Click to Zoom Quantas flight to Darwin

Wow, we are all beat. Jane and Andrew are already asleep. Tomorrow we are going on another 3 day 4WD safari to Kakadu which is supposed to be awesome.  We will be visiting the Mary River, Jim Jim and Twin Falls, and the Anbangbang Billabong.  It is hot and humid here in Darwin. Their tourist season is coming to an end as the monsoons approach.  We are in the transition period now which is called the "build-up".   What a great adventure it was in the Outback. The climb up Ayers rock and Kings Canyon was tough. I was out of water (1 1/2 liters) before I got back down. It is unbelievable at 43 degrees.  It was so bloody hot in Alice that it is hard to describe.  The air feels like it does when you open an oven door.  It was 43 and 44 degrees the two days that we hiked and climbed.  Just today Andrew read in the paper that the government was going to close the climbs when the temperature reaches 35 because of the problems they have been having.  Our guide Drasco, said they have had four deaths this year (one was a fall).   The heat stroke comes on suddenly and it is too late before anybody can do anything.  There are so few cars on the roads that a vehicle breakdown can turn life threatening if you don't have lots of water.  We were all required to carry 1 1/2 liter bottles of water on any of the walkabouts we took.  It is not even full summer yet. At least the heat is dry. Here in Darwin  it is the hot and humid tropical heat (kind of like working on a roof in Louisiana in August).

When we get back from this trip Andrew will be heading back to Adelaide for his sea kayak trip and Jane and I will move on to Cairns (pronounced cans).  Perhaps we will slow down and get a little rest.  I just changed batteries in the digital camera so they would last for the next 3 days and 48 pictures.   I don't take the laptop with us on the safaris.  I have already made arrangements to store it in the safe here at the backpackers hostel that we are staying in.  Our big packs go in a storage room.  This place isn't as nice as where we were staying in Alice. The bathroom and showers are down the hall (as they are in all the backpackers hostels like we are staying in).  There is just one set for everyone so there is no use bothering to close the doors.  You never know if the person in the shower or head next to you is a man or a women unless you happen to come out at the same time.  We found a little international phone shop to finish transmitting the last batch of pictures.  It is expensive long distance calls so we haven't been able (willing) to test the web site.

I think my 240 volt adapter is giving up but I have Andrews that he uses with his camcorder. Jane has gotten all kinds of email from all over about the web site (positive feedback). Everyone on our tour took the URL so they could get it to their parents and friends.  Looking forward to seeing the tropical rain forest and all the birds and critters.  Can't believe it is already day ten.

We walked our butts off when we let Andrew be point man.  I think we did about 10Ks. We finally ended up calling a hire (cab) when we realized we were another hour back to the hostel.  The cab driver told us about a private club right on Darwin Harbor that was a good place to eat and watch the sunset.  We had a XXXX beer and a great meal while watching the sunset through the coconut trees and over Beagle Gulf.