Month: June 2021

Wednesday, 30th June 2021

A nothing day. Shouldn’t even be recording it. I tweek a few things here and there. Good healthy lunch. Call a few people. Sister and Brother in law are now NOT going to Perth to see daughter (my niece) due to covid. Bummer.

Nap in the afternoon. Go to the office with mask on and pay for another two weeks. Back for beer under the awning. Usual night ablutions and meal. See. Nothing.

So I’ll  pad it a little …

Clever.

I can remember when they came out. They were innovative.

My all time FAVOURITE.

Experiencing a little of this now.

Cheers

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Monday, 28th and Tuesday 29th June 2021

We have already received the news that the lockdown will be extended to Friday. By the way, as mentioned before, Anne’s tag declaring what time she can leave the hospital after her Pfizer shot, ended up on her phone cover and as I said, no, I don’t know why she chose to keep it.

So this afternoon when the sun comes over a bit and we get some shade, I will cut the wooden plank for the battery box. About an hour to plan and mark up the plank. Then I attack it with the reciprocating saw, the only saw I have. not perfect but OK. I appoint Anne first in charge of clearing the saw dust so I can see the line to cut to. She uses the blower and stands more or less behind me. Must have been an intriguing sight for a passer by.

In the mean time the planes keep buzzing over. Generally from about 9.30am and stop at 4.30pm-ish. Look for the tiny dot on this photo. Top to bottom axis, it’s in the middle. Left to right axis, it’s about 3 tenths from the left side above the tree clump slightly lower than to it’s right.

Here’s the illusive little bugger.

Anne grabs a shot of this commercial plane for it’s vapour trail.

All wood is cut but no pics as it was too ‘intense’ (?) an exercise to pause. That’s right. I forgot.

The sun goeth down and it’s shower, food, drinks and movie time.

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Today is Tuesday and another day. Can’t argue with that.

I work early  as, while the back of the car is in the sun, it is cooler.

The finished item. Rustic but practical

To use and old term, the ‘shemozzle’ of the work area.

The box is installed and batteries put in, in the morning. I don’t have a patent on this, the anti slip screw pin. One in each corner long enough to grab and hold the rubber mat on the floor in the back but not long enough to go through to the body or ‘tub’ of the car.

This was the morning job. Now, the afternoon is passing and so is the sun. Time for finishing touches.

Put the top panel over the batteries to hold the TWO ‘easy access’ boxes for basic tools and day to day items. It went HALF well. One box fits but due to the wooden box extra depth, the batteries are marginally further towards the back and the second box hits the back window. So no second box. So when the lockdown is over, I will be getting a bigger box to take up all the useable space.

Junk to left is second box and tools etc., all of which has to be gone through to see what can be sent back to Adelaide to lighten the load. The battery box did not have to be on those high blocks, but it was done on purpose to make the bottom nook for small fold up shovel, machete (every home should have one), extended wheel wrench, fish measurer and … there’s something else but I forget. Ah! Bolt cutters.

Now the car is moved and for the first time in two weeks here, we pull out the awning like ‘normal’ people. Anne has managed to make an appointment for her second Pfizer and it is another two weeks so, we will be here two more weeks and then it is subject to borders.

Spare bits of the wrecked frame. The red bottles are a separate issue. The frame was day work. The reds were night work. No. Not the same night.

Sunday, 27th June 2021.

Well …. It started off slow. I planned to attack the ‘disaster’ in the back of the car.

The whole car fridge and the two battery frame has decided life wasn’t worth living and just died. (there were contributing road factors).

So I decide, after a nice breakfast (vegemite on a crumpet) I should address it. (the mess in the back of the car)

I pull smaller easy to access stuff out and pack it on the back seat. Around high noon, (Do not forsake me oh my darling) mate Leigh calls me on my phone and a neighbour walks past and stops at just the same time and both with the same info. LOCKDOWN, at 1pm in an hour for 48 hours.

Off to Bunnings to buy a plank of wood to build a battery box as I now have 48 hours to do it. Not planned well. Back to the car with the plank and I use the roof rack for the very first time.

