Australian Adventure/Day 8

Darwin, Day 8 - June 23, 2000

After ten years of marriage, I've still to figure out what takes Bill so long in the morning. There's slow, there's really slow, and then there's Bill. He was out of bed when Mo and Peter arrived but just barely.

Our first stop was one of the tall buildings in downtown Darwin where Peter had the keys for access to the roof. I clicked away and took some great shots of Darwin and the harbor. We could almost see Indonesia. We then walked through the mall where I picked up my Darwin hatpin. In the mall was the old movie projector that was last used the day cyclone Tracy hit Darwin.

From there we were off to feed the fish but on the way we stopped by our motel and checked out. Mo and I had finally convinced Bill to stay at chez Maurice. So on the way we stopped by our motel and checked out. Now I've fed fish before and watched them gather for the expected meal, but nothing like this. These were ocean creatures that were not confined in any way. At each high tide they come in to be fed. The area is a series of cement steps where you can remove your shoes and go down as far as you care to go.

I took off my shoes & socks, hitched up my jeans and waded in. I was careful to stand on my tiptoes so my jeans wouldn't get wet. I made it through the first wave but the second one set me down on the drenched concrete stop. A couple more waves and a big one soaked my legs clear up and over the cement step I was sitting on. Now that I couldn't get any wetter, I could concentrate on feeding the fish. Peter kept handing me bread and I held it in the water for these wild creatures to eat right from my hand. It was not unusual for them to miss the bread and get a finger. Unlike sharks, they are toothless. Over twenty varieties of fish come in to feed including stingrays.

Since we had checked out of our motel, I was fortunate enough to have a change of clothes in the car.

Our next stop was the old Fannie Bay gaol (jail). The jail was in use for over 100 years and replaced just before Meryl Streep (Chamberlain) was convicted of killing her baby. She was later released when further evidence indicated that the baby was actually carried off by dingos. The small cells with metal roofs must have been incredibly hot during the wet. Peter told us that Darwin only has two seasons the 'wet' and the 'dry'. We also saw the solitary confinement and the gallows.

We found the weather in Darwin to be much similar to our Florida summer, maybe a little cooler and not so humid. The big difference is the cost of electric. In Fl we live from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned store. Here the cost of electric prevents them from running the ac except at night.

More to see and Mo hurried us off to the East Point Military Museum where we saw the earlier destruction of Darwin by the Japanese during WWII. I found the old newspapers very interesting. They had five framed. I would love to be able to read them. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

The next stop was the Crocisylum where we joined the 2pm tour to feed the crocs. This is where we learned that freshies (freshwater crocs) are extremely dangerous and salties (saltwater crocs) are much much worse. Our Fl gators are pussycats by comparison. I wouldn't want to meet any of them even in a bright sunny alley. You can see where his bottom teeth grow right through his nostrils. Besides the crocs there was a cassowary, some lions, monkeys and an aboriginal guide.

Now that she had worn three inches off our legs, we let poor Mo take us home. She was bound and determined to do everything planned even though she was suffering from a flare up of gout. So back to Lacey and Cagney and to await the evening's barbie.

By five or so the family began to descend on us with stacks of food. We had a feast that would feed the whole BML but meeting and talking with the family and friends were the best. They were all boxer owners with stories of their babies and the gentle ribbing of a loving family. I just don't have the words to tell you what a delightful, entertaining and endearing visit this was. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

After the barbie, Lacey found another gift. She danced around the patio for some time before anyone noticed the two little things protruding from her mouth. She was told to put it down and the poor little frog hopped away.

Soon the family started to drift home and we were left to go to bed. We had an early morning flight and we set the alarm for 5am.

East Point Military Museum

Crocodylus Park

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