This is why I am here

Lots has happened since i left the shire - have just returned from spending five days in Alice Springs for their rural show. We had the ABC Trailer come up with the Bananas in Pyjamas and my role comprised helping promote local radio to the Alice Springs community, marshall children and help wrangle Bananas, who are ABSOLUTE superstars. They were surrounded by enchanted children everywhere they went, bringing handpicked flowers and presents for B1 and B2. It was quite an eye-opener.
Alice Springs is so beautiful and it was super cold in the desert - it was kind of surreal at the show, this carnival in the desert with the Macdonnell Ranges in the background. Spent Sunday working then flew back to The
Top End that night. Took yesterday off work and went for a road trip to
Oenpelli, a community in Arnhem Land. It was so beautiful - we had to perambulate through Cahills' Crossing at the East Alligator River (full of crocs) which was relatively easy in the Rav 4. As soon as you cross the river, it becomes so lush, dirt roads, a friend likened it to driving into Jurassic Park - a huge escarpment cuts through miles of wetlands and billabongs.
We stopped for lunch and climbed the escarpment to sit on a rock, munching on homemade pizzas overlooking a billabong covered in the biggest lilypads i've ever seen and amazing birdlife everywhere you look - then...... a croc slowly arose from the water and scoped us out - i had concerns that it might scramble over the ground, climb the rocks and eat me, but all was fine, then it slowly descended into the billabong, never to be seen again. so cool to see one properly in the wild.
Issues only arose briefly on our return crossing of the river where the water had risen significantly since our entrance and the Rav 4 struggled but we pressed on. We made it out alive, faces flushed with excitement at the close-call of near-death, injury or bogged vehicle, only to trundle home again happy with the day's adventures. LOVE this place.