The sausage sizzle is packing up. Two please. None left. Yes there is. Look. Two. Just there. Oh…. OK. I score. I assume it was someone’s lunch. It still is. Ours. Back with eight minutes to spare.

I look at the tangled mess and just don’t wan to do it.

I bite the bullet. (figuratively speaking)

I had hoped I would just be able to jack up and reposition the fridge but no. So unpack the fridge. Pull out and defrost.

I look at the bits and there is enough to make a frame but just for the fridge. Not the batteries, hence the plank.

Looks so big without the fridge.

Now a frenzied frame building as the sun slowly sinks.

At dusk, the fridge is back in the car and temporarily back on battery.

Fridge done. Not perfect but OK.

I check later and the temperatures are getting there. Freezer -13 and fridge 7. Should be closer to -17 and 4. Check it in the morning.

So well done for a bit of a slog. Thank you linesmen. Thank you ball boys.

A lovely chicken stir fry after a lovely hot shower. Some lovely red wine and a lovely movie then off for a lovely sleep. Funny When it was happening the day sure as hell didn’t feel lovely. Anyway …

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Saturday, 26th June 2021.                 ** Version 2 with updates, marked as **V2

Now here is a mixed day. Shall we go to Parap Market. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.

So we do the market.

N.B. 1

Please note. We lived here in Darwin from about April 1996 to November (15th) 2000. We lived just down the hill, within easy walking distance of the Parap Shopping Centre and went to the market pretty well every Saturday morning. We have fond memories of that location, right from the Cyclone café around the back, longs since gone, to the perfect samosa come curry puffs from my favorite stall there at the market. We KNEW Parap including the market very well.

N.B. 2

Same goes for Mindil Beach. Thursday nights almost never missed and also on Sunday which was being phased in during our time there.

It’s a lot bigger now, not that it wasn’t busy back then.

Changes?

First, we used to always have a Laksa. You still can but THE Laksa, now has not one but two lines each about 20 people long and it simply is not worth lining up. There are others but there is a reason why you don’t have to line up for them.

Secondly, you may not be aware but I am a curry puff expert. My previous favorite stall is long gone. Last time I went there was going on 22 years ago. The young Indonesian girls who used to serve me technically could be grandmothers now and only family gets them. The current ones are sort of OK but just not up to the standard experts such as myself expect.

What’s that? I heard that. You saying nostalgia has distorted my taste buds and how would you remember back that far anyway? I don’t have to think back that far. Only three years. Curry Puffs are up and down but the last ‘up’ was a Bangladesh place on Comoro Road, Dili on the other side from Tiger Fuel and about 100 metres back towards the city.

I digress. After the outside market we choose an air conditioned coffee followed by Parap fine foods for old time sake. Now much more up market, though it was THE place to get REAL GOODIES back then. To give you an idea, this used to be the ONLY place you could get Maggie Beers Pheasant Farm Pate. Now you can get it at Woolies but this was THE place. Lindt chocolate etc. Get the picture?

Looking back towards the delicatessen section. (your mouth will love you for ever if you buy anything here. )

Get serious about eating cows. If you’re going to eat one, do it properly.

Just like a wonderland of light and sparkly things to adore … and drink, it’s their ‘Boozerama.’

I am sure they are for coffee but what and how do you do ‘it.’ They are just tiny.

Anne tells me we have one of these, still sealed, that we brought from Europe.

Sounds sort of naughty, doesn’t it. Vermouth for cocktails. (?)

Good for an insult. ‘You noilly prat!!’

Now we refresh our memories from our visit to The Hoochery Distillery, Kununurra. Rum and Gin. While there we only sampled the gin. (got there late) The pink is displayed here. We bought the ‘out of the ord’ which of course was a play on words with reference to The Ord River and/but they are also claiming it is Out of the ORDinary.’ Or is it just me? Anyway, I didn’t check prices here but in  Kununurra, out of the Ord was $82 and the Pink was about $87.

Then to the supermarket for some vital supplies. Liquorice, Reeses peanut butter and chocolate cups, Fruchocs, pepper corns, crushed garlic, coffee and unseen as yet, two round containers of Connoisseur chocolate Ice Cream with Brownies (therein)

Have to get the ice cream last so it doesn’t melt.

