You don't need shoes in Darwin.

DARWIN. Named after the Great Charles Darwin. Naturalist, Biologist, philosopher of evolution or/ Charles Darwin, racist flogger of his grandfathers’ ideas who the Poms recently replaced on the £10 note due to his controversial stature? Whichever way you look at it, I’ve always found it intriguing. I personally think there’s a happy medium somewhere in the debate and have always found him to be great only for evolving his Grandfathers ideas on evolution (or transmutation) as his grandfather did not have the gusto to follow through on his findings.  I’ve also found the irony and hypocrisy of the naming of Darwin, a city supposedly founded in 1839 and named in 1869 fascinating. Darwin himself referred to the aboriginals as “savages”. Yet, they lived off the land some +50k years, so maybe he like me just sucked at using words in the right context and was merely using the term to describe the ability to live off the land and hunt alike animals?  

My reasoning for coming to Darwin and this Blog:

1)     I thought it prudent to travel, whilst I am still awaiting work so I don’t fall in to a lull and just decide I’m over it all and return back to London, or move to Hong Kong.

2)     I made a resolution that upon my return I would travel more around Australia and I had not yet been to the NT. 

3)     I have promised a number of you that I will continue my blog having moved home, so here it is, my time in Darwin outlined in a short blog with some accompanying pictures that can never ever convey the beauty of this place.

4)      A veiled excuse for visiting my good friend Candice.

My first thoughts arriving to a humid 100 degrees (true story in Fahrenheit) at 2am after an hour delay at Melbourne airport as I was on the cheapest bum of a time flight leaving Melbs at 9:30pm – OMG poor Candice picking me up and having to work the next day. But there she was in her big vehicle pulling over to give me a cuddle and greet me. We drove back to Palmerston where I was given a short briefing on keys and went to sleep with the air cond blasting. I woke up and had a walk to the local plaza where I discovered my life source for the next few days – flake Shake at the famed Wendy’s then followed it by a float and kindle in the apartment pool and before I knew it, Candice was home and I had met her lovely fiancé Rob and Candice and I were getting dressed in our best fitting flip flops to hit the town of Darwin. 

We Ubered in to the Oyster Bar at the Darwin central beach. Overrated and overpriced, I thought mum’s oysters at Christmas were nicer, but was satisfied with the bottle of Rosé we polished off whilst watching the sun retreat. After we headed in to town and to a pub called Rorkes where we had a cocktail and I managed to offend and befriend some new friends. We tapped out and tapped in to Monsoon’s which I was decidedly not drunk enough for. After some trial grinding I was over it, I was force drinking and decided the ambiance akin to the Traralgon Saloon bar sans light up dance floor was too much for me to handle at the tender age of 33. Rather, we walked down the street to Wisdom bar and boogied some more. I may or may not have got a kiss from a Darwin newby called Tim, who phantomed circa 1am as he had work at 6am. After deciding I could not drink anymore as I haven’t been drinking a great deal recently; I bought Candice more and started to drink water as we had a couple more drinks and mourning the loss of my ghosted new found friend we left c. 2am and caught an Ubes home. Our driver Gourav arrived in a Nissan Navarra ute- a certain first from the usual prius and played dance music enroute home. After initially demanding Maccas, Candice became mute and started snoozing. Turns, out as soon as we arrived home Miss G wasn’t feeling too well. I went to bed and passed out, waking up around 11am, with the worlds worst hangover. I thought initially I felt ok, but then having started vomiting, I just couldn’t stop.

We headed to breaky at 2:30pm to a place called Sandbar, while I tried to teach myself to eat again and successfully keep it down, to a big fat fail. When we discovered the local pool was shut we decided instead to head to see the crocs in town at Crocasauras. Considering we are both a little funny about Animals being in captivity, on a hangover seeing the large 5m beasts in action attacking chickens whilst people are in glass cages seemed the best way to see them. I was reminded of the time I wrote a letter to 60 minutes as I was so disgusted viewing a crocodile documentary at a park where they had taped closed the crocs mouths and removed their teeth so declined my initial desire to hold a baby salty for the tape closing the mouth reason also.

I noticed that I was constantly overdressed, as most people don’t wear shoes in Darwin. And not only must you be careful you don’t hit a Dingo with your car (we saw one - yay!) you need also to be careful of the indigenous wandering road side. We left there and headed to the world’s hottest pool on the way home in an attempt to cool off and then met Rob at the local Palmerston Club for dinner/ to check out if any of his workmates were of talent and interest to me. The latter was not the case and though the Parma did its best to recede the affects of hollowness from the night before, we decided to fight the torrential rain back to the car and head home. Initially I was awoken at 4am by Rob coming home from his night out then at 5am the honking of a horn that wouldn’t stop. Apparently the rowdy neighbours were having a lovers tiff. Nekminute I’m out on the balcony checking out the shenanigans and a still drunk Rob walks out in the nuddy to checkout the nonsense! I shyly rescinded back to the bedroom and back to sleep.

The next day was a new day, and feeling grateful that I was alive I cooked us a home cooked breaky
and we head off for Litchfield National Park. Two gals in a swim suit, fedoras and swanky shoulder bags and Candice looking very glam, took off in the big Ute vehicle waving hello to everyone we passed.

Litchfield was outstanding, we stopped off at all the little stops before stopping for a swim at the beautiful Florence falls. It was so beautiful, I don’t think a photo would ever do it justice. We stopped off for a couple more lookouts and waterfalls and had some precarious dips in the most pristine water I’d seen since Europe, but with croc warning signs added. We went in via Florence Falls and out via Berry Creek pub where we sat and watched as the rains came in (Marge).

The next day was my final one, and a chill day before my stupid o’clock houred flight home. I chilled by the pool and treated myself to Wendys walking via a petrified cat which had seen its demise some days ago, and now had its guts being eaten by maggots. I stood in wonder with my hand over my nose wondering how the couple on hoarders lived unknowingly with four petrified cats – for those that aren’t akin to indulging in shows such as Hoarders to make yourself feel better about yourself, here’s a sample for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWY5xfhvjyI . After regrouping, heading home and being super happy for Candice to get home after work, we decided to walk to Coles and I would cook dinner- salmon, and salad, with coconut yoghurt. Very unlike me, but with the love handle growth of late, much required. I left Darwin happy that I had been and seen, but sad, leaving my mate for another period of time. Darwin, what a beaut, I’ll be back one day I think!