Well...it's hard to believe, but we're nearly at the end of a week here in Darwin. It's been an action packed week....so I'll try and condense it all into as small a space as possible.
We arrived on Thursday, took Heather round the sights to find our bearings...and we had Maccas...cause we hadn't seen one for awhile. After that we went back to the van and got organised to go to the Mindil Beach Market. We got there around 630pm and stayed until after 10pm. While there we ate exotic foods, drank strange concoctions of fruit juice and bought the odd thing or too. We caught up with Chris L (from CPS) for a short while and quickly exchanged goss...and while walking around, we were approached by Anthea C from Carisbrook Primary School....so that was amazing...as she was on a ski trip. Got some lovely photos of Bec, Heath etc on the beach...and a good one of Georgia with the sun going down on the sea.
On Heather's last full day, we hit Casuarina Shopping Centre...looking for bargains. The day was spent doing retail therapy...and after that we headed to Cullen Bay (that's right Ellie B....Cullen) Marina....where we went on a sunset cruise of Darwin Harbour. It was magic....and the sunset was awesome. The cruise went for awhile and I was feeling a little sick after it. We drove around to Stokes Hill Wharf and sat above the sea on the wharf...eating whatever took our fancy. I went for an authetic Laksa...and it was beautiful.
We got up at 5am the next day and said a sad goodbye to Heather...who flew back to Melbourne. The girls cried nearly all day....as they really missed their Grannie and I think Georgia is finding it difficult now being so far from her friends. She really misses school! I tell you now...Heather was a breeze to take away...never complains, always helps and always has something great to say about the scenery!
The next few days were filled in with Bec and Georgia have a pedicure and then they took me to the movies to see Eclipse.....mmmmmm...it was OK. Dad, Mum and Frey went to Shrek Forever 3D and really enjoyed that. On Sunday we went to the Northern Territory Museum...and it was awesome....especially since it's free. It's full of Aboriginal Art, displays on wildlife, a Cyclone Tracy exhibit and a real/stuffed model of a 6/7m crocodile named "Sweetheart" that they caught up here in one of the rivers. He was huge...yes a he! Named after Sweetwater Billabong or something. We went to Aquascene Fish Feeding that afternoon...and the girls and I fed thousands of wild fish that come in on high tide each day. Very good...but costly to see a natural phenomenon. On the way home we revisited the Mindill Beach Markets again and had tea there.
On Monday, we organised ourselves and went to the Territory Wildlife Park. This park is dedicated to showcasing the wildlife of the Top End. It was pretty good....especially the aquarium (with weird animals like sawfish, saratoga etc.) and the Bird Free Flight Show....where Georgia and Freyja got to hold a Rufous Owl on their arm. The also had pictures taken with a Pacific Baza and a Bookbook Owl. On the way back to Darwin we stopped at Berry Springs. Wow! What an awesome place....a bit like Mataranka...but much bigger and deeper....but not quite as warm. Georgia, Freyja and I got on top of a thermal waterfall and just lay there looking up at the palms above us or the pandanus lining the sides of the creek.
Today we went into the city to do some shopping and then went to the new Waterfront Precinct to enjoy the wave pool. Georg, Frey and I had a ball riding the waves and enjoying the hot weather.
We have a day left here, so might go back to Berry Springs or the girls want more shops....we'll see if we can compromise!
We're still enjoying ourselves and we love the park we're staying in (Free Spirit Resort)....happy hour every evening while the girls swim in the pool....can't get much better.
We arrived on Thursday, took Heather round the sights to find our bearings...and we had Maccas...cause we hadn't seen one for awhile. After that we went back to the van and got organised to go to the Mindil Beach Market. We got there around 630pm and stayed until after 10pm. While there we ate exotic foods, drank strange concoctions of fruit juice and bought the odd thing or too. We caught up with Chris L (from CPS) for a short while and quickly exchanged goss...and while walking around, we were approached by Anthea C from Carisbrook Primary School....so that was amazing...as she was on a ski trip. Got some lovely photos of Bec, Heath etc on the beach...and a good one of Georgia with the sun going down on the sea.
On Heather's last full day, we hit Casuarina Shopping Centre...looking for bargains. The day was spent doing retail therapy...and after that we headed to Cullen Bay (that's right Ellie B....Cullen) Marina....where we went on a sunset cruise of Darwin Harbour. It was magic....and the sunset was awesome. The cruise went for awhile and I was feeling a little sick after it. We drove around to Stokes Hill Wharf and sat above the sea on the wharf...eating whatever took our fancy. I went for an authetic Laksa...and it was beautiful.
We got up at 5am the next day and said a sad goodbye to Heather...who flew back to Melbourne. The girls cried nearly all day....as they really missed their Grannie and I think Georgia is finding it difficult now being so far from her friends. She really misses school! I tell you now...Heather was a breeze to take away...never complains, always helps and always has something great to say about the scenery!
The next few days were filled in with Bec and Georgia have a pedicure and then they took me to the movies to see Eclipse.....mmmmmm...it was OK. Dad, Mum and Frey went to Shrek Forever 3D and really enjoyed that. On Sunday we went to the Northern Territory Museum...and it was awesome....especially since it's free. It's full of Aboriginal Art, displays on wildlife, a Cyclone Tracy exhibit and a real/stuffed model of a 6/7m crocodile named "Sweetheart" that they caught up here in one of the rivers. He was huge...yes a he! Named after Sweetwater Billabong or something. We went to Aquascene Fish Feeding that afternoon...and the girls and I fed thousands of wild fish that come in on high tide each day. Very good...but costly to see a natural phenomenon. On the way home we revisited the Mindill Beach Markets again and had tea there.
On Monday, we organised ourselves and went to the Territory Wildlife Park. This park is dedicated to showcasing the wildlife of the Top End. It was pretty good....especially the aquarium (with weird animals like sawfish, saratoga etc.) and the Bird Free Flight Show....where Georgia and Freyja got to hold a Rufous Owl on their arm. The also had pictures taken with a Pacific Baza and a Bookbook Owl. On the way back to Darwin we stopped at Berry Springs. Wow! What an awesome place....a bit like Mataranka...but much bigger and deeper....but not quite as warm. Georgia, Freyja and I got on top of a thermal waterfall and just lay there looking up at the palms above us or the pandanus lining the sides of the creek.
Today we went into the city to do some shopping and then went to the new Waterfront Precinct to enjoy the wave pool. Georg, Frey and I had a ball riding the waves and enjoying the hot weather.
We have a day left here, so might go back to Berry Springs or the girls want more shops....we'll see if we can compromise!
We're still enjoying ourselves and we love the park we're staying in (Free Spirit Resort)....happy hour every evening while the girls swim in the pool....can't get much better.
