Darwin

Just a short trip today of over 300 klms.  Howard Springs is about 35 klms from the centre of Darwin, a nice park with plenty of trees.

We are right along side of another Retreat Hamilton, they are from Tasmania.  There are another couple of Retreats in the park.

We are close to Palmerston, have been over a couple of times.  Had a drink at a pub where the Dockers were on Foxtell on Saturday, needless to say did'nt stay too long!!!

On Sunday drove into Darwin for a look, getting the ute serviced on Monday morning so thought we had better know where we were going.  Darwin is very clean and easy to find your way around,

has a very relaxed atmosphere, just like Broome.  

We have visited the WW2 Oil Storage Tunnels, 5 were constructed to protect the Navy's oil supplies from bombardment during the war ( however they were never used). 

East Point Military Museum where there is an extensive collection of photographic and informative

displays of military equipment.  Tone even found an army truck like he used to drive in the bush at Poppa Dousts timber mill!  

Have done a few more things, had a quick look at the Mindil Markets on Sunday arvo, went back Thursday evening, certainly attracts big crowds and an abundance of food stalls, the weather is ideal for evening markets.

We drove to Litchfield National Park on Wednesday just for the day, took our lunch & bathers and had a great day.

The termite mounds that stand up to 2 meters high pointing north-south to minimise their exposure to the sun were fascinating.  Florence Falls, Tolmer Falls & Wangi Falls were all beautiful and very popular with the tourists,  lots of people swimming.  We decided this lovely quiet spot on the edge of the creek just before Florence Falls was a great place for our lunch and paddle our feet.

On our way home visited Berry Springs Nature Park and found a small waterfall with pandanus

palms and rainforest surrounding it.  Did not have our bathers on but soon changed our minds and had a wonderful massage under the waterfall, apparently much warmer water than at Wangi Falls.

Happy 40th Shell, lovely to talk this morning hope you celebrate in style, sorry we are not with you.

Went to the Darwin Show today (Friday 25th) it's a public holiday today, large crowd in attendance.

The boys would have liked the very large yellow fire engine

Saw these very large pumpkins one was 87 kgs.

and some very big Brahams cattle

There was a very entertaining Canadian Lumberjack Show, where the two team members speed climbed a 15m pole, blew up an outback dunny, log rolled in water and duelling chainsaws.