SomewhereSouth.net

The Didge, the Driza-Bona and the Vannievan

Finally safe arrived at the very end of the Stuart Hiway, Darwin. We've made it, crossed the outback, seen Port Augusta, Darwin and everything in between. (Off course we skipped the dull parts...) Next stop will be Kakadu N.P., just a few Km's away from here but as internet is cheap in Darwin we decided to update you "Right here, Right now." (Remember Fat Boy Slim?) Anyway, today we almost drained my creditcard, drowned is maybe a better expression. After looking for a decent coat (I got bored of my other one and don't have a warm coat for New Zealand) and a proper didgeridoo (hard to find, even in the area where along the hiway you see 2 meter high termite mounds for hours and hours) and after our crying story about our vannievan today we got a bit lucky, finally. We made a decision about the car, we keep it. Selling it only gives us $1000,- back on schrap-metal and a decent 4x4 is at least $9000,-, oil is much cheaper than that ($10,- for 5 liters) and the car SHOULD make it all the way back to Sydney so we bought 20 liters of cheap-ass oil (thank you Woolies!) on which we should be able to make it all the way to Cairns. We cuddled our car, ripped of the ads of Travellers Autobarn and some Koala Experience stickers they put on, and hit the road. Maybe the higher spirits liked our caring decision to stick with our car, for some odd reason we where also succesfull in 2 other things. I'm looking for a decent coat since we left Tassie and saw my first almost-to-the-ground oil-coated Driza-Bone horseriding coat. That must be THE coat for me, but unfortunately the XXL was a tad to small to my taste. I've found my 5XL today at a horseriding/outdoor shop here. Bit strange, the climate is far too hot for these coats (I got almost boiled inside it, though they had airco inside there.), but hey. The only thing missing, a floppy hat (have to go back to Katherine for that) and the hood. (Enoclue where I can find that one, but we'll cross the factory on our way to Sydney so I should be succesfull somewhere.) $225,- poorer but a LOT happier I left the store. (Erhm, WE left the store, with my coat in a nice paper bag.) Oh, should I remind you on the fact that trying on a heavy coat when your shoulders are burned is NOT a nice feeling? ;-) Next on our quest was THE aussie instrument, a true playable digeridoo and VOILA, also that succeeded. Getting into a didge-shop for the second time we found an instrument that is around 150cm long, 15cm thick and without any abo paintings on it but with a sound we both totally got in love with. Looking for a design you like is hard (and this one we both liked, a bulge on the side and the lovely wood shining through it's transparent cover), finding the sound you like is even harder. Tried around 20 didges there, all in different designs, tones, sounds whatsoever. It's tone is a very deep and droning D, playing it makes your whole body resonate. Must give a true natural high. Off course now is the time to learn how to play it properly... Topping it up with a learn-the-didge CD, a music cd from a didge prof with a very heavy ongoing, modern beat (Boneman) and a wooden bowl we left the store with $496,- less on my credit-card. KATJING! Ah well, we now have what we searched for so long...

Yesterday wasn't a totally boring day either, travelling from Katherin (still a very lovely city just 315Km south of Darwin) up north we went swimming in our first rockpool (with waterfall). The water was a bit cool for the time of year (24 degrees celcius) but it was absolutely lovely. And, if I may give a tip to all people-in-love out there, go kissing under a waterfall... It's marvellous ;-P But DON'T forget your sunscreen (15 or higher please), as I did. Seriously, swimming in that rockpool with the catfish, garfish, archerfish and lots of other species swimming around your feet was lovely. After weeks of hot weather and lots of sweating this was the refreshment we where both waiting for. The night we spend just 80Km south of Darwin on a $5,- paid campsite at a service station.

Darwin is not too interesting to us but with just 100.000 inhabitants a LOT less scary than Sydney or Melbourne. (FYI Sydney is with 4.2 million inhabitants 42 times as big as this city.) And off course we found our stuffies and souvenirs here (finally got a decent aussie T-shirt as well, a little less obvious with a batik/abo print on it) so we're pretty happy being here. But, after reading and answering our email we'll leave town and head to Kakadu and then back to the Stuart Hiway, turning left just a few Km away from Tennant Creek, direction Cairns.

And that's basically it for now. Probably forgot a lot what I really wanted to tell but well, that's for later. First feed some salties ;-P