Leave at 7am.
This morning we will have a lot of driving, but today is considered as a pub crawl day.
The first stop is at Elliot, for fuel and toilets (nothing to see, nothing to say).
The next stop is at Dunwarra, for another toilet stop.
In the small shop of the petrol station, there are a few snakes.
As Luke is crazy about them, he can't resist taking one of them on his shoulders.
The next stop is at Daly Waters. Apparently it was here that the first international airport of Australia was (they had to refuel here before continuing their route out of Oz).
We stop at the "centre" of the "village", where we will have lunch (quiches + salad).
The place where we stop is a pub, which is amazingly decorated, with loads of things from everywhere, mostly clothes (and lost of underwears, of which they're proud - many people coming here leave their underwear as "souvenirs" ...).
After eating, we quickly go for a drive to see the remains of the airport (we don't stop, Luke has fun playing the plane with the bus).
The following stop is at Larrimah, at the Pink Panther Pub ...
I don't know why, but it's decorated with the Pink Panther.
In the pub, and in the garden, they have loads of animals, mostly reptiles and birds, it's pretty cool.
They have some big snakes, and even a salt water crocodile (the massive man eater ones).
After this, we go to Mataranka, to see the thermal pools.
These are natural pools (a bit reorganised) that are constantly at 32° ... !
The vegetation is now purely tropical, palm tress everywhere ... Nice !
(with Byron we were a bit wondering when it was going to change and look like what we think when we talk about "tropical" - this is it)
Most of us go swimming there, it's really nice (except that we're not alone, and there's a bit too many people - it's not crowded though).
Sometimes it's forbidden to swim as there are some crocodiles coming, but apparently today there aren't any.
In the water there are lots of very little fishes, it's funny to look at them and try to catch them.
Not far from there (50m along a walk path), we see a crocodile on the other side of the river ... Not very reassuring !
When going back to the bus, Ramona see a snake quickly disappearing in the bush ...
We then get back in the bus and head to Katherine (aka Nitmiluk), for a quick stop at the shops (to buy marshmallows, alcohol and crisps for those who want) ; then we go to the campsite, which is just next to the city (Katherine is the 3rd biggest city in the Territory, after Darwin and Alice Springs).
For dinner we're having stir fried beef with sate sauce and rice, it's really good (except that the rice was a bit burnt - cooked by Kaori the Japanese ;-) ).
After dinner, we all sit around the fire, and Luke beings his Didjeridoo. He plays a bit and explains how to use it, then everyone gives it a try.
It's not easy, and this time I will not succeed ... (I've tried a few times, sometimes it works, sometimes not)
(Didjeridoo is the European name given to the instrument, as it can make a sound very similar to that word ; the real name is a Yudiki/Yudaki)
We also do some marshmallows in the fire, and have some chocolate (a girl came from nowhere to sell some chocolate for charity).
Ramona, Tatiana, Byron and I stay a bit later than the others, talking and enjoying the fire.
It's not as cold as the preivous days though, we are now in the tropics !
We then go to sleep.
(again, I share my tent/cabin with Byron)
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