Anne is a master. (THE master) nothing just gets bought. It has to be ‘pondered.’

This is just a commercial flight landing but as I have been clicking things that fly recently, thought I might as well ‘zoom’ this for a fuzzy shot as well.

Zoomed for fuzzy shot.

Shall we go to the India at Mindil 4pm? Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.

Anne gets a Dosa. Not anywhere as good as the Saturday morning ones in Dili.

**V2 She says it was too ‘watery.’

**V2  I pretty well always have the same. Chicken Korma and yellow Dahl. (with steamed rice)  and back up butter Chicken. The stand I chose looked good and seemed to know what they were doing. I had Lamb Korma (no Chicken Korma) and Butter Chicken, (no yellow Dahl) divided in the middle by the steamed rice. As an expert I also bought a curry puff. I have been eating Korma’s for 30 years and this was very sweet and tasted nothing like Korma. I have had many Butter Chickens over the same period and this was sweet and tasted nothing like Butter Chicken. I ate part of my ‘so called’ curry puff. I love Indian food so much, if I have a half a handful left, I get a doggy bag and bring it home. Maybe have it on toast for lunch next day. there was 40 % left over including the damn puff and the lot went in the bin. Being fair, I might have got the bad stall …maybe?

** V2 Never say never. Having said that, we will do another Normal Mindil and I will have Indian if available to confirm the Mindil Indian is good and the other I had was just a ring in. The result of that will determine future Mindil visits. I love Mindil but we paid $30 for crap.

Teeming hordes. N.B. What is the meaning of hordes?  1a : a political subdivision of central Asian nomads. b : a people or tribe of nomadic life. 2 : a large unorganized group of individuals : a teeming crowd or throng hordes of peasants.

More or less. Yep. It got worse and that spelt time to go.

Large groups. Not good for health these days.

Don’t know what they were supposed to be but they were, tall gangly, colourful and interesting.

N.B. Gangly: 1a : tall and thin and moving with a loose-jointed awkwardness : lanky, gangling It is a cool night in San Jose, and gangly teenagers stream toward the Gunderson gym.—

A nice sunset ‘after burn.’ Sometimes better than the sunset itself.

Self adoration.

Towards the teeming hordes on the way out.

Now in my philosophy of life, nature has a way of keeping people level headed and balanced.

That is, if you have had the boot sank into you a few times, nature throws you a crumb or perhaps even a lifeline.

Likewise, if you have been thrown too many crumbs, then life will inevitably ‘sink the boot’ so you don’t get too ‘cocky.’

My aluminium frame holding the car fridge and its two batteries etc etc has chosen to collapse thus creating mayhem?

N.B. Mayhem:  noun  violent or extreme disorder; chaos.   “complete mayhem broke out”   Similar: chaos, disorder, confusion, havoc, bedlam, pandemonium, tumult.

Perhaps just a smidgeon too strong. Lets say it has created a long, tedious, inconvenient, difficult, time consuming, painful exercise and repair job, requiring a total rethink and redesign. Yeh, damn it. I’m going for mayhem.

By the way … N.B. Smidgeon:  noun: smidgeon   a small amount of something.   “add a smidgen of cayenne”

Cleverly constructed. (Not clever enough by the looks of it.) Two batteries about 35kg each sitting on blocks and held in place with a one inch square aluminium tube frame with gap under for storage of fold up shovel and other similar items, then suspended on threaded spacers above the batteries, a platform board holding two utility boxes with ‘short notice’ items such as basic tool kit, duct tape, WD40, safety glasses, inverter etc etc.

Built, repaired and modified over two years but finally established as complete and needing no more work. (!!??!!??)

My demeanor masks my current ‘frustration’ more accurately described by several words and/or phrases none  of which are suitable for publication.  (“!!****@@@@!!??!!!%@@****&&&&??!!!”)

Booze and Bed ……. for I now know what I am doing for the next few days.

rrrrrrrr         rrrrrrrrr        rrrrrrrr

Friday, 25th June 2021.

