Sunday, 29 November 2015

We enter Darwin........

Should any of you be expecting to see some fairy Xmas lights draped over a winnebago this evening, I'm sorry to have to advise you that albeit we had made a coat out of dead palm fronds, set up a hide under the van, the occupants of said winnebago went out for the night.  Thus No illuminations......

After our day off we are ready for entry into Darwin but en-route I decide I will give her a surprise and take her to Holmes Jungle Nature Park, where she may be able to see the red backed fairy wren........ Now bear in mind the expression 'First Impressions are most lasting' as when we arrive at this park, it's early Sunday morning so our expectations are high for basically being alone in the park with nature out and about before it gets too hot.  
We arrive in the car park, where only one other van is parked, it has its front driver door open and the side slide door open so as to reveal a fat male in his underpants sprawled over the floor of the van, we pass by and venture into the forest.  After 3/4 hour we return to the car park and find a 4x4 parked up with just some naked female legs with the feet touching the roof on display.  We get into our van, start up and turn around and drive past the 4x4 to now see a male in the drivers seat, a female in the passenger seat, looking at us with the female waving at us, so we thought......... We then drive off to the picnic car park and stop when her next to me wants to photograph some small Crimson finches.  Before long there is another vehicle approaching from behind, I think it wants to pass so start up the van and move it slightly, the vehicle is then driven into a small recess....... 
I then use my phone to look up my suspicions regarding our location......... 
As I am reading the Google search result, the vehicle drives out draws up alongside me with the woman smiling invitingly at me, they then see I have my phone out and Julie standing outside under a tree looking up through a camera lens, at which they drive off......
I then shut down the  'Darwin Doggin sites - Holmes Jungle Nature Park'. screen on my phone..........
We then head off for East Point for lunch before checking in at a Camp Site.  After an hour or two we catch a bus into Darwin Harbour, where according to trip advisor, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides one of the highlights is to head to Stokes Hill Wharf, where a Darwin tradition is to sit there and have fish and chips whilst watching the sun set, so off we go with high expectations of having a really chilled relaxed night.  That of course would mean things going to plan, however we arrive and find a series of down market tacky fast food, whilst I would like to say establishments, I can't, they were no more than a coloured fluorescent light food court with grubby plastic tables and chairs for all to use.  We looked at a customers plate of fish and chips and thought 'No way'! it all looked as if it was possibly re-heated or over cooked in oil that had been used too much, I think the customer thought along similar lines as he returned most of it and walked off, not looking a happy man.
Taxi! 
We are off to Cullen Bay to watch the sunset over the sea, we get there and lo and behold, there is a Fish and Chip restaurant right on the edge, overlooking the bay, the sea and with the dying Suns ray's filtering over our table, I say "Now I'm happy".
    This Crimson finch is blushing at the antics of the humans in his park

    Cullen Bay Dining Table view