After a few gloriously lubricated days in Darwin, it was time to take leave of my new found friends, the Dickenson’s…
I had been more than royally entertained at Grungle Downs, and like many other wonderful people I have met so far on my tour, I had made another set of life-long friends…!!
More laughing and taking the piss than the average man can stand...!! Fortunately, we are not average men...!!
I spent the day after our boat trip on Corroborree Creek, preparing my gear, and with Paul’s assistance, also managed to straighten my spotlight bracket and the headlamp protector bracket which had been damaged when the Big Fella had his argument with the scooter in Flores…
Christie very kindly offered to add my washing to her laundry basket, while Paul and I tinkered around with the bike… That done, we settled down to relax on our last day together, promising ourselves that we would get an early night for a change, as I planned to leave when the sun came up the following morning…!! Best laid plans, and all that…!!
The Boys and their Toys...!! Getting rid of me might require being towed out to the main road...!!
" If I had a bigger engine on this thing, I'd come with you, but Christie would probably kill me if drinking with you didn't do the job first...!!"...
Christie got to feel what being in the Big Fella's saddle was like...!!
Getting my big boy ready for the long ride to Kununurra...
We reminisced about the week we had spent in each others company, and I took great pride when Paul looked me in the eye and said,
“I’m going to miss you Ronnie… I feel as if I’ve known you all my life…!!”
He had summed up my own feelings perfectly… I would miss this man with whom I had bonded instantly on my arrival in Darwin, and I knew that if the rest of the people I met along the way were anything like Paul and Christie, then Australia would be a very memorable stop on my ride around the world…
This couple’s life stories are amazing to listen to, and make my own adventures pale in comparison…
From building a large wooden boat from scratch on a practically deserted island in the Java Sea, north of Bali and south of Sulawesi, to sailing it all the way to Flores with a broken rudder; to being arrested and transported all the way back to Bali under police custody for the small matter of overstaying their visas by a few years; to their various travels around the world; they had me captivated each time they began a sentence with something like, “Remember when we took the train from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town…!!” or “Remember our trip to South America….!!”…!!
Most of all, I will remember with fondness the late evenings Paul and I spent sitting under the stars, talking about the times when “Men were Men”… I think both of us were as determined as the other to live life “LARGE”, and never be known as “ordinary men”… In my eyes, Paul had already achieved that, while mine was just a work in progress…!!
And then there was the joking and taking the mickey, or “The Crack” as Paul calls it… We were often helpless with laughter, tears streaming down our faces, while Christie looked on, joining in when she could no longer keep a straight face…!!
We laughed until we cried...!! Then we laughed some more...!!
Grungle Downs had become a home away from home for me, and I am pretty sure all visitors to this establishment feel the same way…
It is located on the main road that runs south out of Darwin, the gateway to Kakadu National Park to the south-east, as well as Litchfield National Park to the south-west, and many other sight-seeing opportunities outside Darwin…
Even though it is barely fifteen minutes from the city centre, it has that country feeling about it, with the main house and large cottage nestled in a thickly wooded garden…
The bird-life here borders on prolific, with near on sixty species having been identified on the grounds by birders who frequent the establishment…
Flocks of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos wing their way into and over the garden in the early mornings and late afternoons, and Whistling Kites swoop down from their perches on the fence to pick up any meaty scraps that Paul and Christie put out for them…
In a word, Grungle Downs is an idyllic place to have as a base for a visit to Darwin, and with hosts like the Dickenson’s, you can’t go wrong…!! For more on Grungle Downs Tropical Bed & Breakfast, visit their website here…
Brothers in Arms... Keep the "colours" flying my friend...!!
For once we did get an early night, and I was up at 5.00am to get my ride through Continent 4 under way…
©GBWT 2011
Hey stranger – you really have been moving…
Great to catch up again, you really do put a smile on my kisser…
Have an awesome day!!!
BIG kisses, still..
K
So glad you have had a great time in Darwin. Great friendships are what your journey is about. Drive safely!