Darwin 20/07/12

This has been another busy week with the Beer Can Regatta on last Sunday and work at the hardware and at the Races on Saturday and Wednesday. 

The Beer Can Regatta was a popular event with 16,000 people attending and crowding the Mindil Beach area.  Apparently the entries were becoming a little weak so 2 locals got together to show everyone how to build a ‘proper’ beer can boat.  37,000 cans later they had a floating twin hulled bar.  The boat had a net between the two hulls, 2 hammocks, a 2 person crows nest on the roof, and two bars with an esky each holding 540 cans of unopened beer.  It was propelled by a 140HP outboard, measured 7.5m long by 7.4m wide and at one stage we counted 18 people on its decks.  It was a standout but couldn’t enter the beer can boat race as the craft had to be paddled by 4 or less people.  The markets ran all day and the crowd was happy.  We had a good day out with Ted and Linda.

The Bunnings Entry

Muddie

Relaxing under the good shade provided

"Extravacanz" - made of more than 37,000 cans; the Croc on the roof contains 7,000 cans, apparently.

A (low) Speed Boat

The paddling is on in earnest

 The Markets were in full swing all day

The Turf Club hosted Ladies Day on Wednesday and we both worked the TAB as it was a work day and quite a few of the Saturday Staff were not available.  What an eye opener that was.  There were thousands of ladies dressed up in their finest smashing the bubbly like it was the last batch ever made.  One marquee had sold 800 tickets.  The betting was very different to the weekend punters with lots of $2.50 both ways bets being requested but all in all it was a pretty fun day.  The cabs and busses were doing a roaring trade at the end of the day.

Government House was holding an open house Friday and Saturday this week.  After work on Friday we went in for a sticky beak.  It is a beautiful home set on a great block of lad with 270 degree views of the harbour.  The first house built on the site was finished in 1871 and in 1874 a second story was added but was devoured by white ants within 12 months. In 1879 the second house was completed after a cyclone made a rebuild necessary.  The house has been extended and modified (and eaten by white ants) several times since but the original stone work and cellar are intact.  When the cellar was first filled with wine, the Governor found that the white ants could even eat through the foil coverings to get at the corks and eat them out of the bottles.  Since then only hard liquor with steel tops is stored in the cellar.  We both loved the wide verandas with shutters all around the house.  The formal dining room, sitting room, and guest bedroom are beautifully furnished.

Govt House - from the veranda to the sitting room

Off the verandah looking over the harbour

Sitting Room

Formal Dining Room

The Cellar

Apparently people were smaller when they made the stairs in 1879

The Queens Bedroom.

Along the SW veranda

The gardens are also well worth the walk around.  The lawns are the greenest in Darwin and the plants are very healthy and very well kept.  There are a lot of bromelliads, flowering ginger, bougainvillea, orchids, and palms – plus a whole lot of plants and trees we have never seen before.

The old and new Govt Cars

The Gardens



Ginger

The Courthouse over the road is an impressive new building.

We also received a phone call from a very excited Isobel today who was awarded student of the week on parade today and also got the Principals award on Wednesday.  She was very excited and we were very proud of her.  Her reward was a trip to “Sizzles” for dinner and she especially likes not having to wait for her food after you order it – you just go and get more ice cream yourself!!