Happy New Year to everyone. This was the earliest we've ever started the New Year, being only a few hours from the dateline. We were awake this morning before midnight on the East Coast of the US.
Today we visited Darwin, a nice little town at the very Top End of Australia.
As we came from Port Moresby to Darwin, we went through Torres Strait. Amazingly narrow in spots with islands on both sides of the ship. We must have done this on the ATW cruise, but I think it was at night.
Darwin seems happy to see us
Fluffy, a female salt water crocodile, also seemed happy to see us. Probably viewing us as a future meal.
The group rented a car and headed towards Berry Springs Nature Preserve, about an hour south of Darwin. Local traffic indicates we're not in the big city anymore.
Berry Springs is a collection of fine swimming holes. Unfortunately for us, during the rainy season the crocodiles get the swimming privileges. Big signs and ropes kept us from the swimming areas. It was very pretty, and the water was a unique color. It might have been the high levels of bacteria that caused the coloring.
Closeup view of a termite mound that's no longer occupied and the outer skin has been breached. Lots of internal tunnels. How do they know where to go when inside?
Our lunch stop, the world famous Humpty Doo Hotel, located in the greater Humpty Doo metropolitan area. This is an outback bar, eatery and hotel.
The Territory Mixed Grill was not for us. The steak sandwich with chips was very good.
The inside section looked like a Vegas Sports Book, with a wall of TV screens showing all sorts of sporting events, and the opportunity to wager on them. One of the screens on the right on this picture was showing a Keno game, while the other had the Ellen show. I did not place a wager on Ellen.
We returned to Darwin along the Stuart Highway. If we had had the inclination, we could have driven from Darwin to Alice Springs along this highway -- 1500km. But we would have had to share the road with these "road trains" -- a tractor pulling three trailers behind it. When they go past at speed the whole car moves sideways from the wall of air.
A stop at the Darwin Woolies (Woolworths) provided us with biscuits (cookies) for the rest of the cruise. We didn't get any cereal, but Aussie kids get their Weet-Bix.
Wildlife in downtown Darwin
This was the Darwin greeter positioned at the shuttle bus stop to get us back to the ship from downtown Darwin. Although he looks like a rugged outback adventurer, he was using a fidget spinner. We took the bus instead of walking because it was HOT once again, probably about 34C with high humidity and a blazing sun. About an hour after we got back to the ship the rainy season starting with a torrential downpour. Happy New Year.
Today we visited Darwin, a nice little town at the very Top End of Australia.
As we came from Port Moresby to Darwin, we went through Torres Strait. Amazingly narrow in spots with islands on both sides of the ship. We must have done this on the ATW cruise, but I think it was at night.
We stopped to look at some nearby termite mounds. To get a sense of size, those are full size cattle sheltering in the shade of the mound.
No comments:
Post a Comment