I'm somewhere else.
Back soon, with photos.
Relative danger
One of the major warning signs that the Top End's dry season has kicked in, apart from the blustery easterlies and bushfires, is rellies lobbing on your doorstep. Oh, well.
Another danger sign is the start of Darwin's world famous Mindil Beach Markets. They kick off on Thursday and will continue through to October or thereabouts.
Cartoon copyright © Northern Territory News. Please don't pinch it.
Australian Idol
Did I pass the audition? No.
Cartoon copyright © Northern Territory News. Please don't pinch it.
On the beach
Last week's funny one. Darwin's Mindil Beach has been named one of Australia's sexiest by US company Forbes Traveller. Obviously somebody spotted me lounging around down there in my Speedos. Heh heh.
Cartoon copyright © Northern Territory News. Please don't pinch it.
No tsunami today
Bit of a shake around lunchtime in Darwin today. According to the local weather bureau, who've started issuing Earth Tremor Bulletins after larger ones, a 5.1 magnitude quake occurred at 12:45 pm in the Banda Sea, 650km north of us. There was no tsunami threat.
BTW, if you do happen to feel the earth move the fastest way to find the where and the how big is through the US Geological Survey Earthquake page. They had today's quake on their world map within about five minutes. Isn't the modern world terrific?
Cartoon copyright © Northern Territory News. Please don't pinch it.
The colour purple
Everyone knows Darwin has the best sunsets in the world. Mere words rarely do them justice. That doesn't stop some people from trying, though. This appeared in today's paper:
You can only imagine the electrifying vista as the western sky ignites in a kaleidoscope of colour as tropical monsoonal storms roll in over the ocean or the taut tangerine rays of a retiring sun sink slowly into the indigo waters of the bay...
Surely real estate agents are the most gifted writers around. They churn this stuff out week after week with absolutely no fear of the harm they may inflict upon their own proud literary heritage. Good on them, I say. The sheer emotional impact of such stirling stuff is almost enough to make one want to rush out straight away to buy that chic and prestigiously-located foreshore townhouse with the awe-inspiring uninterrupted views of the inspiringly endless coastal panorama.
If only I had the money.
Crocodile jocks
This week's funny one. Elton John is coming to Darwin! Hooray! The singer will be bringing his stage show to the city next month at the end of his Asian tour.
Cartoon copyright © Northern Territory News. Please don't pinch it.
Milestone
The development of any child is usually marked by a series of momentous and celebratory events; the first tentative steps, the first word, the first tooth, the first day at school etcetera. Now the apprentice, at age six, has unexpectedly chalked up another milestone. He has been booted out of a Darwin restaurant for the very first time. He is an early achiever. It didn't happen to me until I was 27.
To be fair, the little fellow wasn't actually booted out. It was more a refusal-of-entry type situation. For wearing thongs (aka flip-flops in more sophisticated regions of the world.) Of course, these are no ordinary thongs we're talking about. They are Havaianas, the trendiest flip-flops money can buy. Nothing's too good for our kid, you hear?
Anyway, the restaurant owner spotted the boy's sartorial blunder as soon as we stepped into the airconditioned bliss of the tastefully decorated interior. (Thank goodness he didn't notice my sandals were somewhat mouldy. I don't participate in footwear that often myself, you know.) Despite the politeness of the request that we sit outside due to the thong problem the apprentice was most upset that he had ruined any chance we had of dining in climate controlled comfort. We managed to calm him down with lemonade.
Naturally, five minutes later a family of five rocked up, waltzed inside and sat at a table right on the other side of the window. They had a ball and appeared to enjoy the tastefully decorated airconditioned interior of the restaurant. Without arousing any suspicion I carefully inspected their feet through the glass. The horror! One of the children was wearing thongs! I weighed up the options. Should I
a) report the criminal child to the appropriate authorities immediately?
b) create a scene while doing so?
c) or wait until their banquet arrived and then report the criminal child, create a scene and demand that they be herded outside with us, table and all?
It was a tough call. In the end I decided to take no action. The apprentice was over it, happily emitting lemonade burps. Kids are like that. They don't stew on things like big people do. They move on. There's a moral in there somewhere but buggered if I know what it is.
Toad busted
Just encountered my first Darwin cane toad, pancaked onto the road outside a neighbour's house. Hooray! They're here, finally. The cartoon above is from 2003 but it's still a terrific idea. I'll be getting hold of a cricket bat for Mrs W as soon as possible.
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