The last journal entry for volume one

That experience was the perfect way to end this volume of my accounts in Australia (I just filled my journal I'd bought to bring out here). No matter how I try, I'll never be able to justify having 300 photos from the Melbourne Zoo and zero of that sunset. Sunsets always amaze me, the spectrum from a constant blue sky transition to black is never duplicated in such simple complexity. They say that the red dust from the Outback is the perfect ingredient to make for prolific settings, backdrops for God's brush to work magic on canvas of the sky; the spectacular violets, striking blues, soft and subtle reds, and vibrant oranges accompanied with and closing underneath a perfectly cut crescent-shaped moon, I really couldn't have wished for anything better from my final night in the city of Darwin. Darwin with an abudance of hidden unknown treausres awaiting to be discovered.

Today I walked to Mindil Beach, after being told of the precautions needed for swimming in Darwin waterfronts - box jellyfish in one location and a crocodile sighting in the other just yesterday - to enjoy the walk out at low tide, when even the water is hard pressed to reach mid-thigh 500m off the dunes. After lounging in the perfectly temperatured water and along the smooth sanded beach, enjoying the scurrying of crustaceans from underneath my feet, I made my way up to the midway height of a tree to read a few chapters of On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, that would later be completed in the backpackers before supper. I'm sad for my time to end in Darwin today, at the leisurely pace I've employed the past week, there inevitably were other things I'd like to have experience and may yet enjoy them tomorrow, but if all ended today after the red skin and sweat from the gorgeous weather and the sense of discovery looming anew with each slow day, I'd have no regrets nor any difficulty praising Darwin for the experience it has shown me here.

At the Top End

Sorry for keeping everyone out of the loop lately, I've been computerless pretty much since my last post. I haven't really gotten many requests for continued posting though so who knows how many people actually noticed. The weather in Darwin right now is amazing, 30+ everyday, which from my understanding is better then bacn home. Since exams and staying at a friend's place in Adelaide for a few days, my dad, his girlfriend and I had been doing some traveling around Australia. We all, I hope, had a great time (I know I did). We went wine tasting in Adelaide, and then flew over to Tasmania and saw a lot of the east coast of Tassie and some of the major attractions. The weather was only good on our last day, which was unfortunate but there was still plenty worth seeing. After that it was a couple days in Sydney staying at a luxurious hotel and seeing some sights there. After a little more then a week together they had to get back to reality and I left for Darwin, and since I've been taking it easy enjoying the sun and the sights, saving as much travel money as possible for Cairns and the East Coast, which I'll be in by the beginning of next week. Sorry for the lackluster news but without a computer, I can only get free internet for libraries when its sunny outside and informing the 'masses' back home isn't nearly as important as soaking up the sun and keeping my eye out for crocosaurus.