Small Northern Backwater

Well here we are in Darwin, with not much to do. It's been raining on and off since we got here, so we are pretty much stuck in the house. We did wander down to the shopping mall yesterday, which is just like any shopping mall anywhere in the world. Except that you can tell it's Oz by the fat Aussies and indigies wandering around. We ended up buying a pump action rocket from a shop that sells gadgets and stuff. A random impulsive purchase, but fun all the same. Sam and I ended up firing it off every few steps on the way home through the park, getting our technique just right.

Anyway it got us out of the house for the afternoon. When we got back we hit the pool. Having access to a pool in the backyard is fun, but the novelty will soon wear off I'm sure.

Today we are waiting for the rain to let up so that we can go into town. Just to have a wander around and get a feel for the place. Sam has just come off the net, she's emailed One Mile Dam about volunteering, so we'll see what response we get there. There is also a place in the town that we can go to regarding volunteer work, so we might go there if we ever get into town.

Besides that, there's not much doing. Darwin is spread out so far that you can't get anywhere without a car. It's too humid to walk anywhere, even if things were within walking distance. We may sort out some cycles, which would be good. We've looked at the public transport issue, which doesn't seem too bad. Like I say, once the rain breaks then we'll head into town, and we'll see how good the public transport system is here.

Finally, it's DAY 10, of Sam and me stopping smoking. We've done REALLY well considering that we stopped at the same time. Hardly a bad word or a snapped off head between us. Sam thinks that this is because we have always been around other people, so never had to spend too much time winding each other up. I think that is not giving us full credit for how well we have handled it. Most people who go 'cold turkey' like we have loose the plot. We've stayed pretty calm, and have not really had too many cravings. Apart from eating more than usual to compensate. So BIG PAT ON THE BACK for us.