KUNUNURRA

Dear all,

Hello from Kununurra! We've been here just over a week and signal has been a problem but for whatever reason, the problem now seems to be fixed. The whole town went down and nothing "Telstra" would work.

So - where was I.

Darwin
Thursday, 20/8/09

Spent the morning at the Aircraft Museum which was fantastic. We continue to be amazed at the war effort at the Top End. This museum has a B-52 Bomber inside - it is massive. There is also a Japanese Zero which was shot down over Melville Island and it's pilot taken as a POW. He was then sent to the POW Camp at Cowra where he was one of the organisers of the breakout there and was shot dead. It is interesting to note that all the Japanese soldiers killed here were returned to Japan for final internment.








We had a lovely lunch at Buzz Cafe at Cullen Bay Marina before heading out to Darwin Harbour on a tour boat for a couple of hours. The Gents toilet has a one-way glass wall and I'm told that it's the wall of the actual urinal and one can look straight through the wall at the diners while doing what you have to do! The Ladies had toilet seats with shells and seahorses embedded in the seats .... a bit quirky .... the food was first class.













Friday, 21/8/09
I've been wanting to take Ken to the Indo-Pacific Marine Aquarium which is where I went with my Mum last time we were here. Specifically, they had a crab they called Priscilla which was an actual "Decorator" crab and it dresses itself up as a type of camouflage. So off we went, paid $18 each to get in, only to find that Priscilla died after climbing out of its tank a few months ago. The rest of the Aquarium is good, but an aquarium is an aquarium, so $36 later, we left. Off to the WWII Fuel Tunnels for a look then into the CBD to find that handbag!



Success! $2 more than the shop in Parliament House!





Saturday, 22/8/09
Parap Markets on the agenda for today and aren't we glad we found them! Like Rapid Creek markets, the produce on offer is fabulous. These markets had more of a Mosman Markets or Eumundi Markets feel to them - a bit more to them.


Fogg Dam then Corroboree Park
Sunday, 24/8/09


Left Darwin this morning for the 140 km trip to Corroboree. On the way, we visited Fogg Dam which was beautiful. Of course, we're here in "the dry" season, but the birdlife was great. It must be just magnificent in these places during "the wet" and Ken and I have decided that we will definitely return to the Top End to see it in all it's glory during "the wet" season.


Checked into the Caravan Park behind the roadhouse for 2 nights. Kathy and Rud also here with us. The caravan park has a mini-zoo in the grounds and keeps a couple of buffalo, a family of bush pigs, a fresh-water crocodile and an old salty. The sign out the front says to come and watch the feeding of the crocodiles and to check with the bar staff (yes - another licenced roadhouse!) as to times. As per all the roadhouses we've been to, they are staffed by backpackers, who don't really know too much about the area, and, in accordance with the usual, they don't know when the crocs are fed.






Monday, 25/8/09
Today we're off to Corroboree Billabong, about 20 kms from Corroboree Park. The 3 hour cruise around this spectacular waterway is part of the Mary River Wetlands and, apart from it teaming with birdlife, it also has the largest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the world.


The wild buffalo have just about been wiped out. They were Indonesian buffalo introduced for hunting many years ago and got out of control and herds were hunted by shooters from helicopters. It's rather sad really when you read about the way they were killed .... the hunters were ace-shots and aimed at the spine of the buffalo so that they could not run, and the aboriginals were employed to track the bulls, cut their throat then skin them. By shooting them in the spine, it would keep them alive then their skin would be more supple when skinned. The hunters on the ground would leave the females alive so that it would attract large numbers of bulls, then call in the helicopters ... they would get more that way. Poor creatures.


This is such a harsh environment. We'll be glad to get back to the coast!





The birdlife here is absolutely fantastic with a huge variety of species such as Jabiru, Ibis, Brolga, Egret, Kite, Sea Eagle, Magpie Geese, and millions of lilies. We had lunch on the banks of the billabong before returning to the boat ramp and back to the roadhouse.



People come here from all over for the barramundi fishing in the billabong and there are house boats for hire. Why would anyone want to hire a houseboat here when it's 40 degrees and you can't swim!




Love from us.