Posted 7:53 PM by MelanieandSteve
We're heading out of Darwin today! Got a lot done here.

Of greatest accomplishments, Steve built an awesome cabinet for our van's "kitchen." We made friends with Ken, a carpenter who helped Steve make some unexpectedly professional looking finishing touches. We are living in the lap of luxury (a relative term, we know.)

Mel did a lot of exploring of nearby beaches, the town, and the marinas. She also helped a little with the van cabinets. We both did a lot of perspiring in this humid weather, but we started to get used to it. And we had a lot of fun hanging out with some of the friends we made in the hostel.

We have round trip tix to New Zealand in the Near furture and are about to embark on a whirlwind drive south through the middle of Australia towards our airport - - and exploring on the way.

Chances are, there won't be much internet in the near future.

Happy Birthday Today to Elizabeth T.

Posted 7:59 PM by MelanieandSteve
QUESTION: What is Brown and Sticky? (Answer Below).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE. We enjoyed a fowl feast (I'm often not the most reliable speller, but we do mean fowl, not foul) here in DARWIN. It's been a long slow drive. We feel like actors in the movie, "The Straight Story" where the guy drives across the states in a tractor style lawn mower. Our old Chester Blui Van is a sensitive little vehicle and he doesn't like the heat much. He's got us driving thousands of kilometers at lawn mower speeds. We see "reduce speed" signs and we can't even go as fast as they say. Normal speed limit is 110. We usually go 70 to 80 (45 mph) Here in the hot north, sometimes we go 60 km/h (40 mph). Since 11/20 we've gone about 1800 Kilometers, about the same as from Los Angeles to Denver. Imagine driving that at 40 mph. But it's not bad. We really get a look at things, and 'life is the journey'.

Since Last Blog, it's been a string of National Parks. Between each is diverse landscape with buttes, cliffs, escarpments, and endless trees in wide valleys.

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN SINCE 11/20?

TOP PICKS THIS ENTRY INCLUDE:
1. RUBY: the jogging wallaby at Nitmiluk National Park.
2. Tunnel Creeks Secret "CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL" at Tunnel Creek.
3. MAGNETIC TERMITE MOUNDS at Litchfield National Park.
4. PLAYING AT WATERFALLS at Edith falls in Nitmiluk National Park and in Litchfield National Park.

THE ROAD NORTH FROM BROOME TO DARWIN SINCE LAST TIME TOOK US TO …

TUNNEL CREEK: runs through a 750 meter tunnel under ground. We grabbed our "torches" (flashlights) and waded through thigh high water all alone. Parts were spooky in the dark, parts were beautiful with stalagtites and mites hanging over the mirrored waters. There were underground beaches along this river. A hole in the cave roof was filled with humongous bats. A friend told us of a secret chamber he called the "Crystal Cathedral". Barely visible, we found the secret entrance to this sparkling chamber hidden behind a crystalized waterfall ledge. We spilunked on our knees through soft mud. This cave tunnel, once an outlaw hideout, was a thrill.

A STATE, A TERRITORY, AND THREE NATIONAL PARKS, ALL IN A DAY. - - - KUNUNURA'S MARIMA (HIDDEN VALLEY) NATIONAL PARK AND THE NORTHERN TERRITORY, KEEP RIVER NATIONAL PARK AND GREGORY :
-Three Parks and a State Line in one long day of driving: We admired Great hiking through the bee hive shaped mountains of Marima NP. At Keep River NP we felt a privileged taste of the past standing before the greatest aboriginal rock art we've seen. There were 5000 year old Aboriginal paintings and petroglyphs. Gregory NP was a great place to sleep under the stars.
-Time Zone Change: The Northern Territory time zone change was weird because it changed by an hour and a half, not just one hour. What do they do about TV programming? Or New Year's eve celebrating? We're 17 1/2 hr from CA time and 16 1/2 from CO.

