We were quite happy to leave Mary River this morning having been a bit less than impressed with our accommodation. As Darwin was only just over an hour up the road, we decided to make a few stops on the way.

First, we stopped at Fogg Dam and did the woodlands to wetlands walk which would have been quite pleasant had there not been a billion mosquitoes to contend with. The area was quite pretty though with lots of lilies of different colours and lots of different trees which made you feel like you were walking through a rainforest.

Back from the walk, we drove along the dam wall because you’re not currently allowed to walk over it as there has been sightings of a large saltwater croc in the area. Glad I didn’t know that on the previous walk as we were on a boardwalk just above the water line … ie in easy reach of a croc!!

Back on the road and as it was around 11:30am, we stopped at Humpty Doo Hotel for lunch. We tried the Territory Trio which was 3 sliders – barramundi, crocodile and buffalo. The crocodile was the standout favourite voted by all.

Into Darwin we headed and we were lucky to be able to check in to our apartment early and it is absolute luxury compared to a few places we’ve stayed lately. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a nice kitchen/dining/living area with a balcony overlooking the harbour.

After we unloaded our gear and put the first load of washing on, we headed out for a walk to the Darwin Waterfront. There is a harmony festival on there this evening so lots of stalls being set up. After a bit of a walk around, we were all hot and bothered so stopped for an icecream before making our way back to our hotel, admiring the street art through town on the way.

A bit of rest and relaxation for everyone and the best shower we’ve had in a week before we met “G’s” brother for dinner. We headed to a little place just behind the hotel called Tim’s Surf and Turf. The food was really yummy and the main guy even performed a little magic trick for us which had the boys captivated. After a lovely evening catching up, we called it quits for the night and will catch up again tomorrow. For now, it’s time for night looooongg sleep in a super comfy bed!!

Side note: Today we officially hit 10,000kms travelled since we left Perth on the 14th April and we’ve spent $1957 on fuel!