The green, green grass of home

Saturday 6/3/21

Today is the day we will be leaving Darwin and going home.

I really want to go home at this stage as I need to wallow a little and does not seem right to do that on holiday.

We use our rented wheelchair for the last time to do the trek from the room to the front of the hotel where our (blue) taxi awaits. Due to COVID (global pandemic), they are happy for our custom and arrive 10 minutes earlier than expected. Would you believe we are already there and waiting??

The plan is to return the chair on our way to the airport as it is on the way. One of us says he is certain of being able to find the shop in the middle of an industrial estate with lots of roads/entrances which the first taxi driver found very confusing.

Anyway it was not that easy but ‘we’ eventually find the shop and return the wheelchair. The driver and I share a quiet giggle.

Onward to the airport. I am able to walk in and stand around while Paul successfully operates the kiosk to obtain our boarding passes and luggage tags.  While we wait for check-in to begin, an older lady offers me her seat as she could see I was struggling on my feet. Embarrassing but she was very sympathetic as was everyone near us.

Me with the other luggage. the luggage is camouflaging my booted right leg.

Once at the check-in counter, we ask if they have the wheelchair we had requested. No record of any request, surprise, surprise but the lovely lady goes off to find one. We are able to check in our large luggage and then only had our carry on luggage. How to do that. Easy. I have my wheely bag on my lap and Paul has his back pack on his back whilst pushing, I mean wheeling (better word)  me to the departure lounge.

We got through security and my ear thing has still not gone off yet. Shame as that would have been interesting. Even so, I got the special test for explosives. (What one can hide in a boot, other than a leg?)

 

We had a nice coffee in this beautiful lounge,(not business class, just the one for the average traveler) and then waited and waited…

 

Selfie:Paul wheeling me with our masks on, required in the airports and on the plane.

When we were called to board, an airport employee arrived to wheel me to the plane which was very nice and gave Paul a break who then only had the carry on luggage to carry on.

Business class was nice. Thanks to COVID (global pandemic) we were able to use points to upgrade to Business for a very small cost. However, the business lounge was not available and there were a few other issues. All up however, it was a very good experience on board with wider seats as well as lots of leg room for my booted leg.

And the nearish amenities. We were the last of 3 rows of Business so had access to one at the front. There was an announcement that if you were in rows 4 to whatever, you should use the amenities at the rear of the plane. A couple of those people tried to make a dash for the closer one at the front but most were caught by the hostess who told them “no, yours is the one at the back, this one is for business only. (der).”  A couple got through when she was not looking, damn them.

We had a beautiful hot lunch with wine, dessert and coffee while those in rows 4 onwards got no service, just a box of food or something.  Sad for them but nice for us.

On arrival, the lovely hostess told me that Paul and I would disembark first if the wheelchair was available, otherwise we would go last. The door opened and there was a chair as well as a self-described  ‘commissaire’ who was to do the wheeling.

He was lovely and knew exactly where to go: baggage claim, disabled amenities and then to the car rental place. We were out of there unbelievably quickly, in our rental car and on our way home within minutes of landing.

Qantas and Sydney and Darwin airports were great in providing us with wheelchair and wheelers. I am impressed by the great service.

 

 

A quick trip back to Newcastle and finally home.

And Orphy was there desperate for food and to be let out. Back to normal.

 

Thank goodness. As another lover of red shoes/boot once said, there is no place like home.

 

 

 

 

Fast and furious Friday

 Friday 5/3/21

Today is our last day in Darwin and we have plans!

We are going to the Royal flying Doctor tourist place where we will also see a film on the Darwin bombings during World War II. It is very emotional and neither of us had known that the bombings were so serious and lethal.

There was also virtual reality on the Darwin bombing where you felt you were there. There were also a couple on the Flying Doctors and we were able to experience it from both patient and pilot view.

Well worth the visit.

And as a bonus, the attendant was an ex airline employee and advised us to organise assistance for my mobility issue prior to our flight.  She was extremely helpful.

 

And then it was lunchtime and we were heading to the Darwin Sailing club by our trustie personal taxi service (Blue Taxis). It was beautiful and on Fannie Bay.

me and the wheelchair

A very relaxing afternoon before our final dinner at an Italian restaurant where our Argentinian waiter was amazing. This was our pasta.  Very unusual and beautiful. Actually probably looked better than it tasted.

And tomorrow we leave. I have tried to organise some assistance at the airport but after 1 hour waiting on the phone, and then a discussion with a not so helpful person it does not sound promising. She said a wheelchair would be available but could not tell me from where. "Maybe checkin or departure gate??"

