Settled in Darwin for the Dry

We're now settled in Darwin and intend to stay here for most of the season called 'winter' down south, but called 'the dry' up here in the tropical north of the country. We've updated our departure date on the mail itinerary below. The weather here is, as expected, as close to perfect as you can possibly wish for. Cool nights down to around 18, and lovely sunny days in the high twenties. The wet season humidity has already gone, and there is often a breeze around to keep things from getting too hot. Perfect golf weather!

The first thing we did upon arriving here was to go over to the golf club and join up as temporary members. This means we can join in with club competitions on an equal footing. Although it is 2 years since we were last here in Darwin, many of the members remembered us, and we have slipped back into the golfing and social life of the club as if we had never left.

Typically, we found out a month or so ago that the men's NT Open golf tournament was happening in Darwin a few days after our arrival. Of course John entered, and he has spent the last 4 days playing. Wendy caddied for 2 days, and on the Saturday played at the other golf club in town, RAAF Darwin, a 9-hole course run by the defence forces. This course had offered Darwin members who weren't in the tournament a chance to play in their local comp for just the standard comp fee, so Wendy trotted over with her newly minted membership card and experienced another course that we hadn't played before.

Meanwhile, John was having a mixed time in the tournament. While never having any realistic chance of being in contention (the handicaps ranged down to a very handy +5) he hoped to at least make an honourable showing. Unfortunately, one good round, two mediocre ones and a bad one didn't set the world on fire, his total winnings amounted to a solitary ball. You can see the tournament results here.