Darwin turned
out to be much more expensive and crowded than we anticipated, as we
didn't realize it was peak tourist season (one potential downside to
showing up in places randomly). We tried one night in a hostel, but
even though we didn't arrive until 3:00 a.m, still I barely slept.
So, it's back to sleeping outside! We rented a "ute," or a
utility vehicle, actually a small pick-up truck, for only a few more
dollars per day than a hostel booking for two. Grabbed a canister of
butane for the camp stove and a mosquito net and it was back to
nights with nothing but clouds between my closed eyelids and the
universe.
(Side note: we
obtained two camping mattresses via legal but dubious means. The
first night we used them, we spent +/- 3 hours determining whether
they were infested with bedbugs via careful application of the
scientific method. No, not kidding. Verdict: no bedbugs!)
We spent a few
days wandering around Litchfield National Park, which was crowded
with mostly Aussie vacationers. Memories... every night, there was
a very bright object in the sky, perhaps a planet. One night after
dinner, a teeny tiny frog hopped up my skirt and landed on my thigh.
Once I was done screaming and hopping around like a frog myself, that
was pretty funny. Wild cockatoos are enchanting and goofy. It was
so hot that everything slowed to a crawl: my thoughts wandered out
of my brain, my feet simply refused to get a move on.
The most
memorable tourist attraction in the park was a non-tourist
attraction. It wasn't on any map. We stopped to explore some
interesting rocks. They reminded me of some sort of ruins, the way
they were stacked up in the middle of an otherwise flat, dry
landscape. Clumps of grass switched at my calves as I tiptoed
around, putting footprints in sand that hasn't seen human feet in a
long, long time. One potential upside to showing up in places
randomly, I'd say.
On the way back
to Darwin, we stopped at Territory Wildlife Park, sponsored by
Northern Territory government and featuring only species native to
the region. This was the single touristy thing we did, and I'm happy
with that. Highlights for me were the wedge-tailed eagle, the
"saltie" or saltwater crocodile, and the rock wallabies.
On our last
night in Darwin, we drove out to what we expected would be a quiet,
dark, deserted park. Imagine my curiosity when a group of
flashlight-weilding, rubber-glove-wearing, plastic-bag toting adults
and children started wandering around the truck! I approached one of
the kids, Brandon, who eagerly explained that they were searching for
cane toads to grind into mulch.
What?!
Turns out cane
toads are a non-native pest animal here, interfering with hermit crab
populations, like possums and stoats interfere with bird populations
in New Zealand. "Do you wanna join me? Please?" little
Brandon asked. As if he had to ask! Dave got a pair of rubber
gloves to protect his hands from the skin irritants in the toads'
warts and I got a plastic bag. Brandon entertained us with his
stealthy yet showy ninja toad catching moves as we wandered around
the park. And thus we caught toads until it was time for bed.
Photo journal:
Here are a few suggestions for Darwin and Northern Territory:
