After my three long but very enjoyable days touring the Northern Territory, I finally arrive at my retreat in Darwin for the next few days. Luckily, I have no bites from a croc as a souvenir but to make up for it some other little creatures took a liking to me at some point on the trip. Despite industrial quantities of Deet over the three days, I am now covered in bites. Whatever they were even managed to bite through my clothes. No way would I make a Jillaroo in the outback. I am hopeful that my Ayurvedic Balm from Sri Lanka will stop me being taken to the local insane asylum as they are driving me mad with the itching. But talking of croc bites, the paper today is filled with stories of a 20 year old guy who was taken by a four metre crocodile yesterday. This follows an 11 year old girl who was taken by one in March, so perhaps I got off lightly….
But my surroundings should at least be balm to my soul if not to my body. I am staying at the Moonshadow Villas, a self catering establishment but more flash than back pack. The welcome pack included a bottle of good champagne as well as two lobster looking things and a selection of posh cheese. It’s a small development of five villas with jungly rainforest stuff to one side. The villas are modern Australian design with a Balinese influence, including spirit houses at the front and lots of Buddhas around the garden. There is also a lovely mini pool complex in the middle, again with Balinese design. I have a two storey detached job with all mod cons including a rainwater shower – and by that I mean the water is rainwater not just the big showerhead. My skin and hair will be so soft…..! The only downside as I sit out here on the deck in the evening heat is the jungly bit to one side – there are lots of odd noises going on so as you can imagine, I am constantly on the lookout for snakes, possums and other tropical creatures. And then there was the true story about a ten foot python that emerged from the loo on the tenth floor of a local swish apartment block here in Darwin recently, so even going to the loo now involves checks of military proportions. But hopefully, no crocs…..
But my surroundings should at least be balm to my soul if not to my body. I am staying at the Moonshadow Villas, a self catering establishment but more flash than back pack. The welcome pack included a bottle of good champagne as well as two lobster looking things and a selection of posh cheese. It’s a small development of five villas with jungly rainforest stuff to one side. The villas are modern Australian design with a Balinese influence, including spirit houses at the front and lots of Buddhas around the garden. There is also a lovely mini pool complex in the middle, again with Balinese design. I have a two storey detached job with all mod cons including a rainwater shower – and by that I mean the water is rainwater not just the big showerhead. My skin and hair will be so soft…..! The only downside as I sit out here on the deck in the evening heat is the jungly bit to one side – there are lots of odd noises going on so as you can imagine, I am constantly on the lookout for snakes, possums and other tropical creatures. And then there was the true story about a ten foot python that emerged from the loo on the tenth floor of a local swish apartment block here in Darwin recently, so even going to the loo now involves checks of military proportions. But hopefully, no crocs…..
