Darwin Day 1

Very early start with Pete's alarm going off at 3.30 am. He left at 4 to drive out to his work "camp" to catch the bus there. Some days he'll walk 1 km here in town to another spot where he can catch one. I managed to doze for another hour or so. We both found the mattress very hard and neither of us slept that well, with my shoulders waking me frequently when I lay too long on my side. Today I asked for something to make it softer and was given a big fluffy blanket to put under the bottom sheet - hopefully that will help a little.

I went to the gym about 6.30 for 40 mins and did strength training. Unfortunately there are no "free weights" so just had to be adaptive and use body weight and the big machine they have that has lots of different uses. I sent off my 'sets' of exercises to my PT who approved them, just changing two sets to earlier in the work out.

Then I had breakfast at the cafe, poached egg, bacon and mushrooms, followed by fresh melons. Then it was time to spend on the computer while waiting for my breakfast to go down. I then went down to reception and got a "pool" towel. I decided to walk back up the stairs - we are on floor 14, however, I only entered the stairwell at floor 3. Lots of stairs and hot in there. I ended up doing it twice over the course of the day.

I swam 40 laps - 1 km then lay on one of the loungers and had 10 minutes of sunning on each side. There were four other women down there, sunning themselves and cooling off periodically in the pool. I wonder if they are all wives/partners of men who work up here doing FIFO work.

After doing some knitting I walked down to the Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery. Well, I definitely need to win lotto or persuade Pete to do a few more months work up here to buy all canvases I loved. Such diversity and talent. A real difference between Central Australia and the Top End art work. The lady running the gallery today was so informative and friendly. She was happy to answer all my questions and tell me the stories behind the paintings I loved. Then she left me to wander and browse. I'll be going back, and back and back.  I asked before taking photos.

I then went to Lyon's Cottage, an Aboriginal Bush Traders business. The items in there were amazing, woven baskets made from recycled fishing nets etc removed from the sea and coast and recycled materials; beautiful silk, wool and cotton woven scarves, shawls and tea towels that one lady there told me a customer buys and makes into jackets. I saw the scarf I want to buy my mum for Christmas - hope she doesn't read this and beautiful soaps and Xmas decorations. I'll have to sweet talk Pete :)

On my walk back to the apartment I saw these very upright, narrow growing trees and didn't recognise them at all. I don't think they are gums, their leaves didn't smell eucalyptus at all. Then a bit further down the road I saw this mural painted on the side of a building.

It was a hot walk down town and make with the humidity increasing as the afternoon progressed, which meant I needed a swim on my return to the apartment. Then I got tea organised - very simple, cold chicken from the cooked chook we bought when we did grocery shopping last night, salad and I'll cook some mushrooms to go with it. Depending on how Pete feels, it may be another visit to the gym after tea.

I've enjoyed my first day in Darwin and with the help of the pool and air conditioning I haven't felt the heat too much.

1 comment Darwin, Holiday, leisure