It doesnīt cool down in the nights anymore, but still we had a night without fearing night patrol and even slept in.
11 km further on you find the Berry Springs Nature Park - with shadow, palms and a place to swim. Though itīs called "springs" & has water floating in, itīs warm - even the ground is warm! Itīs very beautiful with green water & small blue dragonfly. & even showers. & fireplace with wood - that means we get to buy potatoes.
Something good happened also: Seven second-hand-books from James Blish Star Trek over to Hook & Forrest Gump 'il Tim Allen AND a large vegetarian from PIZZA HUT
for $5,95 thanks to Woolworths.
... what disappointment! A hot, sticky dayg. First the kayak-race with under 12-, then the one with under 16-year olds, and in every case there was one who went in the wrong direction. The attraction inbetween: tug of war, tug of war and tug of war. First the kids, then the men, endlessly enthralling.
The Regatta, pics say more than words:
This one is better:
I had higher expectations.
So, outta here, go for a shower & to Casuarina Shopping Centre to run the last errands Woolworths. When you step out of the Shopping Centre - BOOM! - as if you step into an oven, so hot & muggy!
Anyhow weīll have a chicken Pizza from PIZZA HUT . & then we finally leave Darwin. Bye, bye Night Patrol.
Weīre at the Hot Springs but itīs too hot for a bath, even in the shadow itīs unbelievable hot. The wind blows hot air in our faces like a hairdryer. We did laundry and as Katherine was back on electricity, we went to Woolworths - I couldīve stayed there forever, so cool, ahhhhh.
We head on the the next Rest-Area - totally crowded.
Itīs cold! Cloudy. With a very cold wind. Everything is clammy. My arm is glued to the diary & chair. The door knobs glue from the inside... Cold, clammy, yucky.
The weather cleared off and we got another hot day - We stopped at Mataranka Hsd for a bath in the Hot Springs. Took a shower, had bucket chips with h eaps of ketchup, gave the old water from Darwin to the plants & took 47 l Mataranka-water with us, direction Alice.
No cows or sheep at the roadside anymore, just a bit of roo here and there.
We saw some nice Rest Areas, but way too early in the day. As it was time... Murphyīs Law... the first Rest Area - rubbish all over the whole place - is that necessary?! 
The next one seemed to be ok, even with a bit of shadow. But no, a huge overland bus with heaps of people and wood arrives. The tourist guides, in proper style like Rangers get off the bus, check the area with tough faces& start measuring the place.About. 30 "adventure"-tourists, who experience camping in the loneliness (30 people?!) - guess the adventure is to do without toilet and shower... Instructions are given very loudly - hopefully they abstain from singing "Waltzing Mathilda "...
In the meantime two more caravans have arrived. Yips, Australia gets more and more popular.
I ifail to understand the realtionship between blowie-human - do they only want to annoy us or are they eating from us? I do believe itīs the first one, otherwise they like sweaty sun-protection factor 30+...
