We were slow to rise this morning, after a late night. We had sat up until well past the witching hour, absorbing the rays put out by the television. We have become hooked on the TV series ‘The Shield’ which we brought with us. We had planned to watch an episode every now and then, to fill in our quiet moments, but have found ourselves making excuses to lock ourselves within the van to catch a sneaky episode here and there. At this rate, we will have viewed every last episode within the next week or so. That will equate to nearly 70 hours spent with our eyes glued to the TV, when we could be out seeing everything that Australia has to offer. Although that is why we are trying to take our time. We don’t want to be rushed off of our feet every single day, and need to kick back and relax at times too. This is after all, a holiday for us.

It was midday by the time we stumbled, bleary eyed and tired, out of the van to head off to do a bit more exploring around the suburbs of Darwin. We headed down to the supposedly up and coming area of Palmerston, where we located a small shopping centre which proudly lay claim to having Darwins only ‘Target’ store. Honestly, they treat this like a big thing.

Apart from the much acclaimed ‘Target’ store, there was not much else to see in Palmerston, so needless to say, we didn’t stop for too long. We were able to pick up a cheap electric fan however, thinking it might be just enough to push the stagnant air about the interior of the van, allowing us to leave the air conditioner switched off. At $4.80, if it doesn’t work out, it won’t be too much of a hit to the hip pocket at least. At a camping store just down the road, we also collected a 12 volt fan, for nights when we don’t have access to power. At nearly 10 times the price, this is a more costly gamble, but if it means we can camp in relative comfort, without having to pay for a caravan park, it will soon pay for itself. Well, it had better.

Our next stop was at the Darwin Aviation Heritage Museum, which is home to one of only two American B52 bombers on permanent display outside of the states. Having visited this museum just last year, we had decided not to take the time to browse through the displays again. I however, had seen a book here last year, which I didn’t buy. It wasn’t until we returned home from our last trip, that I found that this was about the only place I could purchase the book, so for the last 12 months, I’ve been planning on returning here, purely to buy myself that book. Now, I have it. All about the bombing of Darwin, written by Jack Mullholland, one of the Australian anti-aircraft gunners who is credited with firing the first allied shots against the Japanese marauders.

We then snuck back to the van for an afternoon rest, which you can translate as a private screening for two, of another couple of episodes of ‘The Shield’. Being that the temperature is a muggy 34^oC outside, Bec quickly wilts out in the heat, so the afternoon rests in the air conditioned comfort of the van are an essential part of the day. Apart from that, it gives us a chance to spend some time with the dogs, who apart from their twice daily walks, have been cooped up in the van since we got here. Not that they seem to be complaining, as their tolerance to the hot weather is up there with Becs.

Having chilled out for a while, it was time to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the Mindil Beach Night Markets. Unlike some of the markets we have wandered through, the Mindil Markets are a Darwin institution. Anyone who has been to Darwin, or has even just thought about coming to Darwin, will know something about the Mindil Markets. There promised to be great range of stalls, selling a little bit of everything, with much raved about food stalls in abundance. Hence, we decided to grab our dinner once there.

What I didn’t expect, was the traffic snarls in the streets surrounding the market area. The car parking was on a first come, first served basis, wherever you could fit on a large grassed expanse of land just adjacent where the market was set up. Already in full swing by the time we arrived about a half an hour after opening time, we found a spare piece of ‘The Beast’ sized grass, and headed into the throng. It was crazy, with disorganized rows of stalls set up, selling all sorts of goods. If you wanted an authentic, painted before your very eyes piece of Aboriginal art. Mindil Markets. Lightweight linen pants and tops. Mindil Markets. Personally autographed by the author books. Mindil Markets. Handmade leather goods, or hats, bags and sandals from recycled truck tyres and canvas tarps. You guessed it, all available here at the Mindil Markets. I even had the chance to embarrass myself trying mostly unsuccessfully to crack a stock whip. And we hadn’t even begun to look at the food yet!

Sending photos to friends, Becs version of blogging is more immediate than mine.

Before we did decide upon which delights to dine, we headed up and over the dune to the talcum powder like sand of the beach, to watch a perfect sunset over the calm waters of Fannie Bay. We waded along in the warm water, as the perfect golden orb of the sun quickly descended through a cloudless sky to dip below the horizon. I have seen many beautiful sunsets in my time, and this one rates well and truly up there as one of the best. It’s a rare occurrence for an east coast boy to see the sun set over water, and for the view to be unhindered by cloud makes it all the more enchanting.

The perfect sunset.

The sun down, we then delved back into the rapidly increasing mob of shoppers, lapping up the atmosphere as the fairy lights came to life, throwing out a dim light just bright enough by which to see. Making our way down the long aisle of food stalls, that were selling just as varied a selection as the general goods stalls, we were drawn from side to side by the exotic smells. From all corners of the globe, there was something sure to satisfy even the most discerning palate.

The hustle and bustle of the Mindil Markets.

It was getting a little harried by this stage though, as we were bumped, pushed and shoved about the dense crowd, the hot air about us motionless and clammy, so we quickly made our selections, before finding a convenient raised garden bed to use as a bench, where we could withdraw from the worst of the overbearing mass to enjoy our food.

Not wanting to endure the crowds any more, we ate quickly, then made our way back to ‘The Beast’ to find the roads similarly clogged, with cars going every which way. It seemed like almost every living sole within cooee of Mindil makes the market their weekly junket. It was mad. And all for a market that I would describe as being slightly overrated. Stay tuned as we head back for round 2 next week though. Well, we have to return, because I’ve decided that I should have bought one of the autographed books that I mentioned earlier, given that I’ve been carrying around a leaflet about the author since I picked it up in Mataranka a few weeks ago. Now I’m going to have to keep my fingers crossed that he makes a return next week, or else I’ll be planning another pilgrimage to Darwin for this time next year, just to buy another book. It sure is a long trip to make each year purely to add tomes to my library.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.