Darwin to Western Australian Border - 3 July to 11 July

We had an great time in Darwin.  We were last in Darwin in 2016. A few days after we got there, our friends Merv and Jen arrived, driving up from their home in Perth.  We've been lucky enough to meet up with them in various destinations many times since 2016.

Mornos at Nightcliff Pool

Drinks and dinner at the Darwin Trailer Boat Club for sunset was a great place and very enjoyable. Merv had just joined the club, so we all took advantage of using his club discount card :) Thanks Merv..

A beautiful Darwin sunset

We visited the Royal Flying Doctor and Bombing of Darwin Museum on Darwin's Wharf. We there in 2016 on the first day it was opened, and a revisit was well worth it.

That's a big deckchair!

Inside a Royal Flying Doctor plane

Captain Jayne

Ready for takeoff?

A wave from Captain Sue

When in Darwin a visit to the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets is a must.  It's so popular you just move along with the crowd, then duck out of the crowd when you see something that interests you.

They have different types of food vans with dishes from all over the world, and our choice was this amazing Pork Hock with chips from The Roast Shack. The guy serving us cut it off the bone, and smothered it with gravy then apple sauce on the side. All for $23 and the two of us couldn't finish it.

One day we went to Tipperary for lunch. Now that's a long way to go for lunch, as it's a Long Way To Tipperary!

The Frying Nemo fish and chip shop served fresh wild NT caught Barramundi for $15, how can you go wrong?

Frying Nemo, The Marina at Tipperary Waters

The water way next to the fish and chippery was a man-made lagoon surrounded by some very swish waterfront houses. Due to the large 9m tides around these parts they had a lock to get the boats in and out without flooding the houses. A lock in Darwin? Who'd have thought! I'd hate to see the strata fees on those houses.

On Friday, Merv took the boys to visit the local skimpy (topless) bar for a Guinness or two. As you do, especially if you're with Merv! Chuck didn't enjoy the topless bar at all. Yeah, right!

If only she was there the night we were!

The boys with their Guinness

With the girls and their cocktails - L-R Alan, Merv, Chuck, Sue, Jayne, Jen and Jane

Jenny is very clever and loves to sew and bake (and makes a mean Margarita).  Lucky for us she brought her sewing machine up with her.  Jayne had bought a Muk Mat but didn't have a bag to put it in once it was rolled up to pack away.  Jenny just happened to have a piece of curtain material (with Aussie native flowers on it) just the right size, so when we got back from mornos there was a lovely bag waiting on our camping chair.  She's very clever, and has also made a beautiful quilt when Casper was born, and a lovely Christmas apron for Jayne.

There had been much stitching noise coming out of their caravan, and before the 4 of us left the next day, Jenny gave Sue and Jayne very cute serviette holders for the van.  Thanks Jen!

Handmade serviette holders for Jayne and Sue

Lisa and Russ's daughter Emma came to Darwin to spend a weekend with her friends who had moved up in February. We were so glad she made time to join us for lunch at the Darwin Trailer Boast Club. She had an important special delivery for Chuck - his PUFFER JACKET! Who needs a puffer jacket in Darwin? Chuck does :)  And we had Merv's discount card with us again which was an added bonus with cheaper drinks and food. 

Mango and strawberry daiquiris for the girls

Our camping spot in Darwin was excellent. Quite small and very exclusive. Everything you could ask for including great company.

There's only enough room for about 10 caravans here

After 10 nights in Darwin, it was time to move onto new adventures. It had passed really quickly and we all wondered where these 10 days went to.

Mornos at Adelaide River. Can you see a trend here? :)

Our first free camp with Chuck and Sue. A gravel pit 33kms west of Katherine

Thankfully Merv noticed the stack of firewood stored on the front of our van and told us we couldn't take it into WA.

So even though it wasn't exactly cold, we had a lovely warm fire so we didn't have to hand it in at the border crossing.

The stars at night are amazing. Can you see the Southern Cross?

Being a road works gravel pit, Alan and Jayne found some equipment during our morning walk. Of course Jayne just had to climb on it!

Much more sensible!

Gravel pit camping

The area was huge - this was only about a quarter of it

We passed through the Victoria River escarpment, with very impressive scenery and did the 3 km climb to the top.

That's Victoria River down there. Can you see the crocs? Don't go swimming there!

Our 2nd free camp on the way to Kununurra. This gravel pit had 4 stars on Wikicamps -  a luxury one complete with gravel rather than red dirt! Quite a few vans here tonight compared to the night before when we were on our own.

Then we arrived at the border to WA. No Covid check-point this time, which was a nice change. But you don't get in without some sort of check, as fruit, vegetables, firewood and honey are a no-no in WA (at least those from "over east").

Finally at the Western Australia border, ready for our border search a few metres away. We had cleaned out our vans and eaten as much fruit and veggies as we could.  Sue gave up her honey, and we handed over a Woolies sealed packet of salad leaves.   They're absolutely ruthless, and made the guy in front of us hose down his camper because of the chance of seeds or other suspect things caught up in the dried mud on his vehicle.