Westmead, Darwin to Katherine

Hello to all our friends back East. This blog is being written because Mrs Simpson from Hay PS asked for some pictures as we travelled, so a special hello to 6SC and all the classes who may see this. Hello as well to our family and friends in Hay and elsewhere.

Before we left Sydney we went to Westmead Children’s Hospital to see Dylan Ilic and his family. Dylan and Courtney were at school that day (Wednesday 26 April). Dylan was between chemo treatments.

Photo in Dylan's Classroom at Westmead

We flew to Darwin the next day. Lee’s luggage got left behind at Sydney airport. We had to make a special trip back to Darwin airport at midnight, the bag came via Melbourne.

Darwin to Katherine is 320 km

Friday we did some shopping and also went to visit Nungalinya College, where indigenous adults come for training, some for a few weeks of basic English and literacy, some for TAFE Certificate 2 and 3, and some for skills in Theology, Media Music, etc. In all, 400 to 500 students pass through the college every year. Nungalinya is partly Govt funded and partly by the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches. It has its own indigenous board of directors

Saturday we did more shopping, Lee bought an Ukulele, which she has been playing each night in the Caravan Parks.  

We spent one night on the Mary River at the edge of Kakadu, mainly so we could visit Fogg Dam the next day and look at lots of birds that live there.

Fogg Dam was built for rice irrigation, but the rice seeds were all eaten by birds so rice was abandoned. Fogg Dam is now a nature park, and you have to be careful of crocodile

Walking across dam wall prohibited. Driving allowed

Crimson Finch at Fogg Dam

Then we drove to Bachelor on the edge of Litchfield Park, famous for waterfalls and giant termite nests. 

Bird feeding in Caravan Park

Wangi Falls in Litchfield Park. Can swim here but not now due to crocks

After 3 nights there we drove south to Katherine, where we are now. We plan to head west on Saturday 6^th May.

Darwin was very hot and humid, it is just the end of the wet season. Katherine is also very hot but a bit cooler at night and less humid. We have heard that it is cold in Hay. We would like a nice mixture please.

Bye till next time, probably from Kununurra on the Ord River, just across the W.A. border.