Time At The Top

Unfinished Business

2009-10-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

I hate to leave things hanging.

But I have.

I finished my time at the top end in July and this blog has been sitting idle. Time to fix that.

One of the really awesome things I did in my final weeks was to kayak up the Katherine Gorge. We camped overnight under the stars and it felt like we were the only people in the world.

After I finished up working my partner came up and we made our pilgrimage to the red centre. The trip was a once in a life time experience that really made me realise that the world is larger and more spectacular than I though. I also realised time moves fast.

The three months in the Territory moved really fast and the time since hasn't slowed either. I'm 30 now and am relived that the wrinkles and arthritis haven't developed overnight.

The question is what did I learn during my time at the to?

I realised I love where I live in the South (even though it's cold and rainy as I write, although it is spring).

I learnt that I don't want to spend any more time away from my partner.

I was inspired by some wonderful people to seek out the possibilities.

I was shocked that some of the things I thought came naturally to me were really hard to master.

I was surprised and awestruck by the beauty of the Territory.

I discovered I love running.

I understand I still have a whole lot more to learn.

I think I will become a spokesperson for walk abouts. They are well worth undertaking.

Highly evolved dummies

2009-07-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

I can't stop thinking about the theory of evolution. There's something about being in a place that's named after the father of natural selection.

Every where you look you can see examples of adaptation. The people here are very relaxed, you have to be to deal with the climate. Even the mannequins in the sex shop window seem to have developed that little bit extra to fit their line of work. The window is on Smith Street, one of the main streets of down-town Darwin (the same street the gaudy cake shop is on, but on the other side of the street and about three blocks down).

I noticed these lovely ladies on my stroll back to my flat after a week of work. From a distance they looked just like any store dummy, wearing a little bit less than normal. But as I walked by something unexpectedly (something a gay man wouldn't think much) about them caught the corner of my eye. Their Dolly Parton-esque cleavage, which is very plastic indeed.

Not a croc about crocs

2009-06-25T05:36:00.001-07:00

Today I felt as though all my paranoia over being taken by Crocodylus porosus (salt-water crocodile) was vindicated. A woman was on the radio this morning saying she had spotted a crocodile off Nightcliff Beach, a beach in the northern suburbs. She said her 2 dogs were out in the water having a paddle when the salty made a b-line for them. Luckily they swam back into the shore when she called them.

This afternoon Surf Life Saving NT issued a warning not to go swimming and had sent volunteers down to the coastline to warn people that a croc could be waiting to take them off shore. Its such a pity that man eaters and lethal jellyfish lurk in the inviting turquoise tropical waters. I suppose you can't have everything.

Every week a short one

2009-06-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe that it's almost mid winter and I'm still wearing shorts. They are better than jeans because I don't get as hot on my walk to work in the mornings.

This morning I got out of bed just before 6:30 and went for a jog. Sure the weather is a lot cooler in the mornings than what it was when I first arrived, but as I started my morning shuffle I realised it's still very steamy. Boy I love the winter weather up here.

Latley I've been thinking about the time I've spent here so far. Not only have I spent a lot of days wearing shorts (which is strange because back in Newcastle I usually wear jeans, even in the summer), but the weeks have flown by. I realised yesterday I now only have 1 month and 1 day left at work up here. I wounder what's in store for my final Top End month?

No doubt, more days of wearing shorts.

This dosn't make me a bogan...Right?

2009-06-21T16:05:00.001-07:00

Ever since my trip to Jumping Crocodile country I've had a strange compulsion to buy a crocodile tooth to wear around my neck. I must confess I have no idea where this urge comes from.

On Saturday I finally gave into my desire. I found myself in a tacky souvenir shop handing over my hard earned for an overpriced piece of enamel that was riped from the jaw of some unfortunate farmed reptile.

I know the whole concept is barbaric. I promised myself I wouldn't sink this low the moment I saw the kangaroo testicle key rings, mummified crocodile foot back scratches and the dead kangaroo paws with the middle finger rudely extended for all time. But that was four weeks ago.