A very slow morning.

Early afternoon I get a call that the bearing has arrived at the bearing place. So off we go. It is in three pieces and two will fit the shaft but the last will not. The shaft will have to be ground down.

Off to the only place I have a relationship with. Paul’s Service Centre way back from when we lived here. Paul has since retired but his nephew owns it now. Maybe tomorrow but why don’t you try the trailer place around the corner?

Michael is both a good guy and accommodating. “Can you grind this down for me?’ ‘Why?’ I can get a bearing but it won’t quite fit.’ ‘I’ve got one that will fit.’ (and he did) I can degrease it for you.’ Hang on. I’ll get the other part out the car before you change your mind.’ ‘Have you got the pin and handle? I’ll put it back together for you.’ (am I dreaming) ‘The pin is ok but …. (looks at his subordinate) re-grease the thread, put it back together and put a new pin in.’

Done. $16 for the bearing and $10 labour. Thank you very much, says I and here are four beers small bonus.

Promotor Trailers.  Trailer dealer in the Winnellie, Northern Territory    Service options: In-store shopping · In-store pick-up    Address: 15 Benison Rd, Winnellie NT 0820    Hours: Opens 9AM   Phone:  (08) 8947 0088

Wednesday, 23rd and Thursday 24th June 2021.

Nothing much happened today except I didn’t get ill from the AstraZeneca jab, or should I say I haven’t yet. Comes early evening and we are off to the Sailing Club to meet Mana’s Rosa and Gloria. We are on time and they are of course early. The ladies are rather efficient.

A very popular spot, even on Wednesday night. We non members sign in. We get organized. Mana Rosa goes to order ‘in the middle’ type food (seafood) and I line up for the drinks. A bottle of white wine, 4 glasses and a beer. Bit of a line up but I meet interesting people to chat to. The 26 year old American soldier probably struggled to relate to the conversation but I learnt a bit about ’22’s’

N.B.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey     The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.

Now you’ve learnt something about them as well.

The meal was fab as was the wine.

Here I get a shot of the ladies only ……

… then I add a shot showing just enough of me to prove I was there.

Rain drives us under the verandah. A spare high table but only our normal chairs, so ….

I felt like an 8 year old at an adult party. OK. We were ‘hamming it up’ a bit.

A really nice night. However, all nights out must come to an end. We go home and I check emails. Somewhere I come across this. Steven Wrights very first TV appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. Open the video below the pic and see this genius’s first appearance.

You might have to wait a few secs till the ‘Skip Adds’ appears on the right and you can … well …. Skip them.

Good day. Good Night.

So Goodnight.

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We are having NO luck getting a Pfizer shot for Anne. The clinics are all saying, ‘July’ and the most reliable one is saying 9th July. We were off to check a couple ‘of out of the way’ clinics to see if we might ping one. However, we gravitate to the hospital which is the biggest and least ‘out of the way’ sources.

On the way we spot Mr Unlucky.  Or rather Mr Silly. Mate. If you don’t speed, they can’t book you.

We get to the hospital and eventually find the vaccination spot. Sign here is sensible. Rule number one. A. Always have empathy. B. Never blow your cool.

This is about 2.50pm. The chap we talk to confirms they are doing Pfizer. He says, come back at 4pm. Maybe someone has not shown up for their appointment and there will be a spare. Back at 3.55pm and three people have not shown u for their appointments. BUT it’s not that easy. There are either 4 or 6 doses in a vial. So if all the opened Pfizer is used and there are no more appointments, they will not open a new vial for a ‘walk in.’

There is one dose left, so we are in. Fill out the paperwork. NO. A guy 45 minutes late for his appointment rolls up so there goes the last remaining dose. We miss out. NO. One of the other nurses has a spare so we are in again.

Smile and think of something pleasant. I would have thought of lasagna.

SO we have got Anne a dose of Pfizer about two weeks before she was supposed to. My (unofficial) advice if you are waiting for Pfizer is front up to the hospital at 4pm and say. ‘Any spares?’

So we take a drive to Dripstone cliffs just along past the Hospital.

