Darwin

 On Sunday, October 2nd we flew to Darwin (2.5 hours, this is a big country!) and spent part of the afternoon at the Darwin Botanical Garden. It is divided into sections with plants from all over the world. We were surprised by the Madagascar Garden, where they are successfully growing many species of Baobabs. Baobabs are very hard to cultivate, so to see them thriving and even blooming was a treat. On the other hand, the lack of native plants probably explains the relative paucity of birds.

We have been eating well and (too) plentifully, particularly on Barramundi and avocados. There is currently a glut of avocados in Australia and we are generously helping to put a dent in it. It’s a tough life.

On October 3rd we had a leisurely breakfast and a productive bird walk at the Darwin waterfront. We visited the local natural history and art museum, which had a fascinating exhibit of boats from the region. It included a number of Indonesian, balinese and fujian fishing boats that had been donated (or confiscated for illegal activities and then donated). Some of the boats seemed far too small and fragile to be ocean going! 

Pictured: Perrier’s Baobab blossom, Galah, Little Corella, female Crimson Finch, Agile Wallaby with Joey