I have been dreaming a bit about crocodiles and I haven't submerged myself in an open body of water since I've been here. I don't intend to.

In explaining to myself my ghoulish jewelry I have found comfort in the namesake of this city's theory of natural selection. But if I'm truthful to myself that argument holds little water. I keep thinking of a crocodile wearing my foot around it's neck. It scares me.

What scares me more is that I may be displaying bogan tendencies.

Not Just A Hole

2009-06-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

This is not just a hole. Of course I wouldn't have known this if I had walked past it on a weekday. If it were a workday I probably have jogged past it anyway.

The first time I went by this ditch I didn't even notice it. I was on my way to the museum and art gallery of the Northern Territory. I woke up on Saturday morning and knew that was the one thing I wanted to do with my day. Or at least the other thing than jogging 9km without stopping (which I did!).

On my way back to my flat I was in a plaque reading mood (I still had my museum eyes in). In
fact I saw the sign first. It said 'If I lie in this ditch you can get a very good view of the harbour' which was unusual I thought. I continued reading. It turns out this pretty normal looking hole was dug as a trench to defend the city during the World War II.

Not satisfied with this explanation I got down on my knees and had a look at the view myself (photo above). At that point I felt a real connection to Darwin's past, something I could only imagine as I walked around the museum jut a half hour earlier.

Great to Tree Here

2009-06-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I was impressed by the ruins of the Palmerston Town Hall, which was all but destroyed by Cyclone Tracy, but I'm more taken by this amazing tree's will to survive. It's called Galamarrma or the Tree of knowledge and you find it just outside the Darwin City Council Chambers (which are just across the road from where I'm working). In fact they had to build the chambers around the tree because it's so significant.

The sign near the Banyan tree says its been there since about 1898, which means it's survived three major cyclones and the bombing of Darwin. Over this time it's been an important meeting place to number of generations of Darwinians.

But it isn't the only amazing tree in the city. I've noticed several while I've been jogging and I plan to go back and take some photos of them.

As I stand in front of these trees I think of the comfort they give me. Not just from the shade they throw where I can escape the hot tropical sun, but through the things they remind me of. Stability, flexibility and life.

The Sun Also Sets

2009-06-08T04:12:00.000-07:00

My favourite Ryan Adams song is called the The Sun Also Sets, but it isn't the sunrise that captures your attention here. The sun takes it's sweet time to rise in the Top End. It comes up a little after 7am, but it takes a long and spectacular time in the evening to vanish below the watery Northern horizon.

The event starts just a bit after 5:30pm when the orange orb starts to dip towards the water. On the weekends many tourists stand on the beaches ,cameras at the ready to capture the beautiful end of the tropical day. For the past two days I've found my self among the holiday-makers witnessing the days close, although I only brought my camera along today.

This evening when I got to the beach at Cullen Bay (about 15 minutes walk from my flat) I was too late to the see the sun be devoured by the ocean, but the twilight was amazing. The navy blue of the water meeting the dark purple of the sky in a fuzzy peach light. It's such a romantic sight I started to really miss my partner, but there's only five more weeks till he'll be here. Now I've thought about that time line I'm going to make sure I see as many of the sunsets as I can. You really do feel like you're on the top of Australia when you see the sun fall over its edge.

Getting used to the sunshine

2009-06-03T06:08:00.001-07:00

Darwin is beginning to feel like home. I've been having some pretty good days. The sun being so bright as I walk to work in the morning makes the walk energising. The only thing is that you don't feel like sitting inside a sub Arctic air conditioned office when the weather is perfect. I've been making sure I pop out at lunch for at least 20 minutes to thaw out and soak in some of the day.

(photo above: Another glorious Darwin dry season day over the ruins of Palmerston Town Hall which was a casualty of Cyclone Tracy)

I had running club after work today, if my dodgy calculations are right I think I ran 3km in 11 minutes. I'm really enjoying how much I'm getting into running here although sometimes the temperature is a bit hot for it, but that's not enough to complain about.

