This Winter Is Out Of Control

Darwin! We've gone from the mountains to the desert overnight. It has been a bit of a trek- a flight from Sydney to Brisbane and then another 4 hours on to Darwin with screaming babies sitting in front of us. We planned the trip so last minute most hostels were full, so we booked beds in the only one we could find vacancies in. When we got in at 2am, the place was a dump but we didn't have any other options. We woke up this morning and relocated to the YHA, got our travel sorted to Kakadu National Park (for tomorrow!) and spent the day wandering around town and being HOT. Thank goodness it is winter here, because it is still like 34 degrees C- which is about 93!!!! It is so hot when I finally took a (cold) shower I was sweating the second I turned the water off. Yuck!

We went to the Mindil beach market this evening which was apparently where the entire city of Darwin goes on a Thursday night. There were tons of food stalls, artists and all sorts of knick knacks. I ate a delicious bucket sized portion of laksa, sat on the beach, and watched the sun set into the Timor Sea. Because we are so close to the equator it looks like the sun sinks straight down into the horizon. We stood with our feet in the warm ocean for half an hour watching the sky change colors. AMAZING.

We set off for a 3 day trip to Kakadu tomorrow to check out crocs and birds and aboriginal rock drawings. Then we are back in Darwin for a few days before we join the bus tour that will take us the 1,500km (or about 21 hours) to Alice Springs, stopping at Katherine Gorge, the Devil's Marbles, and some natural hot springs. Then we have a few days on our own near Uluru and will be heading back to Sydney. It'll be quite the Outback adventure!

Also, I now have an Australian phone, so let me know if you want the number so you can randomly call me!