Darwin, Australia

I arrived in Darwin at 4am. I was very glad to be back into lands where everyone can understand you and you blend in when you walk down the street (I have even been asked directions). Darwin feels like what I imagined Australia to be- wide roads, friendly people, neighbourhoods that look like they came from the set of 'Neighbours' and the headline news of 'Is this the biggest croc ever?'. The city is new and shiny – there are no old buildings due to WW2 bombing and Cyclone Tracy in the 70's. Darwin is also not half as hot as I thought it would be with temperature scrapping 30 degrees.

I have sorting things that will help me with life in Australia- bought a sim card, enrolled with Medicare, got a TFN and just opening a bank account left. I got the bus to the northern suburb of Casuarina where there is a shopping centre (the only shops in Darwin centre are supermarkets and souvenir shops) so I could buy some walking shoes. It's really odd having all the festive decs up and music playing when it's so warm out! I've also visited the Northern Territory Museum and art gallery which has great exhibits of Aboriginal art and natural history of the Northern Territory, also cyclone Tracy exhibit and a stuffed croc named Sweetheart. Darwin's a small and really friendly city and you quickly get to know people especially when you are asking for advice. A day of solid rain which I was caught out in saw me spending the morning chatting to the lady in the Greyhound office and watching the Ashes (we were winning) with the man in the holiday shop!

There are many national parks in the NT but I chose to go to Litchfield on a days tour. I wasn't expecting a huge amount for $95- the cheapest tour around but it was great and even provided breakfast and lunch. We headed to the Adelaide River for a jumping croc cruise. I thought it would be really touristy but it wasn't at all. The staff were really informative of crocs and the emphasis wasn't on 'look what this croc does' as it leaps out the water to get the meat dangling on a stick but rather 'don't swim in the water as this will kill you'! We also got the opportunity to handle a python, something I'd never done before. The snake was really heavy and cool as it weaved in and out your arms and around your neck (all safe- this is Australia now!). From the river we headed to see some termite mounds which were a lot more impressive than I expected. Made by Magnetic termites the mounds look like gravestones in a field. They are aligned North-South and have large flat side fasting East and West so the termites can get maximum sun. We then went to a few waterfalls, some of which were croc free and you could swim in. A great day out in which we also saw lots of wildlife- parrots, wallabies, fruit bats, the biggest spider I have ever seen which had conveniently placed its web right across the path, and a large frilled lizards which the guide spotted from the minibus and caught from a roadside tree by its tail (apparently this lizard doesn't lose it tail when caught).

My original plan was to get 'The Ghan' which is a train which runs to Adelaide straight down the centre and stopping at Alice Springs. Unfortunately it derailed so they stopped selling tickets until the day it left. One mad rush later and a frantic phone call to the office in Adelaide, thankfully open due to different time zones and I boarded the train for the 24 hour trip to Alice Springs. Despite being in the cheapest seat available it's very comfy and theres a restaurant car and showers on board. I wanted to get the train not only because it's the cheapest way to get to Alice but also there's a very nice brochure on the internet showing the train moving through vast orange coloured desert plains with kangaroos bouncing past. Reality isn't quite like that as it's wet season now so the grass has popped up and all I can see is trees. We stopped in Katherine for 4 hours- most people headed into town to go a tour of some sort. I wanted to canoe down the gorge but the heavy rain recently meant that the river wasn't open so I caught up with some sleep in the station instead. Slept great through the night and awoke to an amazing sunrise. So now I am in Alice Springs- not half as hot as I expected and no humidity. Great weather!