The Best Day So Far

Sunday 10^th July

We were all a bit sad to be packing up this morning, although in typical Garment fashion we were the last to wake up and everybody else was already folding tents – we must have inhaled breakfast and the kids actually did all the jobs they were supposed to because we ended up being first done! We left the trailers at the camp ground and headed into Litchfield one last time. Turns out we saved the best for last. We went to the Florence Falls Lookout which gave spectacular views of the falls. Then we headed to Buley Rockhole – WoW!

The kids (and yes the mum) had a fantastic time sitting in the rock holes and sliding down the rocks. I think we all agree that we could happily have spent the day there but Howard Springs and Darwin were awaiting us.

We stopped in to pick up the campers and headed to Howard Springs for a highly nutritious lunch of chip sandwiches in the park. It was very disappointing to find the springs were closed for renovations so we couldn’t swim but we had a lovely walk around them until the ferocious mozzies got the best of us and we started toward Darwin.

The place we are staying is fabulous – Darwin Freespirit Resort – the kids were very keen to help set up when there is the promise of a swim at the end – I think we may have broken the 10 minute set up record! It was only a short swim though because we were planning to go to Mindil Markets to get dinner and eat it on the beach while we watched the sun set over the Arafura Sea.

Mindil Markets were fantastic – although busier than normal apparently because the beer can regatta had happened that afternoon (we all a bit sorry to have missed it). Claire bought herself a pretty sundress and got a henna tattoo on her foot and the boys came away with a croc tooth necklace. Sam blew into a set of wooden pipes – I guess that was one way to get us to buy them for him

After our purchases we got dinner from one of the stalls and went and sat on the beach with a glass of wine in hand and watched the spectacular sunset. Aside from being incredibly beautiful I was amazed at how quickly the sun went down - you could literally see it sinking into the water.