Adelaide to Darwin

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Our world has certainly changed due to COVID-19, and with international travel banned for the time being, our European adventure for this year had to be postponed. With Northern Territory having recently opened its border to South Australia, we decided that our best opportunity to escape the remainder of Adelaide’s cold winter was to head to Darwin for a couple of weeks. I must say that I feel incredibly privileged and a little bit guilty in taking this opportunity, especially given that our Victorian friends are living through stage 4 lockdown restrictions and are virtually house bound.

Sean drove us all to the airport — all bar Michael who decided he would jog there instead! Michael met us at the drop-off point at about 6:30am. The airport was eerily quiet. The Qantas Club didn’t open until 7am, but that still gave us enough time to have some breakfast which was delivered to our table — no more helping oneself to a buffet of choices. In fact, our flight was delayed for about an hour due to heavy fog. Once the fog had lifted a little, we boarded the plan, all being provided with a mask and alcohol wipe to clean down our tray top, screens, controls and seatbelt buckles.

About to board

Given that I was potentially still infectious from the cold I had been suffering for the past 8 days, I was happy to wear a mask to protect my fellow travellers! (At the Darwin airport, I had to declare that I have been unwell and show evidence of having tested negative for COVID-19.)

Michael and I had seats up in business class, whilst Gretl & Nola were seated back in economy. Unfortunately, Sean’s new work contract meant that he was unable to join us on this trip. Apparently, Nola travelled really well, enjoying looking out of the window and playing on Gretl’s iPad. We had a short stopover in Alice Springs where we were ushered around the building into a waiting area, having to sanitise our hands along the way, of course.

Back in the air for another two hours, and then we touched down safely in Darwin — warm weather, at last! We collected our rental car and just managed to squeeze in our bags, a stroller, a child’s backpack carrier, and Nola’s car seat. Google Maps guided us to our hotel where we had two apartments next to each other. After settling in, we headed off to explore the city by foot, ending up about 4.5kms away at Mindil Beach where, being a Sunday afternoon, the markets were open. Nola is instinctively attracted to little people, and so quickly made friends with a little boy seated on the grass near where we were sitting. After a little play on the beach, we bought some takeaway food and headed back to our apartment where we ate our meals. (The laksas had now absorbed all the soup and had become a noodle dish, and my paella was now a little dry — perhaps we should have consumed them at the beach!)

By the time we headed off to bed, we were exhausted.