The upshot is that I will write when I have a spare moment. I have also spent a month away on exercise, and am about to head out again for a couple of months. We train in what has to be one of the most inhospitable places on God's green earth. Although there is nothing green about this place. It is red dust and grey salt bush. The dust gets into absolutely everything, and just doesn't come out. As soon as you hit it with water it turns to mud. The major positive is that the digging is relatively easy - until you hit granite.
We are told that the wet wasn't - that this has been one of the driest wet seasons on record. That is a direct result of the El Nino weather pattern. We don't much like it. The humidity is feral, and us colder climate types are struggling. Darwin has its charms to be sure - but the weather thus far aint one of them! As soon as the dry season supposedly kicked in (measured by the commencement of the famous Mindil Beach Markets), the heavens opened and all we have had for a week is rain. Jane was most upset - we had washing on the line for nearly a week before we had to bite the bullet and rewash it.
MacK in his school uniform
Since our last post we have done a couple of things. MacK turned five, and had a party to suit. He had friends over for a Nerf gun war, cakes and sugar. Australia is a little different to NZ - here the kids start school in the year they turn five, not when they turn five. MacK has a great bunch of friends, and seems to be the life of the party. This year he asked for a castle cake, which I had a bit of fun putting together. The dragon topper was a bit of an afterthought, knocked up as I was waiting for various decorations to cool in the humidity.
Jane has had a bit of fun with David, who has supervised her first welding project. He had an old jarrah outdoor table top tucked away in a container, and Jane has welded together a set of legs. We now have a table, and just need to source chairs. Everything in Darwin is expensive, and we are by nature a bit tight when it comes to these sorts of things, so it is a bit of a struggle!
We did get back to the Sunshine Coast to see Mum and Dad (and extended family) which was really nice. They had just shifted house, and I got to move a bit of the heavy furniture around for them. Mum wasn't up to too much, being not too far out of surgery, but is now moving around again almost at top speed. It was really nice to escape the humidity for a couple of days, and to be able to swim in the ocean. That takes some getting used to. We are so close to the ocean, but only those with a bent for euthanasia will dare head into the ocean. If it isn't the box jellyfish that take you it will be the crocodiles or sharks... Not for me!
We have met a bunch of lovely folks up here, and we seem to have a very social life with them. There are times when you have to embrace the heat and sweat and deal with it in a very Territorian way. For the unaware, that generally involves taking the top of a very cold beverage or two!
In other news, the house is pretty much at lock up, and not too much will happen until we move back South at the end of next year. In slow time we will have the eaves put in, the plumbing run, and the walls and ceilings lined. We will head back to the farm in September, where we hope to plant out the first of our orchard fruits. We have planned for and ordered a citrus grove of 21 different varieties. Looking forward to the future marmalades as much as the fresh finger limes for a late afternoon G&T!
The other date we are looking forward to is November 11 - Remembrance Day. This year will be a little more special for us, as Jane is due to deliver a sibling for MacK on or about that day.
