Half-lap Day 50: Darwin

The temperature got down to 21 degrees over night and I actually felt cool for the first time in weeks! (It warmed up again during the day - although perhaps the humidity was less than it has been).

We had decided, with everyone being so exhausted, that it made sense to stay for one more day in Darwin, and to use the time to relax and recover and to finish cleaning out the car, sorting some of our stuff and so on. We had a lovely relaxed morning, eating breakfast, playing with the chickens and rabbit and guinea pig, chatting to our hosts, colouring in, playing games.

I went back to work on the car, pulling everything out of the back half, finding more missing things and figuring out how to best rearrange our stuff. The kids and Tony headed over to the pool, and I joined them when I got too hot. I had a quick dip (so lovely to be able to cool down like that) then read my book while Tony got us all some sandwiches for lunch.

In the afternoon LiAM and I sorted out all the food tubs, then I did the clothes then worked on finishing off the car, getting stuff back in there or assigning it to the rubbish or the trailer. Tony and Caitlin went for a bike ride to the Humpty Doo shops to get some sausages for tea, then the kids and I went for another swim while Tony cooked tea.

Back at the tent I pulled the mattress off the bed and repacked the back of the trailer – I put some of our warm clothes in there rather than having them in the car, and I was also able to repack some of the items that had just been floating around in the car or trailer without having a specific spot – it’s like I’ve finished off the packing that didn’t quite happen at the last minute before we left home. All those oh-just-throw-them-in-a-bag-and-shove-it-somewhere-they’ll-fit things now have a home.

We had steamed puddings for dessert for our last night in Darwin, and everyone agreed that they were very glad we’d stayed the extra day, we all feel more ready to leave now. We possum-proofed our outside area (the possum has been getting more game every night, and last night was sitting in our washing up tub with the dirty dishes, as well as rummaging through our food bags while we were sitting right next to them!) – although we left one (unopened) box of cereal out and he woke me up later, he’d eaten through the cardboard and was trying to get through the plastic bag) then went inside, away from the mosquitoes. I read Brisingr while the kids played on their iPads, I fell asleep fairly quickly and they kept playing until they had had enough.