NITMILUK NP: EDITH FALLS AND RUBY THE PHYSICALLY FIT WALLABY
-Edith Falls: We sat under the heavy warm water of the Fantasy-Island-style-waterfalls for a natural back massage and we relaxed in the swimming holes? That night, sleeping out, we saw our first firefly.
-Ruby the jogging Kagaroo: (Kenya, you're still Mel's #1): Melanie took an early a.m. jog and heard a mysterious clop clop behind her. It was a female wallaby, like a small kangaroo. Melanie stooped down. The wallaby hopped over and licked Mel's knee. Mel touched the wallaby's neck. When, Mel started to jog again, the wallaby kept pace. They ran together for a couple kilometers before the wallaby left. Later, explained to Melanie that Ruby was a common agile wallaby tamed by humans and is now being integrated back into the wild. So..., is Melanie an example for the wild things?

LITCHFIELD NP:
-Sunset at Florence Falls: Not another soul around, as we were hiking to the falls, a small rock wallaby (about half the size of Ruby) stopped in front of us. We could see, peeking wide-eyed from this mother’s pouch, a teeny baby. Upon reaching the falls and pool, we were cautious of salt water crocs but swam until dark.
-Morning at Wangi Falls: In the early morning we planned a hike to the top of the falls. It started well. We passed three darling baby wild hogs. But we didn't make it far through the jungle foliage and spider webs before a massive spider as big as Mel's hand blocked the trail. While we stood looking at the spider, two leaches climbed onto Steve's foot. Uck! We abandoned this icky hike. Not such a loss since since our guide book called the walk 'nondescript'. (We have Descriptions for it!) We decided just to swim and snorkel in the very large pool and hundred foot double falls.
-The Black Magnetic Termite Mounds: Massive (3 meter high) tombstone-looking monoliths – fill the low land field where trees don’t grow. Different than the drip castle looking termite mounds we've seen before, these giant flat wedges all point exactly north-south. Somehow these genious termites use this architecture for solar temperature control. Steve measured one and it aligned perfectly with magnetic North.

DARWIN:
-Big City: Darwin seams to sprawl like Los Angeles, at least compared to where we've been. Now we can catch up on our supplies and repairs.
-Hot City: sweaty tropics, but Melanie had complained of being cold down south. Watch what you wish for.
-A Few Good Evenings Out:
-- Stokes Hill Wharf and the Deck Chair Theatre: We spent our first evening here with a sunset dinner on the wharf and an out door movie at the Deck Chair Cinema. This theater was extra nice because it was on the water's edge. Look right: forest. Look Left: ocean. Look up: stars. Look forward: movie.
-Thanksgiving Supper on the Esplanade: Awesome roast chicken picnic at sunset overlooking the ocean. Large bats began to fly. When the mozzi's (mosquitos) joined them, we took flight as well.


AFTERBLOGTHOUGHTS:
-ON CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TO A SOUTHERN HEMISPHEREAN: A commercial on the radio said it was the last week to order and install your swimming pool before Christmas.
-WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS:
---We're in Red Roo Land now, larger and redder roos, the kind you see in movies.
---Huge Bats in Tunnel Cave and also on the Ocean Coast of Darwin;
---Fire Bugs illuminating the night in Nitmiluk National Park;
---Ruby, the Agile Wallaby, Joins me for a morning jog: see "Ruby the physically fit Wallaby".
---Saw our first Dingoes in Litchfield National Park. Like a small dog, one crossed the street and barked at us from a bush beside the road.
---Saw a tiny, fresh-out-of-the-egg-sized baby emu cross the road in Litchfield National Park. ---Watched two wallabies in their own boxing match in Litchfield.
---Saw a Rock Wallaby with a baby peeking out of her pouch:
---Saw three darling black baby hogs at Wangi Falls.
---Saw 6 foot monitor lizard at Wangi Falls camp ground.

ON THOSE NOTES:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ANSWER TO QUESTION ABOVE: A Stick