Coming to you live from the NT

On Thursday of the last week of term Heather and I set one of the legs of the Great Race and began another one. We are still in negotiations with the premises where we think the presentations will be done, but haven't signed off on that yet. 

On Friday I met with Bev at Raffles Place MRT for lunch. I hadn't been able to fit in any exercise in the morning as we were busy with housework since we are set to leave straight after work on Sunday and we have house guests while we are away. So instead of taking the train all the way I alighted at Dhoby Ghaut and walked over Canning Hill and down through Boat Quay. It was a novel place to walk with that purpose in mind and I enjoyed the challenge of finding my own way as I usually just follow Eric. We had a lovely lunch and chat in Far East Square then both headed off for work. She leaves for the Philippines early next week. 

On Friday night we met at Punggol Nasi Lemak for dinner. Despite the name it is located in Kovan, and there is a second branch in Dakota. This hawker stall has a very good reputation and every time we have walked by, there are always long queues. On Friday night it was no different and we were lucky to find a table. Just as we were about to give up I spotted Jane, our EA from the front desk at work and she was happy to share her table. I've never been a big fan of Nasi Lemak to tell you the truth (deep fried chicken, rice, fish cake, ikan bilis with peanuts and one vegetable) but the prawn mee was lovely. Probably won't go there again, who wants to stand in queues after an evening at work? But there you go, we've done it. 

After work Sunday we had just enough time to go home and change, collect our bags and jump in a taxi. We met up with Peter and Leonie Evendon from Ang Mo Kio branch who have family in both Darwin and Tassie so they will be doing lots of miles over the week. Here's a reflection on our week back in Darwin.

Pleasant experiences

• Each having 3 seats to ourselves on the flight so we could stretch out and get a few hours of real sleep. 
• Observing Luke and Tahlia, so comfortable in their routines of nesting together, challenges of new jobs this year, study, church commitments and fitting in friends
• We took Adrian out to a local Thai place we often used to frequent. He is looking very happy and still busy building guitars. Much easier to catch up with him now he lives in the 'burbs. He has moved back into a shared house with another old friend from Katherine High School days, just around the corner in Alawa. 
• As we relaxed in the pool at the end of each day we reflected on how much we love this place and how glorious it is to have so many birds visiting us including 6 different varieties of honeyeaters, 2 finches, lorikeets, drongos, doves and pigeons. 
• We did take one afternoon off from gardening, Eric was not interested in further chores and tip runs on Thursday so we took a drive around town, visiting the waterfront, Cullen Bay, Nightcliff foreshore and East Point.
• Luke and Tahlia collected us from the Ski Club and we had dinner with them both and Adrian at Saffron Indian Restaurant, another old favourite of ours, in Parap.
• We went bird watching a couple of times, behind the hospital precinct and down onto the nudist beach through the mangroves.  The second time we took Ali with us. She just loved it. The rain had cooled everything down so it was just beautiful and the birds plentiful. Too many species to count, but seeing a small flock of red-tailed black cockatoos was terrific. Ali splashed in all the pools and took off after lizards and even paddled with crabs. When we got her home she was filthy and had more than 20 burrs matted in her fur so she had herself a bath which she was none too pleased about

 Nightcliff Foreshore

 Saffron Restaurant

 Ali

Unexpected Surprises

• We planned to hire a car but our generous family and friends all offered us loans so we were saved that expense and waste of time.
• It would appear Adrian is committed to a move to Alice Springs now, it is just a matter of finding the best way to get him, his dog and all of his stuff down there. Good on him for having a go and not just settling for the easy option of staying in the comfort zone. 
• Returning to Dripstone Cliffs for sunset drinks and being welcomed with the news that a 2.5m croc was in the shallows. We kept Ali up the top and shared the lovely evening with Col, Denise and Sue. We didn't once mention EducationNT, well I can't remember anyway.
• Having spent a few nights at Sandy's, on Friday we moved back into Koolpinyah Cres and were pleasantly surprised to find Luke home on an unexpected rostered day off. It took me no time to enlist him in gardening projects and assessing the state of the watering system. He and Eric did manage to escape on an errand from which they returned very late, but with three of us we did get a lot more done.
• Listening to our two boys sharing a conversation and light-hearted ribbing the night just the two of them joined us for a bbq on the back verandah. Tahlia was out with some girlfriends for a birthday celebration.
• It was a thrill to see finches dive bombing the birdbath we have cleared space around and refilled just beside the pool. We have never seen finches in the garden before, but before we left I specifically chose some grasses that they like and it seems to have done the trick.
• Luke is really enjoying his new job so with luck, and just a couple of good months ahead, he will be in the running to win a New Recruits Award at Escape Travel. Good luck Luke.

