After 10 months living and working in Darwin, we headed out Thursday morning and we're finally back on the road. We spent our last weekend in Kakadu and it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far. A friend recommended we head out to Carmor Plains Station Wildlife Reserve(bordering Kakadu National Park), as the guy who owns it (Matt) runs Airboat tours across the wetlands. It was spectacular! It was exhilarating. It was nature at its best. As we floated over the wetlands thousands of birds put on an unforgettable flying display. We saw buffalo and wild pigs. Matt told us you often see crocs although we unfortunately didn't. It was poetry on water. The best show ride in the world. You become totally absorbed in your surroundings and from the moment you take off every thought in your head just washes away, and you think of nothing but the sights and sensations of what is happening around you.
From there we headed out to Cooinda and camped in Kakadu for a couple of days. We did another tour, this time a six hour ANIMAL TRACKS safari deep into the hidden parts of Kakadu. We had two aboriginal women come with us. True bush women, who showed us the ways of bush medicine and bush tucker. The trip culminated at sunset at a place called Goose Camp so called because of the the thousands of birds that live in the massive expanse of water. We plucked and ate Magpie goose, ate buffalo and Barramundi cooked the traditional way by the women. It was like a dream The sunset was as spectacular as you would ever see and we came away with a sense that we had experienced the true essence of this amazing area of Australia. I was a great way to end our time in the Top End.
As I write this I sit in Katherine, 300 kms south of Darwin. We took a boat trip down Katherine Gorge today and swam in the local hot springs. It feels so good to be back on the road finally. After only 24 hours we are both already feeling very relaxed and looking forward to the adventure that each new day brings us. I've said it before but I'll say it again, if anyone out there has considered this life and hesitated thinking they won't get work or they won't enjoy the constant movement - STOP THINKING and JUST DO IT. It's a wonderful life and I've never been happier.
