Ocean Daisy

Darwin tours today. 

The QANTAS aircraft hanger used in WW2 which is now an amazing motor museum. 

Jim Coopers FORD collection, Bloody Unreal, so many great looking cars in one private collection, one of them is only one of two made in the world and my boys tried to climb all over it!!

Indo Marine Centre at the wharf which houses indoor aquariums of local coral and fish. Very cool for the kids.

WW2 fuel bunkers. Huge bunkers used to store fuel for the war hidden in the side of a huge hill (very clever) 

Amazing how close the Jap’s got to invading us!! 

Whilst we have been away Bazza has found red rooster! I don’t think Pete will ever forget our lunch there and probably will take a mental not never to go with us again, as the boys were a little impatient and very hyper after their pop tops!! 

After lunch Bazza wanted to go mud bashing, so we headed out to Howard springs. 

I don’t know how we got there as I was resting, but we found a very muddy road and once we got to the water, Bazza and Pete were off.

The kids slept and I read my book very relaxing.

Once Cale awoke he wanted to fish to so we headed off and trust me the mud was still around and we got covered in it, but it was fun! 

Up at 5am to collect Marc and his boat and head to Corroberee Billabong for Barra fishing. In the boat alittle after 7.30am and the weather was cool and mild.

Trawling with lures is the go and Marc was the man, I did catch the 1st fish of the day but catfish aren’t

keepers.

Next was a Barra but only 52cm so he went back (gotta be 55cm to keep these days) & then another Barra about 65cm, so he went into the esky and this was all before 9am. 

Plenty more hook ups by Marc and Baz and I took turns reeling them in. Just like on a wildlife show there was so much birdlife & lilies around no crocs though thank goodness as the boys were keen to fish and play around. Time flew as more herring and catfish were caught and realised so we stopped for lunch at the Rock hole and Bazza hooked a huge Saratoga, which are no good for eating but man he was a big fish. 

Never giving in Baz fished whilst we ate as he was told of some guys losing their rods and reels from just bits in this area, but the croc about 400m away soon made him get back in the boat. We trawled the rest of the arvo and sat back to watch the world go by, and headed home with the one barra from the morning. 

Stopped for a beer and the Corroberee tavern and headed back to Darwin for tea with Mary and the kids and then to our fresh beds at Pete’s via the nudist beach scenic route (whoops) 

Up and straight to the falls for a morning swim via a 15min hike track along the river.

Lovely walk (my claves are killing me) and a great swim for 1st thing in the morning. 

We wandered back to camp, packed up and had breaky (spaghetti on left over damper) another Bazza special and headed back to Darwin.

Stopped at Tolmer Falls to search for the untouched swimming hole that the ranger had mentioned and spent an hour swimming with the boys with no one else around ( very busy place all these water holes are) Very clear and majestic! 

Back in the car after Baz had to go back and get the keys from the river side we took the dirt back to Darwin. Just after a crossing Bazza found a goat track which lead us to water and there he caught his 1st ever Barra! Not a keeper at just 30cm but it was the 1st!

Baz tried a few more spots while I croc watch and the boys slept in the car, but he didn’t have any luck. 

We headed off to another goat track and found some huge termite mounds, but finally turned back as we found ourselves in the middle of no where! With no one around and no one knowing where we were.

Only took an hour to get back to Darwin and to Pete the plumber’s house where our own shower and fresh beds awaited us, did I also mention the Air con, man it was hot and humid..we headed out to the sailing club for dinner, which was right on the beach (that u can’t play on cause you might get eaten) the food was great and was good to here all about Pete’s adventures overseas whilst the kids played on the playground, safely!

Batchelor was after breaky today.

The butterfly farm was a great experience for all of us! 

Those beautiful creatures spent 14 days as a caterpillar, 14 days as a cocoon and then 10 days as a butterfly, amazing for such a little creature. 

The garden provides for 200 meals a week and is help by cane toad juice. The kids were given carrots for the wild rabbits, piglets, guinea pigs and it was great for something different almost hippie like existence! 

After grabbing a few supplies we headed back to camp via Rum Jungle Lake for a sausage sizzle lunch. Bazza threw a lure around (mostly in the trees) but had no luck. 

Buley Hole was great, there was a friendly Monitor who cleared the main pool quiet quickly when he went for a dip but the flowing water was more the therapeutic! 

We headed up the easy 4wd track to the Lost City, which we quickly wandered due to the day becoming quiet hot and met a great ranger who gave us the rundown on the 4wd tracks and private safe swimming holes in the area. 

Many of the 4wd tracks are closed due to wayward tourist and basically the lack of rangers to look after them as tourist who aren’t really sure about what they are doing often get hurt or die out in the harsh conditions.

Our day was done so we headed back to camp for coal cooked snapper and damper made by Bazza!