This is a memorial to 80 Japanese sailors who lost their lives off Darwin when thy engaged an Australian fighting ship. OK. I understand ‘bury the hatchet’ etc. And we do that. I got to ask though, what did they have in mind when they came here? Wish us luck in our war effort? Admire the lovely coast? Maybe they were on vacation and had never been to Australia?

I think not. I rather suspect they were up to no good.

OK Turkey let’s Australia commemorate the Gallipoli battle. I feel that’s a different exercise. How? Well if Australia had landed quietly, stealth fully approached the Turkish lines, blew the hell out of the Turkish soldiers and then high tailed it, I rather think we wouldn’t get a look in on ANZAC Day. Nor if our ship had sunk trying to do it. However after nearly a year, there grew a respect and bonding between the two sides. Also we lost. N.B. 17 February 1915 – 9 January 1916 (10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)

So looking past burying the hatchet, would we erect a statue of Adolf Hitler? My opinion only.

Cliffs you say?

To the right band aid marking the spot. To the left, the sit down and recover completion time when we could leave. Anne has retained this on her phone cover. No. I don’t know why.

Helicopter. Didn’t zoom. Looks like the carrier type that ferries the workers out to the rigs.

Ships on the horizon.

Peter on the horizon? Anne spots Peter McMillan on the site. His phone rang just as I was prepared for the photo. It’s not a permanent fixture. Peter was a kitchen supervisor for PDL in Dili. So just how many ex Dili-ites are there in Darwin. Peter is coasting and enjoying life. We confirm contacts and all of us depart for our homes.

A zoom on the shipping. What are they doing out there?

A small war memorial. Nice to know the allies got a mention as well.

A young lady sits with her brave hound. Looks like the guy in Men in Black. The dog can talk in the film. So to test him,  I give him the MIB line, ‘You can kiss my furry ****,’ but it doesn’t register.

We pick a few mushrooms for breakfast and go home. I find the battery frame has broken for the fourth time in the back of the car and make a mental note to fix it ‘soon.’

We whip up a brilliant pasta marinara. Bottle of white. Showers, TV bed.

‘Here end-th the lesson.’ What lesson? A lesson in endurance?

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Monday 21st to Tuesday 22nd June 2021.

Monday, we enlist the aid of the Darwin Oracle, Leigh Biggs. He can ferret out any item minor or major. We fly around Darwins commercial sector for batteries, 15amp plug tops etc etc etc. As we are about to enter another business on the Highway adjacent the airport there is the boom of a jet engine. It ended up boing 6 about 20 seconds apart and they went like …. well …. rockets.

First sight of him.

Zoom

Out in the open.

Zoom again.

Still going.

Zoom again.

Last shot before bye-bye.

Even Bigger zoom.

WHAT was that bloody thing? Not a Hornet.

SO I ask Mr Google. and come up with this similar shape….

…and this.

Lockheed Martin Australia welcomes F-35 to its new home

The F-35A Lightning II is the Australian Defence Force’s first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter which will meet Australia’s requirements to defeat current and emerging threats.

The F-35A is at the forefront of air combat technology.  Its advanced sensors and data fusion will allow it to gather more information and share it with other Air Force aircraft, Navy ships and Army units quicker than ever before. This will greatly enhance the Australian Defence Force’s situational awareness and combat effectiveness. In addition, to greatly enhanced situational awareness, the F-35A provides its pilots with significantly higher levels of lethality and survivability in combat.

Australia has committed to 72 F-35A aircraft for three operational squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, and a training squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown.

The first F-35A aircraft was accepted into Australian service in 2018, with the first arriving in country in December that year.  The first F-35A squadron, No. 3 Squadron, will be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023.

What a plane. As I see it, this is the new stealth with all the other bells and whistles.

Anyway, inside I get my 15 amp plugs and spot the test and tag stickers.

I can do this. I’ve got the licence and the metre.

Now we meet someone who has been to Cape York. I have done some research but they can fine tune it with their carefully recorded facts on their maps. I wealth of information. Probably enough info to put us off.