I saw the signs

2009-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

I started the day with a jog. At 6:45am it was nice and cool and the humidity was low, but my head was still a little sleepy. As my mind started to awaken I noticed some unusual signs. The first one l had seen before, but never really thought about it. It has a picture of a runner and bicycle with a speed of 20km/h under it. As I shuffled I wondered what the sign was trying to tell me. Was it telling me to speed up to 20km/h or was it telling me not to exceed that speed?

The question didn't whirl around my head for too long as I was distracted by a truck that had a logo on it that said Dicks Pumping Service at this point I decided to put my head down and just run.

The Territory's seeping in

2009-05-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

The colour orange seems to be everywhere here. The sun-sets and the dirt (but I guess you call orange dirt red) are a vibrant shade of ochre. That colour has ingrained itself into my running shoes, which have been getting a bit of a beating at the moment as I train for the 1/2 half marathon I'm doing with my pal Melanie.

My fitness footware are glowing with the dust now as I went for a 40 minute jog this afternoon from my flat to through the botanic gardens. It was a very impressive running track and it also provided me with some hills, which are rare in the top end.

I thought I'd jog through the park to the suburb of Stuart Park. A place I thought was a fair ways away from my joint. But as it turned out the whole time I was looking for the way there I was actually right in the middle of it. I had one of those 'ah ha' moments when I realised that Darwin is a lot smaller than I thought. The city shrinks a little every time I gain a new geographical perspective.

After the run I did something I know not many people at home would have done. No I didn't crack open a coldie and go pig shooting...I went for a swim. Many people up here tell me its too cold at this time of year. But after a 40 minute sweat out in 30 degree heat getting in the pool was heavenly.

What a croc

2009-05-30T02:34:00.000-07:00

Today my friend Mel and I made the trip down to the (Croc INFESTED) Adelaide River to see the jumping crocodiles. I'm swas still feeling a little bit sick, I came down with something on Wednesday, but the trip really perked me up.

The crocodiles were spectacular. There's something about seeing a 4 meter long aggressive killing machine leap out of the water for a chop on stick, but once you've seen it about three of times you pretty much get the idea.

No, I found by the end of the excursion that I was more interested in the fiberglass crocodiles and the endless fun they provide snap happy tourists. Like Mel and me.

Tomorrow is going to be a more serious day as Mel and I get back into our running training. Now that should be spectacular.

I told you there were lizards!

2009-05-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

At last, today was a good day for lizards. I went back to my lunch spot near the Supreme Court today. I haven't had lunch there for about a week. I had been exploring other lunch time options. None of which have turned out to be as fine a place to digest the food and the first half of the day.

I sat there in the sun thinking about how lucky I was to be in tropical weather when the leaf litter started to rustle. Within a few seconds a little lizard sprang out onto the pavement in front of me. Then another one. The reptiles circled one another for a bit until one jumped on the other and they wrestled for a few minutes before they disappeared under more of the fallen leaves. They didn't stop wrestling as their rustling continued until I had eaten my last bite and headed to the office, to wrestle the rest of the days tasks.

Darwin takes the cake

2009-05-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to tell you about this even before I started this blog. I noticed these larger than life cakes on my second day in Darwin. I was walking along the Smith Street mall to work when I noticed these icing sugar gems out of the corner of my eye. It took me a few steps to register what they were. When I did I stopped and walked back for a closer look.

These cakes are in the front window of Darwin's biggest souvenir shop. The reason it's taken me so long to tell you about them is because I didn't want to take a photo when the shop was open as the people who run it hang out the front of it quite a bit. I had to get a photo first so you could fully appreciate them (or believe me). Tonight I was able to snap them under the cover of darkness.

At first I thought the cakes had crocodiles on them, but when I looked closer I realised that they sported buffaloes, teddy bears and Chinese dragons.

Even though they look spectacular I wouldn't eat one of them because the same ones have been sitting in the display window for the past 4 weeks, at least. I suspect they are not cakes at all but decorated Styrofoam.

Unknown Territory

2009-05-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

This evening saw my first excursion to what is known as the 'Darwin Rural Area', which spans for miles. We had an after work run scheduled at Knuckey Lagoon. It was a place that neither I or my work college(who was driving) had been to before, both being recent additions to the NT's population count.

