The McCookie Travels: Katherine to Darwin, NT

Hi All

Hope this finds you well. We are all really well and enjoying our time in Darwin.

On the way here from Katherine, we stopped at Edith Falls which was a beautiful, restful place with stunning waterholes for swimming. We’ve enjoyed a number of water holes and our absolute favourite has been Berry Hot Springs, which, during the week is quite quiet, and we just float in the warm water, down the river, until we reach the lower pool, where the girls have a ball jumping off a tarzan swing they found there! We’ve been there a few times now and its just magical!

We also went to Litchfield National Park on the way to Darwin and whilst beautiful, we were surprised just how busy it was. Steve and I are pleased we’ve been there before, in quieter times because some of the waterholes were so packed we could barely get in!

As well as being the dry season here, its also the Darwin Festival which is probably why its SO busy. We’ve enjoyed the festival….lots of afternoon/evening entertainment and lovely food! This week we went to a Vietnamese Water Puppets show in the City which the kids loved and last week there was an Indonesian play which, although none of us followed the plot, we loved the costumes and music! The girls were mesmerised from start to finish!

Whilst in Darwin, we’ve enjoyed some of the local attractions, Mindil markets, Howard Springs, Charles Darwin National Park (where we got eaten alive by bugs!), Casuarina Coastal Reserve, a Jumping Crocodile Cruise along the Adelaide River and by far the favourite, the 3 water parks they have here, 2 of which are free! The scenery at the water parks isn’t quite as stunning as the swimming pool at Lake Argyle but they are great all the same!

We really have fallen in love with Darwin but do realise it’s a short lived affair as its clearly not like this in the wet season, as everyone tells us! Even now, in the dry, I have bites from mozzies, sandflies and midges….and that’s just on the one leg!! I don’t think I could stand it in the wet! Poor Meggie is our “bug beacon”. If there is a biting insect around, it will find Megan!

The girls are really enjoying where we are staying….we are camping on someone's land on the banks of a billabong, with just a few other caravans. There is another family here so the kids have friends to play with and have taken to walking everyone’s dogs in the afternoons. Rosie has also earned her first “car washing” money from a chap here….so she is now coming up with all manner of ideas to make some money!! At one point she was going to set up a stall and sell their toys. Funnily enough, most of the toys selected were Megan’s! Well at least she is developing a work ethic!

From here, in a week or so, we’ll head into Kakadu National Park and then slowly down to Alice Springs. Will be in touch again in a few weeks!

Take care

Xxx