Darwin for a few days.

Our site at Coolalinga Caravan Park.

Coolalinga. Nightcliff and Mindal markets. Stokes Hill Wharf.

Sunday, 10th October, 2010

From our Daly Waters camp, we made straight for Darwin and were set up in the Coolalinga Caravan Park on Wednesday night. The park was actually full since the wet had started very early this year. In fact it had just poured before we arrived. Since we were only intending to stay a few days, they gave us a site on the grass that did not flood too badly.

They were not wrong about the wet. It rained every day and made our stay not as pleasant as we hoped.

We caught up with our shopping at Bunnings and Lyn got her tooth fixed and spent time with her friends from last year.

Mindal Beach at low tide.

Early this morning we went to the Nightcliff markets for a look around. Lyn was surprised to find that some of the stall holders remembered her from last year. We left with a new plant.

For once it did not rain early in the afternoon, even though it threatened to, so we decided to risk a visit to the Mindal Beach Market

We arrived about half an hour before the scheduled start time. There was no one on the beach itself, and the tide was a very long way out.

Mindal Beach Market - food stall area.

The market stalls were just opening, but there were not very many people around. On past visits we had trouble just walking down the isles. We had previously noticed that there were very few tourists in Darwin at this time, and the threat of rain must have been keeping away the locals as well.

Mindal Beach market.

It had been our intention to have tea at the market, but looking at the prices of things we fancied decided us to get our food elsewhere.

We decided on fish and chips at Stokes Hill Wharf.

Stokes Hill Wharf.

The wharf was nearly deserted. Just a few people fishing at the start and one table eating outside. At least it was easy to get a parking spot!

We ordered our meals, and ate them at one of the inside tables. My fish and chips were not very good, but Lyn struck gold with a 'kids pack'. She got more and better chips and eats than me, and it was cheaper too. We know for next time - Two kids packs please!

We'd been lucky so far with the rain, but when we got back near our camp it started.