11th June, and we are heading off for Darwin today, maybe a stop along the way. First though its saying our goodbyes to Shirley & Ken, who we are sure to meet along the way as they are headed same way as we are.
We hug and promise to keep in touch and we are off before 10am. We had planned to stop at Pine Creek but its just an hours drive and we want to spend as much time in Darwin as possible so we charge on and drive straight through. Its 3hrs 18 minutes from Edith Falls to Darwin but takes us about 4 and a half hours with a lunch stop and nap in between, we arrive around 2.30pm.
We arrive at Discovery Holiday Park on the outskirts of Darwin and only 5 minutes away from the V8 racing track and go in to get a site. Oh no! They are pretty full and unless we want to move the van 3 times all they have is a site in amongst the permanent caravaners. No problem to us and in the long run it worked out great as its under the trees with plenty of shad, loads of room, near the toilets and pool, and they neighbours are great!
The caravan park is mostly used by workers on the Oil and Gas sites and has custom caravans and chalets, they also have a restaurant(nothing fancy) where they serve the workers breakfast & Dinner and anyone can get a cheap meal for $12!
Found out there are 2 pools, one near us, which is huge and heated and a smaller pool at the front gate which is quieter.
We get setup and all booked in for 2 weeks! Bliss no packing up and moving every few days! A few things we notice right away is the noise form the industrial estate behind the caravan park. There is a recycle plant with a crane moving metal from a pile onto trucks all day long! There is also a bit of airport noise as its just a few hundred metres away from us and is an RAF base! Never mind we will get used to it! No work to get up for in the morning so cant complain!
Tommy has been in touch with Pete (who lives part time in Darwin) and organised to meet him tonight after we go to the Mindil Market near the beach.
The market is awesome! Hundreds of people milling around(only down side was trying to get parked) and we are told to get to the beach for sunset as its jaw dropping....as you can see from the photos, they were not wrong! We walked up to the sand dunes at the back of the market and just saw a sea of people sitting, standing, looking out to sea, admiring the ever changing sun and sky with the background music from the market making it feel even more special. Just magical!
The ambience of the market is relaxed and kind of Hippyish(is that even a word?)! We wander around the stalls which are mostly tourist type stuff with the odd amazing inventions or creations. Then there is the food stalls which seem to go on for miles! Its so hard to choose what to have for dinner but eventually decide and take a seat on some of the upside down bottle crates dotted around the grassy areas. We heard some Diggerydoo music and make our way through the crowds and find a guy on a basic stage with 2 or 3 Diggerydoos wired to mikes, with a couple of guys on percussion accompanying him. He played "doof doof" music with the Diggerydoo! It was awesome! Up behind him in the sand dunes were 10 or 12 Indigenous people dancing, silhouetted against the setting sun... such a great atmosphere!
When we were done with the market we drove down into town and found Pete's apartment and called in to see him. He then took us on a walk around the main areas of Darwin, pointed out the main eating and partying streets are, took us down the waterfront where you can swim in the wave pool, showed us the underground fuel tunnels used in the war and then back to his place. We called it a night and went back for an early night promising to meet him the next day after his work.
We hug and promise to keep in touch and we are off before 10am. We had planned to stop at Pine Creek but its just an hours drive and we want to spend as much time in Darwin as possible so we charge on and drive straight through. Its 3hrs 18 minutes from Edith Falls to Darwin but takes us about 4 and a half hours with a lunch stop and nap in between, we arrive around 2.30pm.
We arrive at Discovery Holiday Park on the outskirts of Darwin and only 5 minutes away from the V8 racing track and go in to get a site. Oh no! They are pretty full and unless we want to move the van 3 times all they have is a site in amongst the permanent caravaners. No problem to us and in the long run it worked out great as its under the trees with plenty of shad, loads of room, near the toilets and pool, and they neighbours are great!
The caravan park is mostly used by workers on the Oil and Gas sites and has custom caravans and chalets, they also have a restaurant(nothing fancy) where they serve the workers breakfast & Dinner and anyone can get a cheap meal for $12!
Found out there are 2 pools, one near us, which is huge and heated and a smaller pool at the front gate which is quieter.
