This is the dining room on the boat. The food was superb 3 Full meals a day whatever the set of the sea.
This is just one of several good Tortoise photos.
It serves to make a point about age as we are the youngest here by along way. The wrinkle counting contest was a close thing. This was in a special reserve on the Island of Baltra but later we saw some in the wild, just as big.
Tried to upload more photos on the computer in this lodge but again no go at this speed.
Sunday 14th Dec.
A 4 hour flight across the whole of Australia. A quick view of the Blue Mountains inland from Sydney then hours of brown desert. The ground then turned green and towering clouds appeared as we approached Darwin. We had to put our clocks back by 1 and a half hours with the longitude change. On landing we hit real humid tropical heat and raging thunderstorms.
We are in a basic but very good backpackers lodge, the former YWCA, but we would struggle if it did not have Aircon. We strolled around town that evening but with a warning in our ears that some nearby streets were not safe after "10" because of the drunks, we promised to behave. We did have one drink in the YHA bar watching the England/India test match. It then closed at 9:00
The views over the Darwin Harbour are splendid but it seems to be a measure of life here that the war years 1941-45 are heavily commemorated. Until you see it it is hard to realise how desperately close Australia came to being invaded by the Japanese and how threadbare the defence was.
Our evening was punctuated by a fantastic range of bird calls finising with a huge tree filled with screeching Lorikeets above the Vietnamese restaurant we were in.
Monday 15th Decmber
Typical of the tropics, we understand, this morning was clear and beautiful. By 8:00 we were down by the sea at a fish feeding station. Here at high tide the fish come in to be hand fed, Diamond Mullett, "Mother in law fish" (mouths outlined in white), Milkfish the size of sharks, Shovel nosed rays, Toadfish, and Barramundi, loitering with intent. The mullet mobbed your feet as you paddled and would take the bread very gently from your hand and wriggle to be stroked. They were so lovely Jennifer has decided she cannot eat fish and chips again, unfortunate as thats what I've booked for tonight.
Our lunch break, (after calling at the YHA bar again to watch the Honk Kong 6 a side cricket), included a swim in the lodge pool before the heavens opened with the daily storm which fell in torrents. It is easing now so we may go to swim with the Crocodiles???
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