Acclimatising

Back to the steamy Top End with a case of jet lag and a sense of new beginnings. Have spent the last few days resting, reading, washing, and cleaning the house and yard from top to bottom. We've felt a tad lethargic; something to do with the jet lag and the heat. I've been going to yoga every day and we're detoxing from the carbo overload in Argentina. Miso soups and vegetables along with twice daily walks with Arthur.

I've been thinking a lot about next year and the things I'd like to achieve. The trip to Argentina has inspired me to learn Spanish properly and so enrolling in a course and getting together to practice regularly with a group is high on my list of priorities.

The magazine came out the day after we arrived home and I bought three copies, poring over them as I waited at the post office. It was so great to see my name and photo in print in the contributors section and the stories have turned out fabulously.

So good to see Arthur. He has been chewing his foam mattress to bits while we've been away so I went to Spotlight and bought some grey fabric with paw prints to make a pillow case for him. We went to the Salvos on our street and found a cool red sheet which I used for the other side of the pillow case. It looks so great and A-man loves it. M and I are talking about going into business with them; one of our many schemes.

A walk by any other name...

We have a new route for our afternoon walks.

There is a suite of walking routes which we take depending on our mood and how much time we have. Sometimes we do a stroll around the backstreets of Ludmilla. On other days we cut through the block of low lying mangroves to reach an empty field and bushland in the back of Parap. Other days we drive to Casuarina and walk for miles along the deserted beach.

The new walk takes in both beach and bushland. We start at the carpark at Casuarina Beach ( near the nudist part ) and walk along a criss-crossing trail of paths through coastal reserve towards a place called Sandy Creek. It is a 6km walk one way and then we cross over to the beach, pull off our sandshoes, throw them over our shoulders, and return via the shoreline. Arthur loves it as he gets to run free off the leash, and the bush is a magical playground for a hairy pup who loves sniffing the many woody, leafy scents.

The other day when we were walking, he ran up to me carrying the bony remains of a possum, complete with wiry tail, as if to say; Look what I found!

I enjoy it so much that I channelled Anne of Green Gables, and felt an urge to call the walk a wonderfully descriptive and vivid name like 'Where the Pinetrees meet the Seasalt Amble' or 'Fragrant Bushland and Barefooted Beach Way'. But funnily enough we call it the 'Surf and Turf' walk. Not quite as romantic but it seems to roll more readily off the tongue.

the lay of the land

Spent a lovely Sunday in the territory gazing at sacred sites and natural wonders – glorious. Drove to Kakadu for the day along the Arnhem Highway – took about 3.5 hrs each way through contrasting terrain – wetlands suddenly turn into bushland suddenly turn into long grass and pandanus trees. Visited a place called Ubirr in Kakadu – a series of beautiful rock formations and a sacred site for aboriginal people. Saw some aboriginal rock art and amazing views – it is a beautiful place. we hung out by a crocodile-infested river, cautiously eating rice paper rolls, and jumping at every rustle heard in the bushes. We watched as some dudes got their car stuck in the river, so people were wading out to help them… surrounded by ACHTUNG signage warning of the many crocs in the river… crazy. We spent a tense twenty kms heading back to Jabiru, as my petrol gauge was flashing madly at me, warning of imminent emptiness, but we made it just in time. As if by some karmic coincidence, we came across some dudes whose car had ran out of petrol while heading home, and so we gave them a lift to the petrol station ten mins away. They were aboriginal, carrying a lone piece of bark on which they had painted a picture, telling us they had the intention of selling it for money for petrol.
We then headed back to hometown of Darwin, and went straight to the magical Mindil beach markets, met some mates and ate Sri Lankan food on the beach. Such an amazing day…