 The croc came ashore in front of the Surf Life Saving Club

 with Denise and Col on the cliffs

Friends reunited

• Sandy arranged for us to meet up with a number of my old IT Services colleagues that she used to manage. We had a great evening sharing news and recollecting experiences of travel to remote locations. With Tina I travelled out of Alice to Yulara at Uluru, Imampa and Mutujulu. Di and I did a number of TEGS (who I would later work for) conferences at South Alligator River, out near Jabiru. Cassy and I shared an office for a number of years and she always kept me entertained with her family dramas (that aren't over yet). Phillippe was our tech guru and I always enjoyed travelling to remote schools with him because he got us back on-line when others couldn't. Eric knows all these characters, despite being in IT we were not the geeks you might expect and had many social occasions. Well we would, with Sandy as the manager wouldn't we?
• Eric joined the Hash House Harriers run. He thoroughly enjoyed catching up with some of his mates he has run with since our days in Katherine. Unfortunately his surprise visit clashed with the Annual Inter-Hash run in Harbin, Northern China so a number of the familiar faces were missing. 
• Sandy and I enjoyed a meal and lots of territory talk with Di Wood one evening, then later Randall Cook joined us after squash and Eric returned from HHH. Di is another busy Principal and Randall looks so relaxed having now left Education to join Child Australia. The following morning Di broke her toe and had to take the day off work, hope you are recovering well Di. 
• On Saturday morning we met Sarah Corry, who used to work with Eric at Humpty Doo, and husband Geoff who is a very highly respected tour guide for both fishing and bird watching. We had breakfast together at Chianti Cafe in Koolalinga. (Isn't that place growing!) Our first egg and bacon splurge. Then more hours were spent burning off all those kilojoules weeding, clearing and pruning.
• We arranged to meet Geoff and Kim, both ex work colleagues of ours at Cornucopia by the Museum for lunch on Sunday. We caught up with all their news and developments at the schools they work in.
• Eric drove out to Humpty Doo Primary to visit the staff and see the projects he had begun. He came away very happy to see it in good shape but not be responsible for anything more there. 

 HHH

 Geoff and Sarah Corry and kids

What's Hot

• The weather, it's difficult to garden in 33 deg for hours on end.
• Eric and I walked the 5 kms from Alawa to TIWI one morning but didn't start early enough to meet the Pest and Weed Control guy at 10am. We hurried all the way and arrived completely saturated in sweat. After the inspection he called our garden 'an adventure'.
• Eric found salt bush fed lamb shoulder and did a slow roast to share with Denise and Col and Sue, all friends from our Katherine days. It was a delicious meal under the stars, to which everyone contributed. 
• Adrian brought over his cigar box slide guitar he made and played it for us through his home made amplifier. 

 Sun smart gardener

 There was once a golden cane in the back left corner

 Adrian playing his cigar box guitar for Luke and us.

What's Not

• Telstra drives me to the point of tears with frustration every time I encounter them. 
• First Eric had, and then lost his Australian SIM card so we had to purchase 2 instead of one.
• Eric got pulled over for towing an unregistered trailer. Wasn't happy about that! Surely our son, who will remain nameless but supposedly uses it regularly, could have kept it registered.
• The coolest job all week was resurrecting the automated watering system. It was just a pity that Spiros could only fit us in at 8am Sunday morning.
• After a disgustingly hot Sunday afternoon we arrived at the Ski Club just as the heavens opened and we were drenched in a fabulous tropical downpour. It was just the best place to be watching the lightening flash over the Arafura Sea while we sheltered under the verandah, our voices drowned out by the rain pelting on the iron roof. Didn't managed to hear much of the live music. The sunset was spectacular and the evening cool.

 The storm featured in the NT News

 Eric's equally good shot 

Outstanding Achievements

• Renewed our Drivers Licences for another 10 yrs
• 9 trips to the tip with trailer loaded to the max
• Helped Luke dispose of his old Corolla Seca that was first my old car and then Adrian's old car, then mine again before it was passed on to Luke. It has been costing him more money and time than it was worth to keep it registered and insured. 
• Despite the fact that we stayed with Sandy for 3 nights (all quite late) she still managed to get up and be at work before 7am each day while we lolled in bed until we felt ready to greet the day. We are in awe!
• Immanuel from a gardening business came to discuss the prospect of a contract. I was impressed with his knowledge and common sense approach so by the afternoon I had engaged him to visit fortnightly to disperse mulch, manage invasive weeds and prune. Luke can still look after the lawns, pool and gutters. The company is called Ellement's Enterprise so I am confident when we ever do return to Darwin there is work here for an English Language Tutor. 
• It took Eric 3 visits to the hardware store to get the right sized joins to repair the pool backwash system. Third time lucky I guess!
• By late lunchtime Monday I threw all the filthy gardening clothes in the washing machine and declared the job finished. Not that gardening ever is. At least now I believe Immanuel will be able to keep it under control so we shouldn't have to face the same challenge when we next return.

 Before

 After

Missed opportunities

• Going bird watching on Tue morning, camera at the ready but Eric found he had forgotten to put the battery back in his camera after recharging it.
• We enjoyed staying with Sandy at Yve and John's home for 3 nights but we were sorry that they missed our visit, being in Adelaide on leave for a couple of months. Hope you are recovering well too, John. 
• We also missed a number of other special friends like Glenice who is no longer in Darwin and Di who lives in Katherine. 
• Monday afternoon we played a few rounds of mahjong with Luke and Tahlia and they were quick to point out that everyone but me had won a round. 
• It is Sandy's birthday this Wednesday but we had to leave on Tuesday. Eric cooked dinner for her on the Monday instead. She was not well though, after a huge week and then running a course in Katherine over the weekend, so we had an early night by our recent standards. We had a great night discussing everything from Country Music to cattle stations and possible future holiday destinations. Her next priority is to buy a home before June 1st when Yve and John return. I'm going to help with the search from afar.
• I was looking forward to a bike ride along the beautiful foreshore but the brakes have been disconnected on my bike (please fix them up again Luke) so I had Eric drop me off and walked home along the sand instead. Despite the disappointment I enjoyed the solitude, such a rare thing in Singapore. I could look in any direction and not see another sole while the sun glistened on the water and the light and dampness of a recent high tide highlighted the beautiful colours of the Porcelinite stone of the cliffs. 

 very serious mahjong

On the last morning we did manage to rise early enough to say farewell to Luke before he left for work. Tahlia was home from work before lunch and spent the day working on her degree from home and all too soon Adrian arrived to collect us for the trip to the airport. We caught up with the Evendons from Morris Allen at the airport, hadn't managed to do so during the week. Our flight left on time and arrived 20 mins early so no complaints there.