Darwin

We have been in Darwin for nearly a week now, we needed to get the car serviced which was a good thing as Suzuki found that the idler pulley is worn and replacement is recommended - of course the part has to come from somewhere on the other side of Australia - so we are here for an extra week, which is not a problem because it’s very warm, usually about 32 and humid, but we are in a pleasant caravan park which has 3 pools and there is a lot to do and see in in this laid back town.

The extra time here has meant we have been able to spend time browsing through art galleries and craft shops, it’s difficult to resist a purchase or two and we spent most of yesterday strolling through the Botanic Gardens which, as you would expect, is full of wonderful tropical plants, with ponds, a waterfall and an abundance of palms, orchids and tropical flowers. It’s good to be able to look around in a leisurely fashion

And then there are the markets for which Darwin is renowned, last night it was Mindil Beach Sunset Market, you may recognize the photographer trying to catch the tropical sunset - there is the vast variety of Asian food, live music, art and jewellery stalls - the only problem is that it is very very crowded.

We will have to wait and see what next week brings, hopefully a new idler pulley.