

Xmas decorations Mining town style!

After Emerald we were on our way to Yeppoon, last visited

From mining to beef.

5 years ago!! It is an interesting drive alongside the railway with its never ending lines of coal trains. The towns along the way are more at home in a Clint Eastwood wild west movie! Comet, Dingo, Blackwater, Duaringa, all sitting above mountains of Black gold! In fact Blackwater now has a new centre focused on the Coal industry, which has been pretty resilient to the mining bust! Darren had told us that there hadn't been much of a downturn around Emerald, and that his company was increasing output all through the so called bust. On the outskirts of Rockhampton, we passed through Gracemere, home to the largest cattle sale yard in the southern hemisphere. Such has been the expansion in Rockhampton, Gracemere is now almost a suburb! Rockhampton is the beef capital of Australia, and proud of it! Driving through town we could not believe just how much it has grown in 5 years! Situated on the banks of the Fitzroy river, it now boasts a population in excess of 80,000.

New Yeppoon waterfront.

Yeppoon is around 40 kms from Rockhampton, right on the

Looking out to Great Keppel Island.

coast. Again, we were amazed at the growth that had taken place. New waterfront development, and lots of new apartments on the beach, and new housing estates in all directions. We will enjoy a week or so, re acquainting ourselves with the Yeppoon region. We are staying at the Beachside Caravan Park, which true to name, is right on the beach, protected from the nor easterly breeze by the dunes, and only a short 10 minute walk into town.

Broome to Darwin 2016.

Our spot at Roebuck Bay

Our last weekend in Broome was all about cleaning up,

The Good Cartel Drive Thru.

provisioning up and packing up! The caravan and car got a wash, as did everything else that had been out in the elements. It is amazing how much dust there is! I still don't understand how the underside of the awning gets so dirty, but it does. But in a hot climate, washing things down is a pleasant and cool task! Carolyn had her list of essential  groceries, as there isn't much shopping between Broome and Kununurra, so one last visit to the supermarket was made.

The dragon boats are off!

On Saturday, Town Beach was the scene for the annual

Going the wrong way!!.

Dragon Boat Regatta. They were set up bright and early, as it was forecast to be 39 degrees! It was quite a party scene. All was ready for the first race. The crews were decked out in bright regalia and had some interesting team names, like Busty Ladies, a crew that had more men than women, all dressed in hot pink. There were the Broome Buccaneers and more!! The starter's gun sounded, and the crews in the first four boats all started paddling furiously, headed for the finish line 500 metres straight out in the bay. It was a circus!! They headed in all directions. One did a complete 360 and headed back up the beach! Another disappeared into the mangroves on the right of the bay, and the other two crashed into each other several times! Eventually someone crossed the finishing line!! Thankfully they got better during the middle of the day, but as alcohol was involved, the afternoon was all downhill. An eventual winner was declared, amidst equal amounts of cheering and jeering, and the crowds retreated to who knows where. It was a huge amount of fun.

One last coffee with Stan.

Sunday, we walked across and had our last breakfast with Stan. It was a pretty quiet morning. Stan had by now restricted his opening to Wednesday to Sunday from 7.00am to 11.00am, which was understandable, and he was obviously over it! He only had 3 more weeks before closing. We chatted for quite a while, and he told us he hoped he would sell up after next season, but who knows! He was getting ready for a weeks R&R in Sydney, first week in December, before heading back to Broome for Christmas. We asked what they did for Christmas, and he simply said "stay home!" Nothing much is open, and the resorts like Cable Beach Club, just cater for their own, in house guests.

One last visit to Good Cartel.

We decided to get up very early to try and beat the heat. It

A Kimberley local!

was forecast to get into the mid 40's where we were headed! Sunrise is currently around 4.40am! We were up at 5.00am and ready to hitch up by 5.30am, and then our plan hit a snag! Our brand new Trail a Mate jack refused to operate! We tried everything, but nothing worked. So plan B meant unpacking the boot and getting out the jack and lots of timber blocks, to get the caravan lowered and onto the car! By 7.00am we were hitched up, and heading back to Kimberley Camping to replace the jack. Of course they didn't open until 8.30am, so with smoke coming out my ears we headed over to The Good Cartel for coffee. Having already said our goodbyes to the friendly staff, they got a shock to see us back! So, armed with coffee, we headed back to wait for someone to arrive at Kimberley Camping. Thankfully they were on time and very helpful, except that they didn't have a replacement jack in stock! So we bought an old fashioned jockey wheel, and even in this regard, they only had a short one, when we really needed a long one!

Back on the road.

So, at 9.00am we finally hit the road, deciding we would get

Kimberley east of Derby.

to Fitzroy Crossing for the night. As we drove, we watched the outside temperature gauge quietly rising. It stopped at 42!! The country side was a real mixed bag. Much of it was still dry season brown and dead, but then we would drive through a patch where the storms had dumped, and the trees were fresh and the grass green. The roadside camps, always busy during the season, were empty. All along the road the evidence of the dry season bush fires was hard to miss. We even drove through some sections where the fires were still burning. It is an amazing phenomenon. The fires burn slowly, and therefore only blacken the grasses and ground covers, allowing nature to regenerate with the first sign of rain. The larger trees have their trunks scorched black, but only up around 2-3 metres, with the tree canopy untouched!

