Monday, Monday, May Day, May Day

Monday 3 may

Ok, so pub visit was pretty low key, but man a couple of trips out to Lee Point – wow, I am in heaven, or heaven has brought blue sky and sunshine down to me. I needed a new source of inspiration: I’ve got so ho-hum about the markets I used to rave about, I even passed up the opportunity to go to the opening night market at Mindel Beach last Thursday. Blasé, blasé blasé. Spoilt rotten – give her the tropics for a few months and she’s seen it all.

So what was so special about Lee Point? The R & R feeling you get out there, I guess that’s why there were heaps of people fishing.

Just on dusk I rode out on the bike last night, bumping past the new housing development where the houses are bolted to the ground – a bit like a nappy valley suburb of Canberra (suburb with young families). Where are all the two-storey houses I ask, with plenty of louvres and breeze ways? We all rely on air con too much – including me (!) – a pity ☹.

Anyway, after acquainting myself with the local real estate, I enjoyed the ride and the beach at dusk, and ditto for this morning. I walked along the beach this time at my new favourite place. A glorious easterly wind was blowing. The wet season is now officially kaput, and there are only a few dragonflies left over from April flitting about. May Day, hooray day. May Day in the northern hemisphere means the end of winter; in Darwin its the end of the wet – yippee! Festivals, everything outdoors, no end of great entertainment, and of course the tourists from now on till November.

Spent much of my time down by the water at Lee Point with my head in the clouds – watching birds and humans.

First the humans – they were para-surfing. The 15 or so people I saw there, all with big shoulder muscles and strong biceps, pump up their half moon shaped ‘parachute’ and harness themselves to it, and then try not to become puppets on a string, play things of the gods. ☺ The wind was so strong today that they could’ve been lifted off to Venus I reckon.

And then along came a sea hawk cruising at its own pace on the updrafts, hovering near the water’s edge, almost in the water, looking for fish. My kind of fun. I can see why people want to fly – spread your wings and sail on the zephyrs, up, up, up . . .

A botanical bush tucker note: This is Yegge (in Kakadu at least) – the time when water lilies flourish, and the time to collect pale green or yellow billy goat plums, also known as Kakadu plums. They are very high in vitamin C, salty and bitter if you eat them raw, but like honey when cooked. I should look for them at the rapid creek markets.

Captain’s log – entertainment

We seem to have passed into the dry season. The air is cooler and the nights bearable. We haven’t seen any lightning like this for a while:

[There was a wonderful picture of lightning in the sky over Darwin here - I'd linked to the Northern Territory Times picture gallery. The NT Time in its wisdom has made that photo disappear and replaced it with a girl in a bikini! - so I've removed the link!]

Dragonfly numbers have reduced during the day, which leaves me somewhat saddened, but the possums demand our attention instead, squabbling in the trees below the garden at night. Perhaps they are mating or the males are staking out their territory in preparation. Fruit bats fly low and are like ghostly spies at dusk.

The new civic wave pool was opened by the Great Chief at the wharf precinct yesterday. The locals, particularly those with young children, anticipated the arrival of this innovation with great interest. I inspected the site early this morning. It is a very pleasant open public area and we are welcome to walk on the small beach and swim in the salt water, free from jellyfish and crocodile attack. I will nonetheless keep up my regular attendance at the Parap swimming pool, a fenced and chlorinated facility which only charges $3.30 per visit. However, I am put out though over an incident that occurred recently. The matter involves a dispute between myself and management at the pool. I suspect I may have left a newly acquired pair of flippers at the pool. They deny all knowledge and can only supply me with a broken down alternative, so I am in a disconsolate mood and inclined to take my patronage elsewhere.

Now that the rainstorms have moved on, there is a plethora of entertainment. We were visited last night by a troupe of comedians from Melbourne. The southerners were of variable talent – the most entertaining of all being the female member, Kitty Flannagan. Her repertoire was broad, and her comic timing excellent. Her item on modern parenting practices was particularly instructive and unorthodox.

This morning I also attended a brass band concert near the museum and art gallery. The program included the theme from Austin Powers, which interestingly begins with a triangle solo. While listening to this al fresco diversion, the birds in the tree above the lane where my car was parked busied themselves at my expense and left their calling cards all over my Honda. One is never allowed to forget the presence of wildlife up here.

We have a long weekend this weekend to celebrate Labour Day, and I will be docked in town for the duration of the festivities. There is much to do and see here, and I have joined the deckchair cinema film society, http://www.deckchaircinema.com/ so connection with the outside world is maintained. I will keep watching the websites nonetheless that advertise cheap fares to the southern states.

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Crocodiles

Out there in the bay, in that blue blue ocean, just beyond the beach and the wharf, yes out there where I’m pointing, they have traps filled with pig meat. The park rangers cruise out there in their tinnies and check for crocs. I’m happy if the rangers do their rounds and check for predators – I’m very happy if they keep those massive jaws away from me and any other tourists.

I walked along the beach near East Point the other day, one Sunday morning. As usual it was like being in paradise, sun shining, palms waving in the breeze, clean air – gees it’s hard living up here, but I kept wondering – was that a rock or a croc? Silly. But we are on the edge of a dangerous world out here, truly.

Yes, you southerners laugh. A little girl was taken not long ago by a croc. She was swimming in a river not far out of Darwin. You’d think that would only happen in the days before TV and air con and the internet. But the rains swell the creeks and the salties venture upstream. They, the crocs, wander about a bit – it’s their country after all.

We creatures of little brain underestimate nature. We live in a fool’s paradise – I’m spraying Aeroguard on my legs and arms before I go out at night, thinking it will keep away the mosquitos and I won’t be a victim of dengue fever, but, well, don’t get too comfortable. If snakes can eat pet dogs in suburban backyards, and termites can eat your house, who knows what else is lurking out there beyond the screen door, not counting those cute little lizards that crawl up the windows and snap up moths and insects with frightening speed. Hungry little beasts.

And watch out for those dragonflies – they bring the tourists – they do. They came in the same week. They’re all over the place now, tourists and dragonflies. And the tourists, they’re off-loading themselves from dust-covered 4WD troop carriers in Mitchell Street, eating in the restaurants, lolling around the esplanade, asking me where Knuckey Street is. Meanwhile the dragonflies swarm and flutter, pretending they are leaves on the end of dead grass stalks. If you sit motionless and wait, they will come to inspect your sandal – we watch each other in silence.

Dragonflies

I saw dragonflies today! On the beach near Bullocky Point. I was so excited. It’s a symbol that the Wet is changing to the Dry. The little creatures were flying around the stooped palms that hang round near the beach. I’ve been looking out for them. They’re a real marker of change. And they come in all sorts of colours apparently. I feel sad that the rain will be going though, and eventually we won’t see any till November. What a strange country this is.

And how about the python that ate the maltese-terrier – name tag, collar and all. A substantial breakfast for that snake!
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/03/14/39135_ntnews.html