Christmas Day in the Alice, lounging by the pool. Really just killing time, because there's nought to be done around here. AS is pretty quiet on a good day, so today the town is dead. Dutch Rob from my room, German Lucas and French David are all hanging about the pool as well, doing nothing.
Went to the cinema last night - Mission Impossible IV. Forgettable really, but the only alternative to being in a pub which is not in Rathfarnham. Went to the church afterwards, arriving at 11.10pm for actual midnight mass. Choir was practising, so kept me entertained. Realised I was still going on only an hour's sleep the night proper, and running on fumes. Nice ceremony, felt like a very friendly community. Lots of Indonesian and probably Filipino features, some Aborigines, Caucasians - all colours. Got home around 1.30am, feeling like maybe it was Christmas after all. Helped also by the arrive of three cards from home.
Back to the coastal trip: leaving Pardoo Station on the 21st, we were heading to Broome, aiming for 1-2pm arrival. First we just had to change the flat tyre. Rory and Seán did the hard work, Martin helping. No room for me, so grabbed breakfast. 10mins on the road, and the Diesel Particulate Defuser started alarming. Had to wait for 20mins for it to fix itself after Sean did some twiddling. 5mins later, smoke started coming through the front air vents. Back to Pardoo! Helped Seán tilt the cab of the truck, but no obvious problem. Spell in the pool before hitting the road again. Couldn't find any way to fix it, so front a/c was off, and we used water pistols to cool Sean and Angie off while they sat in the front.
Lunch at Eighty Mile Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand, but no swimming. 2min shopping spree, and lunch on a shady verandah. Arrive in Broome around 5.30pm, rendezvous on a beach for a fiery sunset and some average fish and chips. Adjourn to the Divers' Tavern for $9 pints and some Aussie singer-songerwriter entertainment. All the group came, and Seán.
Hostel breakfast in the morning (22nd) with Rory, Sandy and Seán, and later Inge. They headed into town, I killed time on the Internet after a goodbye, waiting for my flight. Taxi to the airport, plane went via Kununwarra, got to the hostel in Darwin at 6pm on the dot.
Went to the cinema last night - Mission Impossible IV. Forgettable really, but the only alternative to being in a pub which is not in Rathfarnham. Went to the church afterwards, arriving at 11.10pm for actual midnight mass. Choir was practising, so kept me entertained. Realised I was still going on only an hour's sleep the night proper, and running on fumes. Nice ceremony, felt like a very friendly community. Lots of Indonesian and probably Filipino features, some Aborigines, Caucasians - all colours. Got home around 1.30am, feeling like maybe it was Christmas after all. Helped also by the arrive of three cards from home.
***
Back to the coastal trip: leaving Pardoo Station on the 21st, we were heading to Broome, aiming for 1-2pm arrival. First we just had to change the flat tyre. Rory and Seán did the hard work, Martin helping. No room for me, so grabbed breakfast. 10mins on the road, and the Diesel Particulate Defuser started alarming. Had to wait for 20mins for it to fix itself after Sean did some twiddling. 5mins later, smoke started coming through the front air vents. Back to Pardoo! Helped Seán tilt the cab of the truck, but no obvious problem. Spell in the pool before hitting the road again. Couldn't find any way to fix it, so front a/c was off, and we used water pistols to cool Sean and Angie off while they sat in the front.
Lunch at Eighty Mile Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand, but no swimming. 2min shopping spree, and lunch on a shady verandah. Arrive in Broome around 5.30pm, rendezvous on a beach for a fiery sunset and some average fish and chips. Adjourn to the Divers' Tavern for $9 pints and some Aussie singer-songerwriter entertainment. All the group came, and Seán.
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| Eighty Mile Beach |
***
Hostel breakfast in the morning (22nd) with Rory, Sandy and Seán, and later Inge. They headed into town, I killed time on the Internet after a goodbye, waiting for my flight. Taxi to the airport, plane went via Kununwarra, got to the hostel in Darwin at 6pm on the dot.
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