NORTHING DAY21 - WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE 2018

LITCHFIELD AND ON TO GROVE HILL

We had so many interesting places planned for this day but most of them were frustrated by closed roads and no access - a seasonal thing, waiting for drying and repairs from "the wet".

 The Bamboo Creek Tin Mine in Litchfield Park.

Wangi Falls in Litchfield Park.

Douglas Hot Springs

Grove Hill Hotel and Museum. 

This relic of an old mining town is off the track but worth the visit, made on the whim that we hadn't been here before. We camped here for the night , also discovering our first flat tyre.

UPDATE -

 We're back at Laura, unpacking and cleaning Henry and tending to the garden before going on to Adelaide. Planned trip and actual trip ended up being rather different, as you will see in the following. As soon as possible we will continue the story day by day.

NORTHING DAY20 - TUESDAY 19 JUNE 2018

SOUTH AND WEST -

BERRY SPRINGS, MANDORAH, WAGAIT BEACH, DUNDEE BEACH

We find that we have stopped for our first night on the homeward trip at a place that has Telstra mobile service so here is another post - done sitting in the evening by our swag.

Mandorah from Darwin by ferry is about 15 minutes. By road it is over 100 kms. We decided that we wanted to see what the country was like so  here we are on our first night homewards at Dundee Beach.

 

A commercial bamboo crop at Berry Springs.

 

Fresh regrowth on cycads after an early seasonal burnoff.

Pandanus fruit.

Wreckage of a USA Liberator named "Milady" - based in Australia during much of WW2. The wreck is preserved and documented as a tribute - a longish walk or rough ride out into the scrub.

Mandorah is  not much more than the jetty that services the Wagait Beach area. A zoom shot by Beth of Darwin across the bay.

 Beach north of Mandorah jetty.

Cox Peninsula Country Club.

 John scores a friend at Wagait beach.

On the beachfront at Dundee Beach ...

... and a welcome drink at the local.

Recreational fishing is big here.

Beth's interest in birds.

"Flight" - jet trace and birds at sunset,

spotted while we were having tea at our camp.

NORTHING DAY 19 - MONDAY 18 JUNE 2018

TIWI ISLANDS

The last day of our extended stay in Darwin was a visit to the Tiwi Islands by Sealink - an early start for the two-and-a-half-hour crossing, about five hours exploring, then the crossing back. The morning crossing was quite choppy. Our visit was only to Wurrumiyanga, the main township on Bathurst Island, but that was enough to keep us interested for the five hours that we had. The old Catholic mission influence is strong in the churches, school and more. There is an excellent museum and a sizeable and progressive art industry. Locals were friendly and initiated conversations. We were impressed. We are so glad that we stayed on the extra day for this.
 Tomorrow - "Bush, here we come again!". It will be so good.

There might be no more posts now until we return home in around a fortnight. We'll see.

Departure from Cullen Bay.

A closer view of Mandorah.

 Ferry access at Bathurst Island.

Ferry between Bathurst and Melville islands.

 Typical coastal scene.

The boat shed. Many/most other such buildings are similarly decorated.

The old church

and the new..

WW2 memorial. It was a post on Tiwi Islands that gave the first warning of the bombing of Darwin, but it was disregarded - to Darwin's cost.

Old trepang boiling pot from the days of Macassan contact - outside the museum.

NORTHING DAY 18 -SUNDAY 17 JUNE 2018

NIGHTCLIFF AND MOIL

The day started with Sunday market at Nightcliff, with Veronica, Stewart and Emily. We bought  some new bags to carry our cameras  and some interesting, red skinned  bananas that need ripening for about a week before we eat them. As an an early birthday present from Veronica and family, Beth chose a bracelet made locally from a barely recognisable dinner fork - actually very attractive and interesting.

That was all followed by a visit to Harvey Norman to buy a new camera for Beth. Her old one was playing up and not worth repairing so ...  She has chosen another Canon - an upgraded replacement to her old one. 

End of the day was dinner at the Ross house at Moil. Felled trees (some planned and some following on from the cyclone earlier in the year) and addition of a  front fence have given quite a new look to the house.

 At Nightcliff Market.

Visitor at Moil.

NORTHING DAY 17 - SATURDAY 16 JUNE 2018

CASUARINA AND MORE

A few years ago Casuarina Shopping Mall was one of the main places to go in Darwin. The city has grown since then and there are other options, but we still  generally make one visit. That is what we did this morning, then wandered on into the new suburbs that are still developing on that side of the city. Believe it or not, they have named a new suburb near the sewerage treatment plant "Breezes"  (territorian sense of humour?).

 
We rarely miss a visit to the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It offers some great walking and beach photography with bushland coming right down to the sand.
There is a nudist beach too, which we (John) did not choose to visit (Ontario friends please note.)

Some interesting sculpture at a suburban community centre that we drove past.

All come with a breeze, sometimes via the treatment plant.

Knuckeys Lagoon is probably some of the closest preserved bushland to Darwin. It is kept as a habitat for local birds, animals and plants.

Our evening activity was watching Emily play hockey. She is one of two or three younger players  in a team of women aged up to 60.  The opposition was younger, fitter, and more agile -  and won of course. Emily played well and was disappointed by the loss.

 

NORTHING DAY 16 - FRIDAY 15 JUNE 2018

A DAY ON AND NEAR THE HARBOUR

Today we finished our tenancy at Palmerston (out by 10 am) and moved to our new accommodation at Winnellie (in after 2 pm).

For an intervening activity we had planned to visit Mandorah by ferry but then decided that a harbour cruise would be more beneficial. The cruise proved to be excellent with a very informative guide. We certainly saw the harbour and city from a different perspective. The cruise left from Cullen Bay - location of some of Darwin's most expensive real estate (some mansions of $6million - $8million).

Cullen Bay light shows white when a boat is on course, red when it isn't.

Different views of the city -

and the harbour facilities.

 Barges being loaded for deliveries to remote commnities in and around "the Gulf" (Gulf of Carpenteria).

After the cruise we lunched at East Point (our usual nuts, dried fruit and water). Beth photographed birds.

John fooled around trying to get a shot of Mandorah, on the other side of the bay. After some work  enlarging, cropping and more he was reasonably pleased with the final result. (Click on the picture for an enlarged view.)

Our cabin at the "Leprechaun" proved to be comfortable and beautifully presented. We wonder how we had not found it when we first booked at Palmerston.

After settling in and having a shower, we were off Stokes Wharf for tea with Veronica, Stewart, Jacob and Emily. - as always, with a passing scene of boats and birds.

Not quite sure what this was abour but it was spectacular.

The barge we had seen being loaded earlier in the day, now on its way out to remote communities.