Cool

The air con went in..... whooo hooooo

It would have been like being in a tin can in the desert without it.

Actually, it is a tin can in the desert.

So, that's why it was hot!

Very cool.
And hot, if we want.

Kunnunara here we come.

The mists of God

Hi all.
We are about to have two weeks holidays, perhaps our last here in the Darwin end of N.T.

For the first week we will head to Kunnunura, which is just into W.A. at the top end.
It will take two days to get there.
They say it is very pretty (but they also may not have been to Tasmania!), and it is a couple of hours away from the Bungle Bungles. It take two hours from Kunnunura to the Bungle turn off, and another two hours to do the 40 kilometers into the park. It is obviously not a highway for that section. We will test out the Prado.
We are installing a domestic air-con onto the caravan (tonight, all being well) so we can survive the temp during the day. Electric brakes are wired in now, and we are ready to roll on Saturday 19th.
We will post some pics when we return.

Family are all well, with some bites from the Midgies for us all. Jess in particular has bite marks everywhere on her legs, then Len is next worst, with Jude and Sam doing pretty well.
The bugs are so small you can't usually see them, but they pack a punch.
Sam was entered into an orienteering competition. He has never done it before and we hoped he would be paired with a boy who had done it before. Some got lost last year, they tell us.
He went and there was the only boy without a partner.
He came second, much to his amusement and delight.
He also just won a tennis racket for being the best tennis player in the school's competition.
Now he isn't sure if he wants to be a famous tennis or cricket player!
He got four wickets in ten overs for 23 runs last game of cricket. He assisted a run-out and had a couple of other catches dropped from his bowling. This was in a game where the opposition were flogging his team, so he does very well indeed.

As for us moving back to Tas.
Well, we need jobs for that to happen. At the moment we have no idea of the future or the location we will be in.
A man up here who is in the same position said it was like walking into the mists of God.
That is certainly how it feels.

Both Jude and Len could have great jobs here if we stayed, and they ask us all the time to remain, but family calls us home.
Mind you, housing up here is hugely expensive, rents for a average home is around $500 per week.
So, we work and we wait. The mist rolls in and we will see what happens.
Until next time.

The end is nigh

Well, we have been in the house for some weeks now, sleeping on mattresses on the floor etc. It has been good to have more space and a yard. We even have a plunge pool that is crystal clear now. It was a green that you could walk on.
Some grass has braved its way up since we have put some water on it, but not the front yard, which remains brown and littered.

There are huge trees and palms all around the place, fruit bats love them.
They pooped on the new (to us) Prado and I didn't see it, and it was before I polished the car. I now have places where it is down to metal! They have very acidic poo. Swines!
We have put a cover over the caravan roof for the same reason.

One of my (Len) brothers lives in Qld with Mum, he called a couple of weeks ago, and he was at Coolalinga. Coolalinga is 10 minutes south of where we are!
He 'wanted to go for a drive'. 3500ks is a 'drive' I guess!

He and his latest partner (Chrissy) are in the caravan for a while.
They will return to Qld next week, I am told.

The Dry is over. It hasn't rained here yet since the Wet, but the temp is rising (34 instead of 32) and so is the humidity, but not too bad so far.

School for me has been excellent. Lots of good stuff happening with students and especially indigenous kids.
Jude is now working 2 days a week at Litchfield Christian School, she says it is the best school she has worked at, and she loves the class, the kids are genuine country folk, horses and all.

Having to find work in Tas. and getting all cold again is not a pleasant thought, but it will be nice to see everyone again of course.

Sam is at his last cricket game of the season. His team has not won a game all year, so today is the last chance. He is already talking about indoor cricket!! Can't stop him. His bowling is excellent and much improved on last year, which was pretty good already. He is dissapointed that some members of the team don't take it as seriously as he does, hence the losses. The coaches have done a great job, in the face of low enthusiasm.

Jess is doing fine, school is ok and all seems smooth enough for her.
(Pretty quiet life she leads).

So, that's where we are at.
Starting to inquire about jobs, fares etc.
Money may be an issue, but we seem to survive somehow, so we should be back in Tas in late January.

Until next post.
Len