We get setup and all booked in for 2 weeks! Bliss no packing up and moving every few days! A few things we notice right away is the noise form the industrial estate behind the caravan park. There is a recycle plant with a crane moving metal from a pile onto trucks all day long! There is also a bit of airport noise as its just a few hundred metres away from us and is an RAF base! Never mind we will get used to it! No work to get up for in the morning so cant complain!
Tommy has been in touch with Pete (who lives part time in Darwin) and organised to meet him tonight after we go to the Mindil Market near the beach.
The market is awesome! Hundreds of people milling around(only down side was trying to get parked) and we are told to get to the beach for sunset as its jaw dropping....as you can see from the photos, they were not wrong! We walked up to the sand dunes at the back of the market and just saw a sea of people sitting, standing, looking out to sea, admiring the ever changing sun and sky with the background music from the market making it feel even more special. Just magical!
The ambience of the market is relaxed and kind of Hippyish(is that even a word?)! We wander around the stalls which are mostly tourist type stuff with the odd amazing inventions or creations. Then there is the food stalls which seem to go on for miles! Its so hard to choose what to have for dinner but eventually decide and take a seat on some of the upside down bottle crates dotted around the grassy areas. We heard some Diggerydoo music and make our way through the crowds and find a guy on a basic stage with 2 or 3 Diggerydoos wired to mikes, with a couple of guys on percussion accompanying him. He played "doof doof" music with the Diggerydoo! It was awesome! Up behind him in the sand dunes were 10 or 12 Indigenous people dancing, silhouetted against the setting sun... such a great atmosphere!
When we were done with the market we drove down into town and found Pete's apartment and called in to see him. He then took us on a walk around the main areas of Darwin, pointed out the main eating and partying streets are, took us down the waterfront where you can swim in the wave pool, showed us the underground fuel tunnels used in the war and then back to his place. We called it a night and went back for an early night promising to meet him the next day after his work.
We had a quiet day getting chores done and booking the car in for a service nearby for next Wednesday.
Pete came down to pick us up and see the caravan after he finished work then drove us down to the Wharf for dinner. He took us to a famous seafood restaurant called Crustaceans.... yummo!
We parked the car on the wharf and walk right down to the end, passed all of the food court and tables, to the entrance of Crustaceans where Pete checks we are booked in. Our table is right on the edge of the wharf and there is no hand rail between us and the water, so I let Tommy sit with Pete and I sit one away from the edge. I order chicken and the guys order seafood to die for! while we are eating Mother Nature is doing her best with a wonderful sunset sky to add to the atmosphere. When the sun went down we noticed the tour boats coming around and Pete explained that they bring them around to feed the fish which live around the pier. Next thing they are throwing bread in the water and hundreds of fish are jumping! We had a wonderful dinner enjoying every minute catching up with Pete.
Pete came down to pick us up and see the caravan after he finished work then drove us down to the Wharf for dinner. He took us to a famous seafood restaurant called Crustaceans.... yummo!
We parked the car on the wharf and walk right down to the end, passed all of the food court and tables, to the entrance of Crustaceans where Pete checks we are booked in. Our table is right on the edge of the wharf and there is no hand rail between us and the water, so I let Tommy sit with Pete and I sit one away from the edge. I order chicken and the guys order seafood to die for! while we are eating Mother Nature is doing her best with a wonderful sunset sky to add to the atmosphere. When the sun went down we noticed the tour boats coming around and Pete explained that they bring them around to feed the fish which live around the pier. Next thing they are throwing bread in the water and hundreds of fish are jumping! We had a wonderful dinner enjoying every minute catching up with Pete.
Pete came for us at 11am Saturday morning and had promised to take us to the markets. We went to Nightcliffe market and had some lunch, then he took us around all of the wonderful beaches and coves around Darwin. We saw where the World War two museum was, the Nude beach, Parap Market was, Cullen Bay, the casino, all the time telling us history and tales of Darwin! he's quite a guy! Best tourist guide we have had!!!!
We ended back at the caravan for a wee drinky poo and Pete left us around 3 or 4pm. Tommy & I went on the hunt for somewhere to eat around 6.30pm and ended up at a sports club with Chicken Parma! Lovely! Early night as we are exhausted.
