On the road with Flynn and Aidan: Camping under a bright moon!!

Aidan- too cute!!!

Bruce and Ros at the dawn service

Nick went to the Anzac Day dawn service at Adelaide River along with about 3,000 other people. There were lots of airforce and navy people there in uniforms and Adelaide River is known to provide the best dawn service in the NT.

The Adelaide River war cemetery is the only place in Australia where troops that have died on Australian soil are buried; there are over 400 men buried there. The memorial garden is tropical and lush, but what made it special for Nick was knowing many of the locals who read, sang or were a part of the service. The boys and I met Nick at the breakfast that is held at the racecourse afterwards. Our friend Bruce ran the two-up. Anyone who has played a board game (particularly backgammon) with Nick knows that he always throws the winning numbers. He didn't fail to deliver at two up, and he came home with an extra eighty dollars in the pocket.

Nick and I and the boys had an impromptu camp at Walker Creek in Litchfield last weekend. We stayed one night in a house with our friends that live out there, and they invited us to stay on and go camping with them the next night. We stayed at a gorgeous campsite that had its own little pool with a waterfall. The boys were very excited and jumped around the tent crazily for 45 minutes then they flaked it and were out for the night. It was very cosy with the four of us on a double mattress, but we worked it out! I couldn't believe how bright the moon was, it was streaming through the tent (a fly screen only tent) and it woke me up a few times. We found out later that the moon was the brightest it has been in many years, about 30% brighter than normal! I always associate camping with being cold, would you believe we slept all night in t-shirts!!

Paul's curry crab. Caught by himself. Delicious!!

Crazy kids and crazy dog going crazy over bubbles!

The next morning I had to work in Batchelor, about one hours drive away, so it was up early for the walk back to the car. We were very lucky not to step on a snake that was sleeping on a step (it looked a lot like a brown snake). Nick walked right past it and turned around by chance to help Flynn down when he saw it. Thankfully no one stepped on it. We went a little slower from there on and didn't see another! It is snake season up here at the moment and we have seen a lot lately (more about that soon).

Walker Creek. Great swimming with a ranger- Paul got in first with the goggles to give the 'croc all clear'

Our campsite at Walker Creek

Nadia, Paul and Lenny at Walker Creek

Resident water monitor at Cameron Downs

I had my first call out with the volunteer fire and rescue crew. It was good to finally have a call out and get the butterflies out of the way (I have been feeling a little nervous). As far as it goes it was a good 1st call out to have as it was to assist in a controlled burn. Everyone up here is madly back burning before the dry sets in. There are some nasty grasses up here that invade everywhere and grow over six feet tall. In the dry it burns and can get a bit scary, so people back burn now to prevent uncontrollable fires. Saying that, a back burn got out of control and was heading for the school and some houses in Batchelor. So our job was to help NT fires back burn towards the fire to stop it. We made sure that the fire didn't jump across the track and go where we didn't want it to go. So it was hot work walking alongside the truck and the fire with a hose at the ready. I must say that I have never been that close to a fire and at one point the back burn really kicked off, and it was a pretty amazing sight with the sound and the smoke.

The new house at Cameron Downs is fantastic and we are loving living in the country. There are new things to see and do every day. Angus, the owner of the cattle station was rounding up some cattle with the helicopter the other morning, so the boys had a exciting time watching this go on. We also had a few intruders in the middle of the night and I woke Nick with a fright, thinking there were people walking around the house. It was actually 15 buffalo and their calves walking outside the house and they looked spectacular in the morning fog. They are quite dangerous though as they are known to charge and are spooked really easily. Every day is different here, and you see something new. The poor buffalo didn't last long, they were shooed away by the neighbours and the remaining buffalo was shot and butchered beside the driveway, sorry- not a very nice story. The amazing thing was the birds had come to clean up the rest; so there must have been two dozen hawks and when I came riding by they all took flight. It was a truly amazing sight!

Back to the snakes. We had a spider in the house, so as the resident creepy crawly handler, I scooped it into a cup and went to throw it outside. As I was going out, there was a snake on the doorstep on its way in. I freaked out and slammed the door. The snake freaked out and went and hid on the verandah. We watched it slither out and identified it as a golden tree snake (harmless, not aggressive and quite beautiful looking). The funny thing had a play around the verandah for a while, had a climb on the kids climbing equipment, then slithered up the gas bottle and watched us ferry various items to and from the car for the next 20 minutes!

Which brings me to my birthday. Every day at work I have a new story from Cameron Downs; the animals that we have spotted etc. So my birthday cake at work contained assorted animals that I have spotted including jelly snakes, pigs made of icing and a donut crocodile- very cute! In the corner was a yeti with the words 'yet to see'. Lets hope not, but I was told that there is a group of people who camp nearby to try and spot the yeti that supposedly lives there!! They might find some of those magic mushrooms there too!

Aidan, Mum and Flynn at Darwin wave pool

Nick flew off to Melbourne for the Richmond, Sydney game, thanks to the generosity of his friend Philip. Unfortunately what Phillip didn't know was that it was my birthday and my husband was therefore deserting me for my birthday and mothers day!! Never mind! Mum came to the rescue with an impromptu visit to darwin and the boys and I and Mum had a great time. We had a busy itinerary with a visit to the wave pool, museum, markets and other fun things! Unfortunately it took Mum about 14 hours to get home due to flight cancellations and delays so I hope that hasn't put her off visiting again! Nick had a fantastic time at home and it was really nice that he got to see his Mum, Trish for her birthday and Mother's Day.