Darwin with visitors...

We have settled into the Darwin lifestyle easily and certainly feel better every morning after we see the weather for the rest of the country.  We had our first cold(ish) morning today at 17 degrees but it was still a shorts and t-shirt day.

We are both very excited to have some visitors this week with Kirsty, Isobel, Madelaine, and Grace up here for a week.  They arrived on Thursday and we got them settled into their unit and set out for the Mindil Markets for the sunset.  The bigger girls loved playing on the beach while Mummy, Grace,  and Grandma browsed the stalls.  Grandad wasn’t watching them closely enough and soon they were in the water which was lovely and cool after a warm day.  We dined out on the beach front and headed for home after a big day. 

 Sandcastles at Mindil

 Searching for that elusive shell

 Oops - the water came up past me...

Friday was a quiet day and all the girls went to a large landscaping centre just up the road for lunch and because they had large garden ornaments on display.  The girls were very impressed with the huge dinosaur statues on display. 

 Great garden ornaments !!

 What size garden do you need to fit this in ??

 Cute ones..

On Saturday we had a drive around town, let the girls play in the East Point Reserve, watched the last horse race, and spent the evening at the Indian Festival held at Mindil Beach.  Isobel and Madelaine both picked a horse out from the mounting yard and they picked the winner at each end of the field.  The girls loved watching the Indian dancing and costumes during dinner and enjoyed another play on the beach during the sunset.  

 Grandma got them in togs then the water

 Swimming at sunset in the middle of winter

Sunday was spent on a drive out through Humpty Doo to Corroborrie Billabong.  We stopped for morning tea at a really good Wetlands Information Centre located on a rare hill near the Adelaide River.  The big girls were occupied for ages with the very good interactive displays on the birds and animals in the swamps and waterholes of the area. 

 Isobel and the wetland birds

 Mads favourite - the ducks

 Searching the wetlands with Grandma

 Isobel, there is something behind you !!!

 We needed this shot for school. A very large ant hill, sorry, TERMITE mound

 

 The real thing for Mads

 It was a nice drive and as there has been a wind at sea, the number of empty boat trailers parked near the boat ramp at the Billabong was impressive.  All the time there were boats being launched and taken out with enough fishing tackle hanging out of them to half fill the waterhole.  We had not booked a cruise and so retired back to the Tavern for lunch.  We had a great steak sandwich and were able to see buffalo, pigs, turtles, and 2 large crocodiles in pens at the back of the pub.  There was a 4m salty and a 3m freshie for the girls see.

We have both got into the work groove at both the race track on the TAB and at the Hardware.  We will be at the Turf Club for the next few Saturdays and are putting in 2 to 3 days a week at the hardware. 

After our first week of work at the Hardware and at the TAB we decided not to cough up the $55 each to go to the V8’s which we might regret but not so much when Holden won the Sunday Race.  Carol has been very busy sewing and has quite a few little almost outfits ready for sale.  We have also gathered a large amount of material for constructing fancy hair clips and head bands.  Look out for the online sales address soon.