On Wednesday evening we went to Crustacean for dinner. We had a table overlooking the end of the jetty. The Arafura Sea was calm and grey beneath a smoky sky. Fires and smoke coming from burn offs in west Arnhem Land across Darwin harbour. I had crumbed barramundi and Jennifer scallop Mornay. A very pleasant meal. It feels strange to be dining outside in winter and not wearing a jumper and down jacket. After darkness fell, the cruise boats returned lazily to the dock.

The next evening, we boarded the ” Darwin Cruises” boat. It was a very comfortable trip, as we were conducted to a table for the evening, located on the port corner of the din8ng cabin. The cool breeze from the air conditioners was very welcome after a hot afternoon at our campsite. The boat was far from crowded and this made the trip even more relaxing. Before and between buffet style courses, Jennifer and I took up vantage points on the perimeter deck outside the main cabins and took photographs. There is the parliament building, there is the wild hippy beach where 70 beachcombers vanished when Cyclone Tracey hit, the scattered moored yachts bobbing in the afternoon swell, and the setting sun, the atmosphere aglow from sun light diffracting through smoke and haze, splitting off the blue to leave signature orange and red.