Darwin (Tuesday)

Something very exciting happened today!!! For those of you who don't know, my family had Cindy, a Swiss exchange student, stay with us for ten months up until July. The last month she has been traveling northern Australia and she just happened to be in Darwin for the last day of her trip!! I knew she was up this way, and sent her a message in case- so glad I remembered last night! The boys (who eventually got up at almost midday) and I had headed to town to do a few jobs and I got a call from Cindy. So glad we hadn't had room for me in the ute! So I left them and went off to find the CBD.
I found Cindy and her sister Livia easily enough and we spent a couple of hours wandering the city and getting gifts for people. Also, I found sushi!!! So excited after a week of carnival and truck stop food!!!
The heat up here is crazy. It's like hot Tassie summer weather! It was still 32 degrees at 5 in the afternoon! I had to find a dress from the depths of my bag. And my feet are swelling something shocking up here. You can make shapes with them, there is so much fluid in them....
On a more positive note, my feet are coming along slowly, and I changed the dressing on my noob yesterday. Sorry Doc, not quite healed, but getting close. It's going to scar a bit more than I was hoping. Guess I won't forget that lesson in a hurry!
After my visit with Cindy, I headed back to camp, via Coles. The boys were doing a BBQ and I needed salad. I got back expecting the boys to be running a few steers and there were 20 people there! At least! Apparently this is where everyone comes to practise. They were here practising until after dark. I watched a bit then sat in the sun to read...
After they finished Brock cooked up the meat and I made a Greek salad which was received a lot better than I expected for a bunch of cowboys. Especially since it had goats cheese!
I'm going to share something with you. I am really struggling with the attitude towards the aboriginals up here. I was raised to have a more understanding nature, and I can see the reasons why things have happened the way they have. But I'm hearing a lot of stories that really disturb me, and suddenly I don't know what to think. A friend of mine said a few weeks ago this trip would be one of self discovery. I didn't really think much of it at the time, but I think he may be right. I wish I could talk to mum about this. I have really been missing her while she's away. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy they have finally done their trip, but I'm used to having her a phone call away- she's my rock. I could have a sensible discussion about it with her. Everyone up here know exactly what they think. And fair enough, they have always lived around the aboriginal people, they have their own experiences, whereas I don't. And I would like to form my own opinion. It's doing my head in!
In other news, I finished the fifty shades trilogy. Great books!
Hopefully catch up with a few friends over the next couple of days while the boys go fishing and golfing.
Now, bed time!

Crocodile Cindy Dundee

A few of our boots