Poor Pete came for us again to take us to Parap fruit and vegetable market, amazing market because it was mostly asian fruit & veg which we didn't recognise and I didn't know how to cook! Got a few things we needed and Tommy picked a few sweet cakes out from an asian stall which he knew nothing about! They were so sweet we ended up throwing a few out.
Pete drove us around the area and then took us back to the van promising to come back for a curry dinner I was cooking.
We had a great night sitting outside in the 30dg heat eating our curry!!
We ended back at the caravan for a wee drinky poo and Pete left us around 3 or 4pm. Tommy & I went on the hunt for somewhere to eat around 6.30pm and ended up at a sports club with Chicken Parma! Lovely! Early night as we are exhausted.
Poor Pete came for us again to take us to Parap fruit and vegetable market, amazing market because it was mostly asian fruit & veg which we didn't recognise and I didn't know how to cook! Got a few things we needed and Tommy picked a few sweet cakes out from an asian stall which he knew nothing about! They were so sweet we ended up throwing a few out.
Pete drove us around the area and then took us back to the van promising to come back for a curry dinner I was cooking.
We had a great night sitting outside in the 30dg heat eating our curry!!
Not too exciting Monday, just chores, washing and a few hours by the pool..... oh and we had to make dinner! We had some visitors after dinner, had talked to a lady a few times and she brought her husband over(Scottish but been in Australia for 40 years) for a few glasses of wine.
Tuesday we found out that Caron & Pete (couple we met at Gemtree)are staying at the same park and have invited us over for drinks tonight. We spent the morning catching up on internet & updating Tommy's CV to take to a employment agency. Drove into the city to drop it off but told he needs to fill in a form on the internet. Had to have a swim before dinner and before the sun went down and then took ourselves over to drinks with Pete & Caron. Had a great time catching up on stories and enjoying their company.
We ended the evening with a trip to the end of the runway to watch the fighter jets take off! Been told there is big manoeuvres on with many countries taking part. There have been loads of planes taking off and landing, big and small planes. It was great, you could feel the vibrations through your body as they took off.
Wednesday morning we said goodbye again to Caron & Pete and then we just chillaxed by the pool. We drove into Darwin and picked up Pete and we all went to dinner at Cullen Bay. They have a famous seafood buffet and we were not dissapointed.... awesome.
Tuesday we found out that Caron & Pete (couple we met at Gemtree)are staying at the same park and have invited us over for drinks tonight. We spent the morning catching up on internet & updating Tommy's CV to take to a employment agency. Drove into the city to drop it off but told he needs to fill in a form on the internet. Had to have a swim before dinner and before the sun went down and then took ourselves over to drinks with Pete & Caron. Had a great time catching up on stories and enjoying their company.
We ended the evening with a trip to the end of the runway to watch the fighter jets take off! Been told there is big manoeuvres on with many countries taking part. There have been loads of planes taking off and landing, big and small planes. It was great, you could feel the vibrations through your body as they took off.
Wednesday morning we said goodbye again to Caron & Pete and then we just chillaxed by the pool. We drove into Darwin and picked up Pete and we all went to dinner at Cullen Bay. They have a famous seafood buffet and we were not dissapointed.... awesome.
Thursday 18th June, Kam arrives for the start of the V8 racing and Tommy is going to meet him today. They caught the sight seeing bus around Darwin and learned a few history facts and then jumped on an old army truck which took them around other tourist spots(they said this one was better). He then met up with Pete and they all went for drinks.
Me, I just had a wonderful relaxing day, reading by the pool, catching up with my blog and making dinner. Tommy was back by 9.30pm as they have a big weekend planned and 2 other guys arrive at 6am tomorrow.
Friday, and we are woken by the revving of V8 cars.... now we know how near we are to the race track! Made Tommy a big fry up to soak up the drinking he is going to do today and get him on the free bus to the race track by 10.30am The boys are taking it easy toady as Pete is picking them up at 3pm to take them sight seeing and on a pub crawl. They ended up at the Adelaide River and the Humpty doo pub, then back to Darwin to another few... sounds like they had a great time.
Me? I had a great day, just another day in paradise! Blog update, run to the shops for some goodies for dinner and a swim in the pool and top up my tan! Great day!