Lunch stop at Ngumban Cliffs.

We made a lunch stop at one of the well appointed

Brolga at a rare waterhole.

Roadside Campgrounds. None of them offer much shade. As we opened the car doors, it was like stepping into a blast furnace. Carolyn made us a quick sandwich, and we stood in the shade of a small tree. Small birds arrived with their beaks open. You can't help but wonder where they find water in this hot land. Carolyn provided a bowl of water and we were soon entertaining every bird in the vicinity, as well as a couple of lizards! It was a quick stop, and once everyone was finished drinking, we were back on the road. There was hardly another car or truck on the road. Sometimes, we would drive for 30 minutes or more without seeing another vehicle! Occasionally, we would see a large herd of cattle huddled in the shade at a bore, but not much else in the wildlife department. Sadly, we saw a lot of cattle hit by cars or trucks, something we did not want to experience!

Hot & alone at Fitzroy Crossing.

After around 5.5 hours we arrived in Fitzroy Crossing. This

Mostly kangaroos at Fitzroy Crossing.

is pretty much an Aboriginal Community. It is a strange town, in that it is spread out all over the place. There is no town centre. You literally have to drive 1-2 kilometres from shop to shop! As a tourist destination, it is the place to stay to explore the incredible Geike Gorge, and many people choose to drive out to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge from here as well. But all that is closed now. Neither of the roadhouses are welcoming, so we decided to refuel at the truckies self serve. You just use a card, and pre enter an amount of money higher than what you think you'll need, then away you go. As I went to pick up the pump handle it was boiling hot. I had to use a glove!! As on previous visits, we stayed at Fitzroy River Lodge, a resort and caravan park combined. It is well out of town, and very quiet, both from a noise perspective as well as customers!! We now tripled the number of caravans in the park!! With the temperature gauge showing 43, we cranked up the air conditioner, which after an hour or so had struggled to get the temperature down to 30!! It is a nice grassy park, and is full of kangaroos. There were hundreds of them lying around under the shady trees. It was a quick dinner and an early night so we could get back on the road early to beat the heat.

Storm hit near Kununurra.

Today it was a long and pretty boring drive. We stopped in

Lovely Kimberleyland Caravan Park.

at Halls Creek to top up the fuel. Nothing ever changes in Halls Creek! We played a quick game of spot the white man. Carolyn cheated, and I told her I did not count!!! We gave up and went into the bakery, which is quite nice, and bought our coffees, which we took out to the shade of a tree near our car. There were storm clouds everywhere, and we had noticed a nice green tinge to the landscape, evidence of the first storms of the wet season. Things are starting to look nice and fresh. Just outside Kununurra, we ran into a huge storm. Firstly, the wind was ferocious, buffeting the car and caravan quite severely, and then the rain came! Huge drops that splatted loudly on the windscreen, until it became torrential, forcing us to stop on the side of the road for 15 minutes while the storm passed, which it did as quickly as it came! Ten minutes later we were in Kununurra, and it was dry as a bone!!

Feeding the locals.

The thing that strikes you about Kununurra is just how

Jabiru.

green it always is. There are lots of wide open green spaces and parks, that are constantly irrigated. The construction of the Ord River dams at Kununurra and Lake Argyle, has resulted in a never ending supply of water for the region. We checked back in at Kimberleyland Caravan Park, where we stayed on the way up. This time we had no trouble getting a lakefront site. It was just lovely, and we got out the chairs and set ourselves up under the shady trees, for Happy Hour. The lake is full of wildlife. Sitting by the water's edge you can see the fish and tortoises in the water, and water birds, such as the resident Jabiru, as well as pelicans, cranes, herons, cormorants of many types, brilliantly coloured kingfishers, and the big footed wader called a Jacana. These little guys are so cute, with their huge feet. The manager came down around

The Ord dam.

5.00pm to feed the resident freshwater crocodile, who loves his kangaroo snags! The Jabiru also loves them and sneaks around the crocodile trying to blindside him!! Terrific fun to watch! The Jabiru was by himself and extremely friendly, which is unusual. They mate for life and are normally quite reclusive, so the manager assumed he'd lost his partner. We stayed 4 nights, primarily because the caravan park was offering a "pay for three stay four" deal. We drove out to Lake Argyle for a look. We love Lake Argyle, where the caravan park was also deserted. But generally we just lazed around the pool and the shady lakeside.

The Black Russian Caravan.

