Long Way to Tipperary (and Bathurst Island apparently)

So to finish the last post...

Tipperary Station was built in the early 80's by a millionare who had watched 'Out of Africa' and colonial histories waaaay too many times. He spent $70 million in 70 days fixing up the station so it looked like something out of a movie - long verandahs with wooden double shutters, brass fittings and palm trees. All very picturesque, not all actually useful. For example, the school (which looked great) had no staff toilet, no wet room but a huge hall (for 12 kids) with a tin roof and no insulation (in the NT). No-one was allowed to park on the grass and there were sprinklers going constantly - all very green and lush to this native Canberrans eye.
Then of course he lost it all in the great stock market crash of 1989 and he had to get rid of the zoo... he couldn't afford to keep his menagerie of wild animals so the NT government had to take over paying for their food. He was later accosted at the airport with a gun... (thanks Sara for the research ;o)

Tipperary was eventually bought out by a couple of new people, one of which is apparently one of Australia's most expensive QCs. So it's been redone, it's all very nice and pretty. Home to 150 people (apparently cattlemen and mechanics but i prefer to believe they are mostly gardeners, cleaners and cooks). And on another note, it was a bit of a shock to see fat kids again (and i'm being generous by saying fat) but it may have something to do with the fact they all get free meat.

Anyway, the school went well. It was all boys in the afternoon so sat at the computer and showed them illusions and Julian Beever pavement drawings. Was a fun afternoon actually.
Then we set off down the road, Rich driving and worrying the whole way (I mean honestly, who needs to see around corners anyway and how often do 4WD tip over?) and we made it to Darwin a couple of hours behind the other team. We did stop on the way to help an old fella who had about 6 kids in the back of his station wagon. He'd run out of fuel so we gave him 10L of water... not really a solution but at least they had something to drink while they waited. So thought that would give us some good karma....

Hmmm...

Weekend was good actually. Caught up with Kimiko and John who I haven't seen since June when they decided to drive around Australia anti-clockwise. It's pretty cool that we managed to meet up in Darwin - just missed them in Katherine by about 10 minutes and thought that might of been my only chance. So we went to Parap markets, had a cup of tea on the lawns of Parliment House... was a nice weekend. And we had a fantastic dinner at Thailicious on Mitchell St, very good menu and not too expensive.

Then today we jetsetted off to the islands... which is where i was crossing my fingers and hoping my karma would kick in but apparently I used it all up in managing to score some new Bollywood movies. We arrived too late, and while we managed to get across with our clothing ect we had to leave the maths puzzles behind. As in our entire program. The reason that we came to Bathurst Island and why I get paid every fortnight. So now we are sleepin on the floor of the school we were suppose to run workshops with and we have nothing. So it's been moved to Wed, we're heading to Milkapedi tommorrow and hopefully our puzzles will turn up in the morning. It was a calculated risk and I took it because they (the plane company) assured me it would come across with us. Didn't pay off. Damn.
Was a teeensy (lot) stressed at the time and will feel better once I have a couple of boxes in my sight.

Poor Rich - it's his birthday and I think i made his homesickness a bit worse. I'm bit excited bout the whole island thing and once I've sorted a few things out tommorrow am sure it will be great. Wandering down to the local art gallery tommorrow and catching the ferry across the strait. And back in 5 sleeps!