They were there a year or so ago and said there was about 620km of dirt. My research suggested a contract had just finished and there was only about 250km of dirt.

Never the less it was suggested the real problem up there was the idiots. No matter how careful you are on dirt, it seemed there was a never ending supply of ‘hoons’ screaming along with off road trailer bouncing around on the back and shooting rocks, left right and centre. Centre being wind screens.

The maps.

Next day, I pull the older non functioning jocky wheel apart. It needs a new bearing.

Also, I get a call from a clinic. I can have my Astra Veneca today if I want. Hmmm. Very appealing. (?)

So off we go. Who’s the lucky boy then.

I have a pit crew.

I have been warned you usually suffer to varying degrees  for the three days after. Not on the day. After. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to.

After the jab, I celebrate, by going to Vintage Cellars and topping up the cellar.

Also an attempt to get a bearing for the jocky. Wait a week or for $15 I can have it in two days. I will wait.

Home. Getting hot-ish.

That’s enough for today.

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Tuesday, 15th to Sunday, 20th June 2021.

Six days squashed together.

Morning of departure. Thanks so much Cath. Never been up this early before. Outside that is. Looks like on the English Moors. AG with tea in hand.

Time to go.

We arrive at ‘ye olde’ Malak Caravan Park, next to KOA Caravan Park. That is we went to KOA first, being the same, and it was shut.

In to Malak and first thought is old and tired etc. Then you look. There are no ablution blocks. The whole park is ensuites in groups of 4. They are all separately metered and have solar hotwater and wash troughs. This park would have been very schmicky and up market in it’s day.

Bush chooks.

Spot the birdy. No…?

There he is.

Could be a Huey but not sure. has the Huey two rotors though.

Next day I find we are sharing The ensuite. By the way, old and basic but clean. A ‘whee froggy’ but the flash scared him off instead of brightening him.

This park person has a serious ‘Stang.’ 65-ish.

We go to town. This is now the equivalent of Panadeine. Apparently illegal now.

We visit the Air Raid Arcade which appears to be in re – development.

The arcade has all sorts of displays and posters all for public viewing by man, woman AND child. I was going to put the one below here as is but put the pink rectangle here instead. Pink to cover the ‘pink’ bits.

It is displaying Social Distancing of 1.5 metres and the ‘lady’ has a pair of 1.5 metre spacers. The ‘man’ has a single 1.5 metre spacer.

Record shop OPEN but locked and no-one here.

Stalin??

Tilt right for old movie posters.

A new as yet un- opened bar with all sorts of art and religious paintings and statues.

Mimic.

Then to Vintage cellars for some vitals.

Then back to ‘home’. I like this van. No lump on the cab like most RV’s. They interest me.

Now a new day and off to see Leigh Biggs.

Damn, he is clever. He does all sorts and he also bakes.

This is half eaten but we score REAL coffee and these fabulous spinach, cheese and smoked trout (or salmon?) muffins. Clever. Give the likes of me a bad name.

…served on Commonwealth plates. Legal. He has receipts from ‘Vinneys.’

Back home, this is the result of giving myself a hair clipping, INCLUDING the back.  Fix it later. (?)

Next day, neighbors electric bike. They have a coaster bus and have invited us to inspect. They will be here for months. They were gone the next day. I must have made an impact.

Here I spot the guy sharing the ensuite with us.

Next day in Harvey Norman. Leigh has recommended a ‘Kleva’ knife sharpener. Anne grabs a do it yourself massager. I get a free back massage in the line but we decide not to invest.

Check this guy who just landed on the mirror.

I wondered about the 6 X 6 sticker on the back. Now I know.

We look at another park and get educated in the bath room. Got it.

Anne spots an item of interest, at this stage secret.

Let’s get the tail end of Parap Saturday morning market.

Hey! Did someone say ‘Portuguese Tarts?’

N.B Pastéis de Nata or pasteis de belem.

A very nice Irish Lady married to a Portuguese man and apparently people have trouble with their children’s accents picking the origin. Ha! Good luck.

A bit late but enough left to pig out.

Eagle eye. What’s that red dot in the distance?

