DAY 230: Day 1 off in Darwin

10th June 2008

25 km @ 14.5 km/hr

Sunny intervals, 30 deg C

Elevation of destination 37 m

Distance to date 14081 km (8801 miles)

Last night was good and quiet once the jets stopped taking off from the RAAF base next door eventually, so I had a good sleep, but still lay in luxuriously until 0830. First job was to do some washing, then 2 hours in the internet place (the Book Exchange, only $2.80/hr - cheapest ever apart from library freebies.). The owner told me he had a Dutch couple in last week who had just cycled around Australia, which sounded like the same couple I met in Dunsborough, Western Australia, last October, and indeed his name was Egbert so it was them! We appear to have been within a few days of each other for the past few months (depending on routes taken) but never met again. I knew they started and were due to finish in Darwin, and it seems they finished early and decided to go to Bali or somewhere similar for a while. I’ll get their website address next time I’m in the internet place since the owner has it. Anyway I had to post 8 days diary in that session; there has been no opportunity to update for the past week. Northern Australia is a bit of an internet desert I'm afraid.

Afterwards I headed into the city along a good cycle track, and had lunch at an open-air cafe in The Mall - the best lunch I’ve had for ages; chicken, bacon, avocado and lettuce on a fresh rustic toasted roll - mmmmm! It was large and pretty filling, but I still managed a large equally fresh chocolate chip muffin afterwards.

For the rest of the afternoon I did some shopping and explored as far as Fannie Bay and Mindil Beach, getting back to camp just as it was getting dark. I like the feel of this place - not too big, not too small.