I can't believe tomorrow it will be March 1 and in the south that signals the beginning of Autumn. Up here in the top end there does seem to be a slight change in the air and the mornings and evenings seem to be just a smidge less humid. The birds are starting to return from Kakadu and as I'm sitting outside in the early morning there is a flock of about 60 Magpie geese marching past my annexe, their beaks flapping over high grasses in search of seeds. The sky is pink and purple as the sun rises and nearby two parent plovers are vigilantly protecting their new chicks.
The wet has been less than dramatic in Darwin itself. All around us we hear of floods and roads being washed away, but in the city itself we have had a lot less rain than usual. When it does rain, and don't get me wrong it DOES rain, it's a thunderous downpour that fills every pothole, pond and pool to overflowing in a matter of minutes.
I have found Darwin to be a strange place. It's definitely an eclectic mix of cultures and ethnicity, but it also seems poorly managed and disorganised. They call it "Darwin time", but everything here takes an eternity to arrive. The mail, the restaurant dinner, the service of any kind in any shop, the completion of building projects...everything! Don't get me wrong, I do love Darwin. It has a wonderful, relaxed laid back feel about it and it is beautiful but it's a beauty that in many ways you can't touch. The water can at times look spectacularly inviting but you can't swim here. Well you can, but you may end up swimming with a croc or marine stinger or a shark. I haven't yet experienced it in full tourist season, so I will reserve my judgement on that one. There are things I adore about the place. Quite often on a Friday night we will head down to Stokes Wharf and sit right on Darwin Harbour have a few beers and some fresh prawns or great asian food and just soak up the sunset and the peace. Being so close to Litchfield and Kakadu is also fantastic. But as a city there isn't an enormous amount to do here. The local pastime is drinking, there are a lot of bars and pubs in Darwin. There is really only one shopping centre and it's an overcrowded rabbit warren. We do anything we can to avoid it at all costs. There are great tourist attractions but they're the 'see it once' kinda deal. Things like the Mindil Markets only operate in the dry. The bottom line for us at the moment is we really miss the ocean. It's like a craving. I have enjoyed my time here and continue to do so but when we finally leave at the end of September we will have done a year, we will have experienced the build up, the wet and the dry and that will be enough. We will take with us amazing memories and great new friends but we will be happy to leave.