A ‘Stang!’

And that red-ish dot?

A Chrysler Charger.

Going ….

… going ….

Gone.

Too early mate. Go back for a couple of hours.

Comes to Sunday. We do nothing outside the van. It’s all phone or internet.

Ends with beer and wine and soup and rolls etc.

Long, long story about covid vaccine. Tomorrow.

Cheers.

Saturday, 12th to Monday 14th June 2021.

A few days compressed into one ‘showing.’

Went to the Darwin Entertainment Centre to see ……

Greek Glendi Festival In Darwin. This could possibly be THE biggest BBQ ever!

Fab finger licking food.

Dopy self pick where you can just see the Yiros.

Sugar a-plenty.

Consumers a-plenty.

Clever sayings a-plenty.

Greek beer a-plenty.

… and out of the blue … we run into Margarita and daughter Shanti.

Another friend who knows us and Cath from East Timor.

A walk back to the car.

Harbor and patrol boat ‘home’ in the distance.

Charles Darwin Park on the way back. Well worth a look.

Squint to see mini.

The day before Renee’s and children’s departure to UK.

Leigh and Tess Biggs and Anne and I wish them a safe and happy trip.

Tilt to see. Had to pay to get out the car park. But first I had to see how to.

Back at Berry Springs. A hoppy comes by while having sundowner drinks.

Bruschetta’s by Cath for light meal. A couple of drinks.

Showers.

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Tuesday, 8th to Friday 11th June 2021

Condensing a few days here. These three are I think a repeat but I’d kinda like to see them again. Acacia Hills again, P & J and landlord Dion.

Always photo the turn 1000 if possible. (156,000)

Berry Springs  Tavern for Linda’s birthday. (wife of ‘Quinny’.

What’s better than a cake?

Two cakes.

Three fine specimens of manhood. Quinny on the right is with beard now, to get into ‘character’.

He will audition for the lead role in Darwin’s new stage show, ‘The Ten Commandments’ but with a unique twist. This watered down version will be called ‘The Ten Suggestions.’

Fun and frolicking.

Amigos.

The tavern has a ‘captive audience.’

The diet worked.

Another day. I think I get it. Looks bloody vicious though.

Military exercises in the area. What’s this?

Zoom. Looks like a ‘Huey’ to me but something different.

This is a Huey from Mr Google. That’s it!

Hueys only have two rotors but this one over Darwin has four?

While we are playing the game, what’s this?

With zoom it looks like an Apache but again, something wrong.

It has skids instead of wheels and the cabin is flatter on the top.

Again Mr Google shows us this Apache ….

…and also shows us this Viper.

Compare the two. The one over us was a Viper.

Another day, we go for an a-noon drive To Litchfield Park, or part there of.

Spot this cute little van.

We end up following it for a while.

We catch up with him later. Cute little guy. Could have got a better photo but that would have required me to get out.

Park maps.

Tilt right.

Wangi Falls. Popular swimming hole but today. NO! Maybe something naughty in there. We went in, back in the 90’s and had a lovely swim. Park rangers said ‘Go for it.’ We got back to Adelaide and two weeks later they pulled a ‘salty’ out of it.

Me with wife and landlord.

When we were here last, there was a cascading spa hole. I think this dark ring to the right is it. When wetter, more water cascades and some,  straight into that hole. The bottom line is you can get about six in there being showered and spa’d at the same time.

Short brisk water under the natural canopy.

On to Tolmer falls. Can only see them a bit from here. Lovely lookout though with sweeping views.

Spot the legacy from aholes.

Zoom to the green plastic bottle and …

… to the clear one under the foliage. Some people just have no bloody brain at all.

Self adoration.

The Cathedral Termite mound … although no ‘hallelujah’s’ here though.

Big, isn’t it.

Still big.

Big with Anne and Cath.

This one is also big but a bit wrecked.

On On. A train between Bachelor and the Stuart Highway.

… and the same one again as we got ahead of it but had to cross again.

End of day. Drinks, food shower sleep.

zzzzzzzzzzz           zzzzzzzzzzzz            zzzzzzzzzzzzz