Good Lookin' Kid!

This is Junior, he is a handsome bloke!

Getting Sleepy, Time for a Walk-about

It really is a long drive from Darwin to home in Jabiru, the last stretch is about 220 kilometers and at this time of the year, you might only pass one or two other cars in the whole time. There didn't used to be a speed limit so you could go like a bat out of hell, but because of the multitude of deaths on the NT roads they have now imposed a limit of 130kph which is equal to about 81mph. I start to get sleepy and then I have to stop and splash water on my face and jog up and down the road a couple of times, then I climb back in, put the iPod on to whatever book I am listening to (Odd Thomas the Monk this time) and then off we go until I have to do it all over again. Sometimes I just give up and have a nap! You can see the spear grass starting to come up in this photo. It is not as tall as last year because it has not been as wet but the monsoon seemingly is here for real now so that should speed up the growth from here on in.

The Road to Darwin in February

This is a pretty ominous sky and the rains came not too much later, but isn't it something how the sky is so black ahead but the sun still shining from behind creates such a contrast!



All throughout the flood plain you can find groups of these water lilies, they are a vivid pink and so beautiful. The aboriginal people eat parts of them. I like this photo with the rain coming down in the background.



Just a little further up the road is this huge grove of pandanus trees, there are thousands of them. They are such a beautiful tree, I love the look of them.



It has not been a heavy wet so far this year, not nearly as much rain as last year, but as you can see it is slowly filling up the creek beds that have been dry for months. If I had my fishing rod with me I would try a few casts at these spots, the big barra are running!

BIG Skies

I never cease to be dumbstruck by the immensity and beauty of the sky here. Later these clouds built up into thunderheads and I went through some heavy rain and storm, it is all pretty humbling!

February Scenes

I thought this made a striking photo with the clouds seeming to explode behind the tree.





These are Magpie Geese, and in the bottom pic you can see their heads peeping up above the grass in the floodplane, there are thousands of them in the grass and if something spooks them and they all take off at one time, the sky gets dark and the noise of their flapping wings is amazing.

Magela in February 2007

We are fishing in the Magela again!. The wet was a little late this year but has arrived sufficiently to bring the creeks up. Magela is now pretty much impassable for any kind of wheeled vehicle. This is the 3rd year I have seen it and it still amazes me where all the water comes from and where it goes during the dry. There was not even a trickle across the road in mid January, now it is just under 2 meters deep. Same at 3 Bridges, all three waterways are full not to mention every little culvert along the road. No legal catches for me yet, I remain eternally hopeful!

Ian and Fattso!

We delivered a washing machine to Mudgenberri this morning and the family pig, aptly named Fattso came out to help. He took a particular liking to Ian, I personally kept my distance, of course as the official photographer it was a necessary choice! Red was dying to get out of the jeep and get to know Fattso up close and personal, Bird however was quite disdainful, peered out the window for a moment, twitched her nose and then curled up on the seat and went to sleep. She much perfers roos and wallabies and I had to hang on to her tightly when we passed a group of them grazing in the lush green of the wet.

The Wet is Here Again

I was in Darwin the end of last week, went through some very impressive rains. There was a cyclone lurking about which combined with the onset of the wet made for some very wet indeed conditions, not to mention scary and amazing skies. Have a look!