Leaving Kununurra we headed for Katherine, this time

Toastie plus great coffee.

stopping for morning tea at Victoria River Roadhouse, because everything in Timber Creek was closed!! Turned out to be a great bit of fortune as the food was excellent, but shock horror, the coffee was instant!!! I didn't know that still made that stuff!! With a one and a half hour forward time change, our day was flying by. We got into Katherine, and this time decided to stay at a small caravan park we had sussed out on our last visit. It is the Boab Caravan Park, which is small but beautifully laid out and maintained. The big drive thru sites are all concreted, and they keep the lawns watered and green. With lots of Mango Trees and Gum Trees offering shade, it was a lovely spot. We were only there overnight, but we will be back!! In the morning, we decided to do breakfast on the run, and Carolyn had done her research! We headed for the "Black Russian Caravan", a great initiative by two young girls from Darwin. They are set up right outside the Visitor Information Centre, with heaps of parking for cars and caravans. They keep it simple, and offer a variety of Toasties, with a great choice of fillings, as well as cakes and great coffee. There are rugs and cushions under the trees as well as milk crates, stools, and little tables to sit at. Really tasty and cheap!!

In Darwin under Storm clouds.

Three hours drive and we were back in Darwin. It is 4 years

Poincianas in full bloom.

since we were last here. We went back to the same caravan park, The Free Spirit Resort, which is still fantastic, with a huge resort pool, and large caravan sites, all set amidst tropical gardens full of palms and Poinciana Trees, which are in full bloom and spectacular! The temperature had gone down into the mid 30's, but the humidity has ramped up to be 90% plus. Two steps and you are wringing wet!! We stayed a week and it just flew by. We really liked Darwin last visit. It is a modern, vibrant place, with a strong Asian influence. We noticed lots of new housing estates, so it is growing quickly. Mostly we did some retail therapy, to do some Christmas Shopping, and stay out of the heat and humidity! The wet season is well and truly on its way, and we were welcomed with a huge storm on our first night. It was awesome, with lots of lightning and thunder and a deluge! In fact, we only had one day when we didn't get at least one storm. The storms were very localized. We would be driving in bright sunshine, and then just drive into a wall of water!!

Magpie Geese everywhere!!

We sought out Parap Village, a trendy little part of Darwin

Breakfast at Parap Market.

with gourmet cafes and food outlets. There were new choices from last visit, and found The Laneway which was bustling everyday, and after our first visit we understood why! Great food, and coffee, with excellent service. You really notice it back in a cosmopolitan town. Where we have been for the past 4 months, the service was friendly, but laid back and very casual, with lots of untrained staff doing their best, but here everything was professional and quick! We were happy to learn that Parap Markets were still happening every Saturday. All the other markets, including the famous Mindil Beach Markets, were now closed for the wet season. We returned on Saturday, to join the Darwin locals in the traditional Darwin street food breakfast, mostly Asian influence. We had a fantastic Satay Chicken Roti Wrap. Absolutely delicious, and so far removed from Bacon & Eggs!! After breakfast we wandered and did our fruit and veggie shopping form the various stalls. Heaps of mangoes, pawpaw and papaya. Yes, it is Mango season here already, and they are cheap and plentiful!! They are our favourites!, and we sure loaded up!! We also took a visit to Cullen Bay Marina, which we love. It is a peaceful place to enjoy a coffee or delicious breakfast, which we did! Also, at this time of year you can't help but notice the Magpie Geese. There are thousands in every park and green space. They are an absolute pest, eating everyone's garden!!

Drinks at Stokes Hill Wharf.

We did manage a couple of lovely nights out. On the Friday

Sunset at Darwin Waterfront.

we went into the Darwin Waterfront, and out to Stokes Hill Wharf. This is a great spot, with plenty of parking. It is the main wharf of Darwin, but it also holds some historical exhibits about the bombing of Darwin, as well as food and beverage outlets. There are heaps of tables and chairs, and the food choices are wide and varied, and very good quality. There is a formal restaurant as well, if you are so inclined. We found a table, purchased our drinks and just grazed on hot and cold nibbles, like oysters, calamari etc. It is a fantastic spot to watch a Darwin sunset. The water in front of the wharf is teeming with large fish, which the kids all feed, and the harbor cruise boats come and go. We had a great night.

Dinner at Hunuman Restaurant.

Saturday night, we took ourselves into Darwin City to the

It was delicious!!

renowned Hunaman Restaurant. Carolyn had done her homework again!! This is a very interesting restaurant, that specializes in Thai and Indian cuisine. It is right in town, next to the Darwin  Entertainment Centre, and is very big, with air conditioned indoor, and outdoor under the fans. We sat out under the fans and it was very comfortable. The food was amazing, so full of incredible flavours. The whole fish with hot & sour sauce was great, as was the butter chicken, and the prawns were incredible. A top notch restaurant, and we had a wonderful night. That girl of mine never ceases to amaze me how she keeps up with all these new and exciting places! 

Darwin Free Spirit Pool area.

On our last day, we couldn't resist one more box of mangoes from one of the dozens of roadside vendors. There are a number of varieties of mango, and Calypso is our favourite! We found a young guy selling Calypso, and Carolyn went to work on the guy, as we wanted a box not too ripe to take on our travels. The young guy was so obliging, and Carolyn finished up with an overloaded box of 3 dozen mangoes for $25.00. What a bargain. That should almost see us to the East Coast!!! That afternoon, we got packed up just in time before one last big storm had us scurrying inside. We were up bright and early to beat the heat, and on the road by 6.30am, headed back to Katherine.