Somethings old, somethings new

Ah, the routine of life in Darwin. Four months into our second year, we're experiencing events for the second time. Novelty becomes familiarity. So what's been repeated?

Once again, it's dragonfly season. The Larrakia people have seven seasons; we're at the end of Mayilema, the magpie goose eggs and knock 'em down season. Not as violent as it sounds — it's the tall speargrass that gets knocked down by the final storms. This is the transition between the Wet and the Dry, when thunderstorms and sudden downpours are the exception rather than the rule. The weather is less humid and slightly cooler in the early morning and evening. Which means more tourists ... particularly now that COVID is, well, so last year.

With the dragonfly season, comes the Thai Festival in the Waterfront — yes, it's that time of the year again.

In April the Deckchair Cinema opens up again. This is a huge relief as Darwin cinemas are fine if you want to see rom-coms, Marvel movies or Bollywood. For anything a little more substantial, such as Oscar contenders, we have to wait for the Deckchair Cinema. We have learned to get there early with our picnic — I like the front row of deckchairs with footstools — and to have plenty of bug spray.

In other cultural news, I managed to get Ken back to another Arafura Music Collective concert, promising him that this time he'd be able to get a sunset beer. The concert was held in Audit House, one of the louvred buildings on stilts in the heritage Myilly Precinct. Last year we went to the opening of an art exhibition opening in this building, so the venue wasn't new but the event was. (Beer notwithstanding, I don't think I'll get Ken back to another of these events. He quite liked the Debussy and Bach but the more avant-garde pieces left him unmoved. Extremely unmoved. Even with a beer in hand.)

An excellent repeat experience was to see the red-tailed black cockatoos in East Point. They gather on the coastal she-oak (casuarina) trees when the seed-pods are ripe towards the end of the Wet. These cockatoos are there for a couple of weeks only. We know they're there by their hellish squawks and the debris that comes raining down from the trees on the cycle path. My photos don't capture the glorious view of them in flight, with their stunning red tail-feathers and the yellow barred under-tail feathers of the females and juveniles, but they are intriguing to watch as they manipulate the seed-pods in their claws.

On a gloomier note, the next federal election is in a few weeks' time and politicians are bursting out of the woodwork. Election posters are everywhere.

National politicians descended en masse to Darwin on Anzac Day. The commemoration this year was elevated by the 80th anniversary of the Japanese bombings. Darwin is a town that wins the election trifecta: it's a regional town, a military-strategic town and a culturally sensitive town all in one. In addition, this election is likely to be on a knife's-edge, and the Darwin seats are likely to make a difference ... so gosh, we've been popular with the pollies from the south.

By the time I ventured into town on Anzac Day, the dawn service was over, it was too hot for any more speeches and the military personnel were having an early beer or two. The US Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (many of whom look absurdly young) are in town for the Dry, so there were plenty of uniforms in evidence. Check out all the (Aussie) naval uniforms at this pub at 11 am.

I did pop by the cenotaph later that morning to reflect on the day and admire the flowers. Sadly, while the sentiments may be eternal, the wreaths had been blasted by a few hours of 35 °C heat.

And now for a couple of completely new experiences. First, the highest tide we've ever seen! A couple of weeks ago we were stopped short on our Saturday cycle. The water covered the viewing platform on the mangrove boardwalk and we had to stop our bikes a few metres from the end. (The other visitors had simply removed their shoes and were relaxing barefoot in the water.)

Order/predictability was restored this week with the tide being out. Hello again to the familiar mangrove roots, sticky mud, mudskippers and crabs.

The second new thing? We are staying in the Waterfront for the next few months. From our balcony, we have a lovely view of Stokes Hill Wharf and the Cruise Ship Terminal. I was so excited to see not one but two cruise ships in port — the first time since COVID shut down the cruise industry in 2020. Ponant's Le Laperouse departed from Darwin (in front of us) to travel along the coastline to the Kimberley and Broome; Coral Expedition's Coral Adventurer departed early the next day (while we were at work) with the same itinerary.

Now that's encouraging progress re COVID and our next cruise-ship holiday in 2023!