Katherine - Day 68

Fletcher: Today we left Adelaide River to go to Katherine.  We had breakfast, brushed our teeth, then left.  It didn't take long to get to Katherine, one of the towns we stayed at on the way up and we are staying at the same caravan park.  So we set up the van had lunch and went into town to buy pizza bases ( because I chose pizza for dinner on my birthday) then went to the pool, it was freezing so when we got back to the van Bentley ate the pizza bases so when we leave in the morning we will stop at the shops and get more bases. We had tea, did schoolwork and watched Fantastic 4.

Mackenzie: Today we left Adelaide River to Katherine, when we got there we set up the  and went to the shops.  We got Fletcher presents for his birthday then we got dad stuff for his birthday which is Sunday and Fletchers is on Friday.  Then we went back to the caravan and went to the pool, it was cold! We went back and watched a movie called The Rescuers and Fantastic 4.  We had dinner and fruit and cookies.

Today we left the lovely Adelaide River, this has been our favourite park so far, its beautiful and green and we really had a chance to relax on the way to Darwin and again on the way back.  We had talk back radio again all night from the van next door and Daniel and I found ourselves awake most of the night up and down and in and out of the van at all hours.  We found a massive bat in the tree outside our van and what looked like a cane toad but he was on his own so not quite sure.  Dan saw the workshop gates open at 4am and the delivery truck leave at 4.20am, somewhere in between all this we got a few hours sleep.  We chatted with Laurie the caretaker who is a really great bloke and got on our way to Katherine.  We had planned a few nights here but Fletcher is adamant that he is not spending his birthday here.  Daniel and I actually really like Katherine, it is a lovely town with so many places to see around here, they have all the shops you need and so many facilities for the community.   It would be so much better if there wasn't so many people loitering and drunk in the streets and passing out in the front of the shops, it scares the kids and they had formed opinions which although correct of the situation we have worked very hard to ensure they don't generalise about people, with the Adam Goodes situation in the media at the moment, which Fletcher witnessed watching the game, they know it is not appropriate to talk badly of anyone, I'm sure they wont forget what they have seen along the way but they have a much better understanding of how everyone's lives are different and to be accepting and not judgemental of anyone, I hope they carry this with them into their teens and adulthood.  We got to the park we stayed at on the way up with the lovely ensuites and although it was only lunchtime we got the last site, it is getting into the busy season up here.  We set up and headed to the supermarket to stock up as we are going where there are no shops for a few days.  I have found the supermarkets crazy busy up here, with most only opening 2 or 3 checkouts and the lines sometimes go the length of the store, maybe its the times we go but I'm not sure why but it is frustrating, especially when Dan is waiting in the heat with Bentley.  We got Fletcher some last minute bits for his birthday and went back unpacked the shopping and went for a swim. Even though it is 32 degrees today the pool is officially the coldest we have been in but it didn't stop the kids and they did there best at learning to dive as well, so not just a quick dip they were totally  underwater and in & out of the pool to dive in.  We went back to the van to find that Bentley had eaten the pizza bases for Fletchers birthday dinner, we had forgotten he is a crazy dog and eats anything in sight including plastic packaging, oh well shops again in the morning.  The big debate was what to have for tea so although I had to do 2 different meals as the vote went either way, everyone was happy.  We had a big fruit platter which we do most days after tea, just the normal fruits but we try to get something different, local and tropical to go with it.  I baked some cookies for tomorrow but as I type this its 9pm and there is only 4 left on the plate and I'm guessing that they will be either gone when the kids finish their showers or Dan will have them with his coffee tonight.