'Don't worry...I have printed a map' I said as we were sprinting out the door with the minutes to the start time of our run counting down quickly.

' besides if we get lost we can always call to get directions' I said with a reassuring smile.

The car started. We rolled away from the kerb. I opened my bag to get out the map. I looked inside. Gees no map. I fumbled around for my phone. No phone. I had left both of these necessities on my desk in the rush to get out to the car.

I asked my work-mate if I could borrow their phone. No I couldn't as they had left it at home.

'We'll get there I said' trying to believe my own words.

We had a lovely sightseeing trip, traveling through suburbs we had not yet had the chance to experience.

It felt like we were heading in the right direction until we both got a sinking feeling that we could end up at Yularu if we kept heading the way we were going. We took the next right turn and things where looking O.K until we got to the main road.

My driver made the decision to go left. It was clear to both of us that we had not a clue about our exact coordinates and even less an idea about our destination.

It was at this moment I noticed a Darwin street directory wedged between the gear stick and the driver's seat. 'I don't own a map' my colleague said. It turns out someone had left it in her car. Luckily they did because not long after consulting the map we were at our destination.

Then we had to do the run.

A Wet Dry?

2009-05-19T04:59:00.001-07:00

You won't see rain, they told me on the phone before I came up to he Top End. It'll be the dry season they said, sunny everyday, not a drop, not a sprinkle of the wet stuff. But last night my suburb got cats and dogs.

It didn't rain for long, but it was intense. You can see hoe much fell by the level of water in the unit complex pool. The water lapped the bottom of the blue tiles yesterday afternoon, but this morning it was almost bursting over the pebble-crete banks.

There were even droplets of rain on the low water garden this morning.

The humidity has also returned. At the moment it's 9:30pm the temperature is still 27 C and the humidity is at 79%. It's a real reminder that you're in the tropics.

The weather bureau says it's not unusual for it to rain at in May, but they didn't have any rain during the month last year. They said we could expect a little bit more but it will be isolated. They also promise the steamy air will evaporate soon.

In some ways I've relived that the weather here has some level of unpredictability, because life can be pretty unexciting without surprises.

Beep, beep, beep

2009-05-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

No I'm not swearing. Last night I took a beep test. It was the first time in a very long time, I think I did one when I was at high school (but maybe that was in a movie a saw back in the day).

It's part of a running and fitness campaign work is doing and I though why not get involved, I'm up here to do something a bit different with my life. If you're not familiar with the fitness exam it involves running from one set of cones to another before the pre-recored beep beats you. As you progress through the levels the beeps get closer together and the test gets harder.

The test wasn't as scary as I imagined. I was doing well but I stopped at a point a few beeps before I would have passed out or vomited or maybe even both. I got up to level 8-4 which is pretty good.

The goal I'm working towards is to do a 5km run in a respectable time. I know its not very ambitious but hey it's a start.

So the training started today. I just got back from the gym, legs this morning. I hope they're not too sore tomorrow as I've got another run as part of the campaign. I wounder if I can still eat Barra Burgers?

The Other Side

2009-05-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

I saw the Top End from a different perspective today. From the Cox Peninsular, which is the other side of Darwin Harbour.

I took the ferry from Cullen Bay across to Mandorah with a friend from work and some of her friends. There's not much near the ferry terminal on the other side, but there is a very relaxed pub which also has motel style accommodation.

Many people make the 20 minute voyage across the harbour mouth just to chill out at the pub, but some people live over there and some people take their bikes on the ferry with them so they can do a bit of riding on the other side.

I was there to chill and to eat. It was lunch time and I was very hungry. Since I've been in the top end I've heard a few people mention the 'Barra Burger' (I don't think they have any other type of fish up here). But for the last month I've been dying to try one and today I did.

I wasn't disappointed it was just what I needed on sleepy Sunday afternoon, battered fish and mayonnaise.

It was great to get out of the city for a bit. It reminded me in some ways of Stockton (across the Harbour from Newcastle) or Manly, in that you do feel relaxed looking back at the fast pace of the city. Although in this case that pace isn't too fast.

