An Asian Winter: 10/19/08

Litchfield & Hitchfield

Bye Australia!

Wait, before we say that, let's stick up a few posts.
I had to do a few different posts as it took so long to pick photos to upload.
See I'm back in Singapore, at that good internet connection.
Holy shit, I'm almost three hours at this!
Although I logged into the Resurrection Fern band page too, so that's taking a bit of time to sort through as well.
Anywhoo!

Off we went into the outback...

Our first bit of wildlife was a strange one I thought, Water Buffalo!:

Check out the bush flowers:

Andy, our guide, took out a snake to show us. Sadly as I had insect repellent(Which didn't stop me getting bites!) I couldn't hold the snake, as it would damage the snake's skin.

'She's a beauty!':

Even a look into the compost bin revealed life:

You might see them better in this one:

I would die happy if this was a driveway to where I lived:

Probably the most picturesque tree I've ever seen:

- out in the middle of a field on it's own.

Here it is framed by these two:

It's now time for us to act like eejits:

Ah yes.

Actually before I finish I'll put up some random events that some people will find interesting, whilst others will be completely in the dark, and possibly even bored:

1. I got asked several times if I was John Butler.

2. I got asked several times if I was John Butler by people who actually though I might be John Butler.

3. My first and last beer in Australia was a Little Creatures(In your face people who get this one!)

4. Dave had a 'Troppo Territorian' roar in his face for no reason.

5. 'Sundance Slim' is the name of an Aboriginal Dave met.

6. I was not at home, but Dave had to leave the shower halfway through on our last night as someone tried to make toast(Even though there's no toasters...) in their room, the fire brigade was called and the building evacuated.

7. Dave has had a Rat run over his foot in Bangkok, and another one run over his bag on our first visit to Singapore.

8. I had some Indian men react very badly to my pants in Darwin(They've Indian symbols on them)

9. I've suddenly drawn a blank, and need to get off the PC.

Wonderful Waterholes

- Wangi Falls.
Perfect water temperature.
A great place for a swim! I'm one of those white dots in the water on the left.

The place was teeming with life. The trees were full of birds, insects and bats:

Evil spiders of Doom:

We went onto Buley waterholes where the same craic was had, surrounded by the same wildlife.
At times you are almost afraid to touch a tree, or walk through heavy grass, for fear something poison-filled will bite you. I suppose it probably is full of such things!
Twas full of Water Monitors too:

- this one was pregnant.

These ones around the waterhole were about six foot long, but they can get up to ten foot!

- twas hot!

We went to see another waterfall called Florence Falls:

- I left my shoes in the bus by accident and ended up burning the soles of my feet on the ground. Boo-urns! My left one is fine now, the right one is a bit tender, but I won't be doing much running around today I can tell ya!

A wet pair of shorts on my head and I was ready for the trip back to Darwin:

Talented Termites

We went to see some Termite mounds.

'Sounds uninteresting' I don't hear you say.

Check these out:

These Termites build 'Magnetic Termite Mounds' in that they face the poles:

Here's the west few of one:

And the south view of the same:

I also have no idea if they were west and south views, but they were 90degrees to each other. Give or take!

They do it to get the most out of the sun.

- isn't he lovely!

These Termites feed of the bacteria on this flatland area.

- and who said the insect world didn't have tombstones.

Pretty much directly beside them were these other Termites that feed off the cellulose in the grass around these parts:

The buttresses are for heat management, they're perfectly sculpted to provide a certain temperature inside for the grass to decompose enough so they can eat the cellulose. Clever little bastards.

Here's a close up:

- it's very hard, feels like grout, only it's made of poo and spit.

To give a scale on these, I'll stick in the classic tourist photo:

Other little feckers hide in the cracks to avoid the 35degree heat:

- only mad Dogs & Englishmen, and two pasty white Irishmen go out in it around here!

Concerning Crocs

We went on a Croc Cruise.

What happens is:

20 people get in a small boat and go out on the Adelaide River to tempt Crocs out of the water with raw meat.

Sounds like fun eh!?

It sounded borderline not fair on the old dinosaurs, but I found out they always give them the meat after a couple of attempts at getting them out of the water, but they usually get the meat first time anyway!

I took about 5 million photos of them, it's taking me ages to go through them and pick ones, so I'm just gonna put up a load of them. Hope you like! :)

- Cockatoos filled the gnarly trees along the river.

Our first Croc of the day:

She's about nine foot.

Hup!

It's hard to get a scale on the entrance there into the reeds, but it's about four feet, which is the width of the belly of one of the bigger males on the river. He's around twenty foot long!

- I wouldn't want to be one of these fisher birds in this area. It must suck.

- nice eyes.

- what a way to spend a cruise.

There were loads of birds of prey too. In particular, two species of Kite. Craig fed them wee bits of meat. By throwing them out the side of the boat as the Kites soared by, they were well able to catch them mid flight: