Ski season is just about here. There are some great offers on some great resorts ready for you to book before December 15th. Who wants to get their ski vacation on the calendar? A ski vacation is a great choice, and we would love to help you plan it. Learn more on our Snow Ski Adventures page.
Take two! Hopefully, this one actually works this time. It's been eventful, to be sure. After last night's fun, the flight pair I was moved to that would have taken me to Tampa, and then to Indy, changed this morning. The Tampa to IND flight was canceled at about 5:30 this morning! Sigh. Back to the counter. Sweet and polite once more, and the nice lady found me a canceled seat on the 10:50 am flight which is nonstop and was not there last night! But then the flight was delayed due to weather in Houston, causing the plane to arrive late in Denver. But I'm on the plane now waiting to leave. Pray, I get home with no more issues. I love Southwest, but again...none of us control the weather! Gotta roll with the punches, and just smile. Blessed are the flexible, for they won't get bent out of shape... but I don't want to set foot in an airport for a little bit. The overnight in Denver did more of a number on my body than the flights to/from Sydney. I'm exhausted. Going to sleep well tonight.
During my walkabout in Darwin, I came across this fun, big, yellow box. Inside were some fun games. What a great way to spend a lunch break!
On Thursday, we enjoyed a slower morning with a full circuit on the Hop On Hop Off bus around Darwin. Following that, we separated and walked around the CBD (central business district) and did some shopping, or dining, or exploring as we saw fit before heading to the airport for our flight to Sydney. More street art, and some nice views of the water and some historic buildings. Darwin is a nice, and easily navigable city.
Living in the land down under... it's just another condiment option at every hotel's breakfast bar! Spread it THINLY on toast. Never overdo it!
It's another warm one here in the NT, and at 4pm we're still not to the day's top temperature. But it's a dry heat so it's tolerable. Add the humidity that comes in the summer and it would just be miserable. For now, we're all staying hydrated and are as clear and copious as possible, moving into the shade whenever possible, keeping our sunnies on, and regularly applying the suncream. This Scouter has been helping ensure that we've all been just fine.
And below is a compilation of signs from our hike yesterday in Maguk... ALWAYS pay attention to your surroundings! Crocs can be anywhere. And most important...whatever you do...
♫ never smile at a crocodile, no you can't get friendly with a crocodile... ♫
In the afternoon we arrived at Nitmiluk National Park and our Lodge for the night. We went over to the boat launch to enjoy a cruise and hike between two of the 13 gorges that make up Katherine Gorge (two cruise experiences with a hike between each gorge to get from boat to boat). It was a nice and relaxing time after much go, go, go the past few days. Not much wildlife but we did see our first freshwater crocodile.
After our two-gorge cruise and hike, we hiked back to the first gorge and were picked up by the dinner boat and then enjoyed a nice, three-course candlelight dinner cruise back through the first gorge. What an amazing adventure that was! Our own real-life "jungle cruise" has happened multiple times and in multiple ways this week. I love it. Plus, while I couldn't get great photos of them, last night was our first time to be in total darkness, and enjoy a beautifully decorated starry sky! It was simply stunning. So many wonderful experiences that you too could enjoy here in the top end of Australia's outback. And at the end of the evening, though my camera didn't capture them very well, the starfield was incredible as there was absolutely zero light pollution in the gorge. Stunning to enjoy looking at, for certain!
It's warmed up a little more, on its way to 103 this afternoon.
Our first stop after leaving Darwin took us to the Jumping Crocodile Cruise on the Adelaide River, where they truly aren't kidding about keeping your hands, arms, feet, legs, and heads inside the boat at ALL times!
So what exactly is this conference that brought me to Australia you ask, and why Perth?
The conference itself is called Corroboree West 2019 and is designed to provide continuing education and familiarization to travel professionals from assorted Western nations. It takes place every two years and is put on by the country's tourism authority, Tourism Australia, in an effort to help non-Aussies better know and understand what they are recommending to their clients. The reality is that you can't Google experience, and who better to invite to the country than the people working hard to sell the country to tourists? Here's a little bit about the conference itself.
"CW19 is a combined training workshop and familiarization event held exclusively for Aussie Specialist advisors from our Western markets. Here, Aussie Specialists will meet with around 100 Australian tourism operators during the workshop and networking events, followed by a six-day/five-night famil in a different part of Australia."
And then here's a little bit about "why Perth".
"Perth is the ideal location to host Corroboree West 2019 as it is regularly ranked in the top 10 most liveable, friendly and attractive cities in the world. The sun shines for an average of nine hours per day and finding ways to enjoy them is easy, with a huge variety of things to do. New attractions, accommodation, restaurant and food & wine offerings, cultural and entertainment precincts are continuing to change the face of Perth."
On the first day of CW19, the Dingos enjoyed a tour of King's Park & Botanical Gardens, one of the largest inner-city parks in the world at over 400 hectares filled with towering trees, lakes, views of the city, WWI and WWII memorials, and the gardens feature 3,000 of Australia's 12,000 plant species.