Tommy was home by 11pm.... steamin!
Me, I just had a wonderful relaxing day, reading by the pool, catching up with my blog and making dinner. Tommy was back by 9.30pm as they have a big weekend planned and 2 other guys arrive at 6am tomorrow.
Friday, and we are woken by the revving of V8 cars.... now we know how near we are to the race track! Made Tommy a big fry up to soak up the drinking he is going to do today and get him on the free bus to the race track by 10.30am The boys are taking it easy toady as Pete is picking them up at 3pm to take them sight seeing and on a pub crawl. They ended up at the Adelaide River and the Humpty doo pub, then back to Darwin to another few... sounds like they had a great time.
Me? I had a great day, just another day in paradise! Blog update, run to the shops for some goodies for dinner and a swim in the pool and top up my tan! Great day!
Tommy was home by 11pm.... steamin!
Saturday 20th, Tommy off to the races again and I am off to the shops! Went to Casuarina Shopping centre... very posh and huge! Had morning tea while I looked at the centre map to plan my trip around. Then off window shopping then back to try things on and bought a few outfits for my 2 weddings in Scotland. What a great day I had! I also got some t-shirts for Tommy, had some lunch and back to it... ended up not spending too much but feeling great after a fulfilling shopping spree!
Tommy was home by 8pm as he was a bit hungover from last night! He fell asleep on the couch!
Sunday and Tommys off to the races again and I am having a sunbathe and swim by the pool, then off to Mindil Market at by night. I loved it even more by myself getting a chance to have a really good look at the stalls. "People watched" all the families having dinner by the market, caught some of the fire shows for the kids, checked out the bands and singers,atched the sunset, had my dinner and spent a while looking around the stalls! Awesome!
Tommy was home by 9pm... exhausted and pissed! I asked him a couple of questions and next thing he was sleeping! Another night on the couch!
Tommy was home by 8pm as he was a bit hungover from last night! He fell asleep on the couch!
Sunday and Tommys off to the races again and I am having a sunbathe and swim by the pool, then off to Mindil Market at by night. I loved it even more by myself getting a chance to have a really good look at the stalls. "People watched" all the families having dinner by the market, caught some of the fire shows for the kids, checked out the bands and singers,atched the sunset, had my dinner and spent a while looking around the stalls! Awesome!
Tommy was home by 9pm... exhausted and pissed! I asked him a couple of questions and next thing he was sleeping! Another night on the couch!
Monday, got a text late last night to say that Neil & Dave's flight was delayed until this afternoon! So Tommy & I went into Darwin to collect them and took them on the tour of Darwin(well as much of it as we knew between us!). First around the beaches, (can't venture on them though because of crocs!) then on to the Quanta's museum, which used to be the hanger for Quanta's planes through the 2nd World War and now is home to car enthusiasts who volunteer to upkeep the museum and show their memorabilia and vintage cars & trucks in the hanger. Theres more than just cars & trucks though, steam engines, car and truck parts, every type of tool you can think of, planes, parts of planes, model cars & model planes and loads of history of how the war affected Darwin. The guys loved it and we spent ages looking around. Then lunch and onwards to the airport to drop them off for their flight.
Kam's flight is not until this evening so we decide to fill the afternoon by going to the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, its just across the road from our caravan site. Another really interesting place telling you lots about the aircraft used in the fighting in the 2nd world war at Darwin. You just can't imagine the size of some of these planes, the troop carrier itself almost filed one of the hangers and they had the drop down door space used as a movie theatre to show videos of the planes in action, amazing. We spent an hour looking around but by now Kam was running out of steam and we decided to go back to our van and he would have a sleep in the van before going back to catch his flight home. Tommy & I went down to the pool to give him some peace and had a great we chat to some of the other nomads. A little bit of sunbathing before Kam came down to say he had a great nap. We took him back to Petes and we all went out for a lovely meal at the food court on the wharf and then said our goodbyes and headed home for the night.
We had a couple more days at the caravan site just lazing around getting the washing caught up with, some sun bathing and of course a dip in the pool every afternoon, before saying our goodbyes to Pete on the 24th and get ready for our travels again. We had a great 2 weeks in Darwin, really loved it!