Slow day in Darwin

We had a lovely day today with Maryanne and Stuart in Darwin.  Grant went and helped Stuart with someone’s house moving in the morning, while the rest of us went with Maryanne into Darwin and visited the wave pool. 

Maryanne holding Cooper at the wave pool

After a few hours floating in there and becoming waterlogged, we drove around the corner to Stokes Hill wharf and had fish and chips for lunch.

I stocked up with groceries in the afternoon, after being misled by my GPS and driving a 40 km round trip to a Woolworths, then we had kangaroo hamburgers with Maryanne and Stuart and Rosie in the evening, surrounded by their tropical garden which they have planted and which looks so nice.  Crimson Finches visited, and large tree frogs, and their five chickens and one rooster.  We heard lots of chicken stories.  Bindi the dog chose Cooper as a good target for leftovers, and we loved the fish swimming in the terracotta pot by the door.  I’m going to have to do that with my gold fish when I get home – as long as Neo doesn’t eat the fish!  Maryanne has always had a knack of making a lovely home.

Oskar carrying his cardbaord to the hill

Before dinner we walked around the corner to a nature reserve where there are two big grassy hills.  Maryanne had obtained cardboard boxes for us and the kids had a great time sliding down the hills. 
A highlight at the end of the evening was Maryanne demonstrating her ibot – Roomba.  A little vacuum cleaner that whizzes around and vacuums the floor then goes and docks in its battery charger.  Very impressive for Joseph and Dominic.

Cold drink and grass are lovely – never to be underestimated, and the thought of heading off into the dirt again is a bit daunting.  Another day yet!