September 30, 2013

DARWIN ADVENTURES


So it's been ages since I've posted, but I've been long overdue to share a recent amazing vacation with you all!  A lot has happened since, but I suppose I've gotta catch up on the oldest events before I can catch up to present.

At the end of July Tom and I took a much anticipated trip to Australia's top end to explore Kakadu National Park.  We stayed in Darwin for a couple nights and then headed off on a 5-day guided 4WD tour through the most remote parts of the already remote Kakadu National Park.  I know most people wouldn't take a week of annual leave to sleep in a tent, but hey, I'm not most people, and falling asleep while listening to dingos howl at the full moon is a pretty magical thing.  I was certainly a happy camper- in the most literal sense of the phrase.



I don't know how to describe the landscape of the Northern Territory except to say that it reminds me of what I imagine East Africa must look like during the dry season.  Savannah-like plains with scrubby trees and red dirt give way to lush oases where the water still flows, and animals roam more widely than humans.  It's a special place, with ancient origins as one of the longest continuously settled areas by Aboriginal Australians, and maybe by any human civilization anywhere.  Above all, its an awe inspiring place that I hope remains respected and protected for ages to come.

Below are some shots from trip... it was impossible to chose only a few!