Wagait Beach to Darwin and back.

Today I went across on the ferry to Darwin. It's a 20 minute trip. To drive is about 120km.

While I was waiting for the ferry I was chatting to a nice old Aboriginal bloke. He was heading over to get his heart looked at. Some grey nomads came along and the lady mentioned how the ferry wharf has many multiple levels. I'd noticed that but thought it must be for different sized boats. When she mentioned they don't get big tides where she's from it clicked with me that's what it is for and I said "Oh of course".

She looked at me and went "ah derrrrr" in a deep dumb voice. I was a bit taken aback and then she did an even bigger one "ahhhh derrrrrrrrrrr". I didn't know this woman. She was in her late 60s (not 8). I was so confused that I just walked off. In hindsight I wish I had drowned her husband and made her watch.

I got off at the other end and while waiting for a bus, I heard a man say "Is that your natural hair colour?" I thought he probably wasn't talking to me so I ignored him. Seconds later an older lady with red hair came over to me in a huff asking if I knew the police number because she shouldn't have to put up with that. I told her the police number is 000. She didn't want that one, she wanted the station number so she could get them to take this guy away, she shouldn't have to put up with that blah blah blah. I googled it for her (even though she had her phone in her hand) and then she asked me for a pen and paper to write the number down, which I didn't have. She clearly had no intention of calling them because you'd type it straight into the phone. It was all a show for this highly offensive bloke, who I'll point out could not care less.

I missed my bus while this was going on. She wrote down the number on her phone case then rushed off to get the transit police, shouting back to me that I'm her witness. I agreed. If the transit police came down I was going to tell them that a man asked her if it was her natural hair colour and she decided to annoy me for 20 minutes because of it. She came back and said they were at lunch (seriously?)

She started going on about visiting America and her daughter and eventually I looked at her and said "so is it your natural hair colour?" in the hoped she'd rush off to call the police on me, but SHE ANSWERED. It isn't. Like I care. Thank God the bus came after 30 torturous minutes.

I went down to get a better mattress. I think that is why my kidneys have been hurting. It is already a huge improvement.

Afterwards I went to the Northern Territory  museum or something. It was really good. The highlight was this little dark room that was playing the audio from cyclone Tracey. Of the sound of the wind itself. It was actually terrifying. There was also a recorded interview with some of the people who lived through it. One lady said "I wasn't panicked or scared or anything, I just though we'd probably die". It hadn't occurred to me that all those houses that were destroyed had people in them.

I'll just post a bunch of pictures from there.

A monster sponge. Not that interesting, I just liked the name. 

Skeleton of a marsupial rhino and a giant goose, I think it was called. The giant goose is likely the biggest bird to have lived at 4m tall and 500kg.

Wedge tail eagle. Essentially Australia's version of the bald eagle. It looks badass unlike its pansy US counterpart. 

Blue winged kookaburra. I have seen many of these up here and previously didn't know they existed. 

Display of different smoking devices that I updated for them

Anyway, after the museum I came back over on the ferry. 

Some of the houses next to the ferry terminal. 

Darwin seems like a cool city. The CBD was like any other capital city CBD. Bustling and compact with also sorts of nooks and crannies to explore, but outside the CBD it was way more relaxed. Not much traffic and chaos. Nice parks. A bit like a Port Macquarie or a Coffs Harbour. For those that don't know those two towns they are lovely little coastal cities in NSW that happen to be occupied by the biggest bunch of figjam tossers on this earth, totally ruining both towns. I'm not implying that Darwinites are like that in any way. But Coffs, Port and Darwin and undeniably pretty and Darwin just might have nice people too. 

When I got back from the ferry I discovered my bike had leaked a lot of coolant again. So I'll have to try to get it fixed again tomorrow. Pretty frustrating but if it is leaking from where I think it should be an easy fix.

I've paid up for 2 more nights here. I don't think Darwin has much to offer a solo traveller so I probably won't go there again. Litchfield NP is looking like my next destination.