Easterly Run

2009-05-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Had a great start to the weekend. For the first time since I've been in the Top End I was able to sleep in till the sun was well and truly up. Then I pottered around the flat, not exciting reading but it was great.

Don't get me wrong...I was active today and I saw some of the beautiful scenery at the same time. Mel from work (and also from http://meltriestorun.blogspot.com/) and I went for a six km jog from Fannie Bay to East Point along the water-side track. As we were jogging the sun was setting over the water and the temperature was cooling off. The coastline is a jagged row of cliffs that glow an amazing pink at twilight.

The jog reminded me how much I enjoy get outdoors away from the treadmill and the elliptical trainer

For a reward after the hard work we went to the flicks to catch the movie Samson and Delia. Its the story of two young people from a central Australian community. It was a very confronting, but worthwhile film to see. I thought the ending had a sense of positivity to it, but you should see it and let me know what you think.

I have committed to another run with Mel next week. This time 8km!

Hold the Phone: Doing Things the Darwin Way

2009-05-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

If you need to contact someone in Darwin the phone is sometimes not the most practical way of going about it. Today I was trying to get some one for work. I was calling and calling the number they were supposed to be near, but no answer.

After the third attempt I thought the place were they were was only around the corner and I was in need of a fresh air break so I walked overm there. I went inside and had a quick chat . Within minutes I had accomplished my work related task and had communed with the outside world.

When I got back to the office I talked about my experience with a colleague who told me that when the phones at work stopped working a staff member got up from their desk and walked out of the building around the corner to the state office of the telco and got one of their staff to come back to look at the problem.

Top End lesson: your fingers don't always have to do the walking.

Oh No Cold Today

2009-05-13T04:06:00.001-07:00

I got out of bed this morning at 7 o'clock. I got dressed in my gym cloths, grab my towel and started the two block journey to the health club. As I rounded the corner of my street I felt a strange thing. Something I haven't experienced for the past three and a bit weeks. A cool breeze, blowing up from central Australia.

At first it was confronting, then comforting.

While I was sweating it out on the treadmill I heard on the radio that for the first time this year the mercury had dipped below 20 degrees. In fact it had got down to a chilly 19 degrees, but the expected top for today was still 32.

After my work out as I walked back to my flat I thought to myself about what here is the colder weather and smiled. This is about as hot as it gets in Newcastle in the middle of summer.

Tonight I'm sitting in my room and for the first time ever without my ceiling. The current outside temprature is 23 degrees. I'm not going to buy a fleecy track suit any time soon.

Lizards Who Sometimes Lunch

2009-05-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

It's so cold in the office I have to get outside for lunch. Well that's my excuse. It's true that the air conditioning is a little colder than I'd like but I do love to sit and eat my lunch on a bench between the Supreme Court and the NT Parliament house.

Where I sit you can look out across the manicured lawns and the water of Beagle Gulf to the Cox Peninsular. Next to the bench there is an amazing tree that has roots hanging down from it's branches searching for nutrients. The tree has a tag nailed to it that says it's spectacular enough to be a significant tree listed on the important trees register.

But what about the lizards the title of this post alludes to? They weren't there today(of course it was the only time so far I've taken my camera along), but they're there. You see them come out of the leafy undergrowth to catch some of the rays of the hot northern sunlight. Some of them are big, others no so and although they're all shy they have loads of personality.

Today it was my turn to bask in the sun for a couples of minutes. Who knows, mabe my legs might get a bit of a healthy glow.

So Far, But So Close

2009-05-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be a time to get away from it all. Relax. Take stock of life.

Living in the Northern tropical Territory is wonderful. Its warm when it should be cold. The sun sets over the beach (if you're on the right one) and the atmosphere laid-back.

But I felt I needed to share the experience. To do that you have be connected to the world. So although I've sought of dropped out for a bit, I'm now plugged in from home. The thing to remember now is to turn the computer off and go outside and experience where I am.

So in the interests of accountability I'm publishing a blog to make sure I actually go out and take those photos, meet new people and hear some fantastic stories.