27/7/2013 Darwin Friday
Without being aware of it we arrived in Darwin on the long weekend for the Show.
After searching we found a parking place amidst the thousands of other cars set off to enjoy the show.
We inspected the pavilions. There were for small animals - sheep, goats, birds, poultry in many sizes with fancy feathers, dogs, and cats. The cattle - huge farms cows ands bulls, and miniature breeds were in covered enclosures outside. In other pavilions there was cooking - cakes and iced cakes, sewing and all sorts of handcrafts. There was a large side show section with its calorie-rich, nutrient-deficient food - we indulged in chips and a soft drink for lunch. The pavilions for knick-nack sellers were packed wall-to-wall with people. A lot of boarding schools were also promoting their institutions. We watched some of the ring events and parades and side events. It was a larger version of the country town shows of my childhood.
28/7/2013 Darwin Saturday
Darwin Seventh-day Adventist church reflects the community in its ethnic mix. People varied in skin colour from very black to very blonde, and all shades in between. English was the lingua franca but there were many other languages being spoken. A baptism was followed by a pot luck lunch. The meeting had a very happy atmosphere.
In the afternoon we walked on the beach and enjoyed the millions of crab balls on the low tide mudflats.
I took sunset pictures.
29/7/2013 Darwin Sunday
For tourists in Darwin, Sunday is market day. In the morning we went to the Rapid Creek market to buy some vegetables. (I wish I knew more about the Asian greens!) We indulged in vegetable patties, samosas and mango smoothies. Next it was to the Nightcliff market to look at the craft and knick-nacks and try some more "strange" food. Finally in the evening it was into Mindil Beach for the sunset market. Again it is the difficult matter of choosing whether to eat Asian (Thai, Philippine, Chinese, etc), Mexican, Indian, potatoes or pasta, or rice. Then of course there is dessert which could be dutch pancakes, pavlova, fruit salad and ice-cream, sticky rice pudding or a number of other tempting, colourful options.
There are hundreds of people on the beach eating this take away food and watching the sunset - and the beach is left very clean.
30/ 7/2013 Monday
Today we took a picnic lunch and set off for Gunn Point, about 100 km north of our campsite to look for lobster fossils (Thalassina - look it up on the internet) which are said to be 6000 years old.
At the time of our first visit the beach was edged at the high and middle tide marks with great mounds of shells. Now these have all been crushed and the beach flattened so that quad bikers and cars can race along it. There was hardly a complete shell in sight. Also a great deal of rubbish and empty bottles and cans have been left behind. It is a huge shame.
When we were a Gunn Point 2 years ago there was a ute caught in the ocean. This time all that was visible was a bit of rusty engine block.
At the far end of the beach there was a small section where a sign says that driving on the sand is not permitted (although observably it still does occur) which was still somewhat in tact. I found some fossils there and also we came across two sets of turtle tracks where a female had come up to lay eggs.
30/7/2013 Tuesday
Today we went hunting for new sandals for Gerd. We shared a Subway Vegidelight for lunch and then we looked around the Darwin Wharf area.
31/7/2013 Wednesday
A clean-the-car-and-camper exercise first thing this morning and then into the shops again to look for sandals for Gerd. We found a pair at the same shop where we were yesterday. Yesterday the assistant couldn’t find a pair in the right size but today (with the help of a different shop assistant) a pair in the right size was found.
In the afternoon we visited the Darwin Museum/Art Gallery - free entrance - which we haven’t inspected on previous trips. It is a great display which kept us looking and thoroughly absorbed for several hours.
1/8/2013 Thursday
Today we visited the Indo Pacific Marine Coral Reef Centre near the wharf. Again this was a new attraction for us. It is a self sustaining “aquarium” displaying the reef environment and its animal and plant inhabitants around Darwin. Again, an attraction which was well worth visiting. The presenter was very informative. Afterwards we sat and watch a video about the reef that they were showing inteir waiting room. We enjoyed it so much that later I went to Dymocks and bought it.
2/8/2013 Friday
We are waiting for our mail. Every day we visit the post office but it still hasn’t arrived.
We visited the Chinese Mueseum and Temple complex in central Darwin. It was very interesting. In the early history of Darwin the chinese population out numbered the european population by 6 : 1. In the temple the middle “idol” represented the Almighty God, the supreme ruler of Heaven and Earth and all humans. There is some vestage of truth remaining in all religions.
After a picnic lunch we to Crocosaurus Cove in central Darwin. We have visisted before but I had forgotten how large some of the crocs are. The biggest one was about 5.5 metres. These salties have enormous heads. It is a very attractive display for the tourist market and we enjoyed it. The reptile display is particularly attractive and has the opportunity to handle a Childrens python, blue tongue lizard and bearded dragon and then, on the floor just at our feet, while we watched, a death adder was fed a rat.
3/7/2013 Saturday (Sabbath)
Today a special program for the 3 or 4 churches in the area was held in the grounds of what used to be the church school at Malak. The Northern Australian Conference president (Pr Brett Towend) was the guest speaker. Again another very multicultural day ending with an Australiana program in the evening.
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