DadTalk

In the wilds

We have certainly slept around since we started this trip.  In total we have slept in 22 places.  To be honest quite a few are mostly forgettable.  Dull, slightly under cared for, condos and motels, comfortable but nothing special.  But last week we stayed somewhere which I think we and the kids will reminder fondly for years to come.

We were in Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory and we decided to stay in ‘nearby’ Lichfield National Park.  For a bit of an adventure we stayed in a tent.  Did I mention it is the wet season up here?  The rain comes down in tropical downpours, which soak you to the skin in minutes.  Unsurprisingly this is the low tourist season.  Roads get washed out and some river swimming holes are closed as this is the season the crocs are on the move.

The tents were relatively luxurious, raised off the ground, with even a fridge, barbie, and soggy loo.  For the three days we were there we had the place to ourselves.  The only other person was Don, the campsite owner and great-grandfather. We had time to sit around and chat to him, piecing together his life story and learning all about making a living out here.  I learnt about everything from watermelon farming, to cattle herding and wild pig shooting.  The dog was called “Two Dads”, as he had so many breeds in him he had to have more than one dad.

Wallabies happily hopped across the soggy grass and in the evenings, dingoes howled in the bush.  Dickon was even lucky enough to have a leech latch on to him in the stream.

Victoria got to fulfil her ma from “Little House on the Prairie” dream, cooking griddle cakes in the open air.  The kids went feral; mud slides, mud dams, general fun with sticks.  We just kept them in their swimming togs, only drying them out for bed.