so apparently we are having the worst season in something like 50years! the fruit is not ripening when it should and i spent nearly three weeks now, on the farm, but with no work. It is driving us a little crazy. Still, all is good when you don't have to pay rent and it's 30degrees and you get out once in a while to buy or forage some lush fruit or meet people, go to the city or explore the ancient cave paintings. I can't complain, really (if i don't look at my account i can't anyway).
I spent the weekend two weeks ago on Darwin, pottering, buying fruit, going to the cinema and generally chilling then decided to go to Arnhem Land. It was a veeery long drive spotting wallabies, emus and dingos and eventually crossing the river spotting crocs! I mean the Abroiginal rock art is breath takingly beautiful and it is incredible how old it all is BUT seeing a bunch of crocs right in front of you kind of tops everything! You know, people have died in those spots - either stupid tourists or drunk locals, ..or sober locals i little too ambitious finding the best spot for fishing!!! So that was a great and inspiring and very costly day out before another week at the farm, sleeping, running, yoga ing, and eating, and not much else. I had gone next door to a farm with a packing shed and was given a job there only to be called the morning after and told that, actually, they had too many workers and still not enough fruit coming through. well, greatm thank you very much (i spent an hour doing all their paper work!) and despite really needing the dough i am kind of glad it didnt work out. The shared donga was tiny and smelly and i would have to take all my piercings (ear and nose) out, so, hey...I rather wait, then do the picking, ahving my own room being able to do whatever i like the rest of the day! I mean those mangoes gotta come off the trees eventually so there wil be work it's just all a bit slow.
so this week i finally got to meet the lovely jodie again! Nine years after having met in Bristol! :) naother escape to Darwin two days in her lovely hotel apartment, with a pool! It really could be worse, eh. Makes me really happy being able to connect with people again...and just being able to do this before the crazy work starts is quite lucky!
Those other pictures of the fruit... well, we are in the tropics and just about everything grows up here. we went for a ride wit Darryl who runs the farm and spotted cashew trees, jackfruit, star fruit, dragon fruit...obvioulsy mangoes, rock and waer melon, bananas, okra....there are custard apples hiding somewhere too and ramputans...basically it is fruit heaven!!! :)