Still, i am ever hopeful as things have fallen into place so far.......

More Darwin, seated

Thursday 4/3/21

Today we go for a walk/wheelchair to find a nice breakfast. Perhaps we are a little early but not many options.  It is not easy to get wheelchairs into some cafes, bars and restaurants. They are awkward and, while helpful, add other challenges. But I no complain.

(Aside: What are the benefits of injuring oneself on holiday?

Perhaps the acknowledgement of one’s place in the universe, perspective on what is important in life, acceptance of some higher force/god/spirit directing our lives for the common good, learning a lesson in humility and gratitude etc etc??

@#$% NO!

Injuring oneself and having to rely on someone else to get around and even then, having limits everywhere is no fun and not a good time to ‘gain new perspectives’ that are in any way positive.

I am covered in bruises, my ankle is broken and hurts and I have to take the stupid boot on and off. This is made difficult by my sprained right wrist/arm which hurts and cannot do anything and makes it #$%^ hard to do up the stupid Velcro straps on the boot.

Apart from not being able to do up the boot properly, my right arm sprain/pain means I cannot brush my teeth with my right arm, cannot wash myself, face or hair with my right arm. Using a knife is difficult as is anything requiring any force including typing. Some good news, the hotel has provided a chair for the shower.

But apart from that, we are having a good time. Paul is doing all the work, pushing me around literally but as he says, this is great for his fitness and really bad for mine.)

 

In the afternoon, after I am unable to have a swim in the hotel pool due to no rails or disabled facilities, we decide to see a movie in Casuarina by Taxi. We see a good Australian movie,  The Dry with Eric Bana which we really enjoy.

Another taxi back to the city for dinner on a Thursday night in downtown Darwin. We have been using the one taxi company exclusively and we have our own preferred drivers who all come from various Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and India.  Just like at home….

My only photo of the day. More street art.

It is starting to look a little interesting in the evening in the city so we quickly find a pub and have dinner. All the meals are generous. It is a very blokey kind of place.

And back to our hotel for our second last night in Darwin.

What will we do on our last day tomorrow? Good question.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Wed 3/3/21

We wake up to sunny warm day in Darwin , wondering what on earth we can do, I suggest half jokingly that perhaps I could get a wheelchair so that Paul could wheel me around.  I not so jokingly suggest maybe a motorised scooter or wheelchair but no go.

We could hire a car but my walking is limited to about 50-100 metres so wont be able to do very much.

So the nice man at reception googles options for hiring wheelchairs and gives me the numbers to ring. Surprisingly easy.

The first person I ring says yes they have a wheelchair for hire and it will be $30. I say , so $30 a day? To which he replies no, that is for the whole 3 days. (Note this will become important later)

But they don’t deliver so we will need to taxi over and pick it up.

We do ($17.50 fare) go over and the man is so nice and tries to show Paul how to take it apart a little to make it easier to fold and less heavy. Very funny or maybe it is the drugs..

Anyway we take possession of the chair which is 10 times better than the one at the hotel. No rattles and both foot rests are in place. We taxi back to the hotel/city ($19 fare) and set off.

Paul is happy to push/wheel me around the hotel and we are right across from the beach/harbour so we go off to explore a little.

 

lots of painted toilet blocks as well as other buildings. adds colour.

 

We also have a look at their Parliament house and see a few of its members walking around. Very pretty.

 

 

inside

 

 

After a rest in the afternoon, we are off to a dinner cruise on Darwin Harbour with a couple from the Ghan and many of the Kings bus tours, Karen and Jock.

 

It is a lovely meal and beautiful sunset. Photos are in the wrong order but you will work it out.

 

We fight over a taxi with some other less organised tourists and go home exhausted. But a pretty good day in the end, all things considered, including total cost of the wheelchair.

 

Katherine the great

Tuesday 2/3/21

Breakfast on the Ghan is a dining experience as is every meal on the Ghan. No photo of the breakfast menu but trust me, delicious and sumptuous.

After a sleepless night (trains rock and roll and make noise so not particularly conducive to sleep), we were to go on our Katherine Gorge cruise.

Due to the floods in the area, there was to be no choice of cruises. Originally there was one involving lots of walking and the other involving less walking.  Given my boot, I was not sure I could do either.

Kind of luckily because of the floods, there was to be only one cruise involving only walking down to the boat from the bus  and back again to the bus. Kayla, the great, suggested that the Ghan had an up to now unseen wheelchair I could use to get to the boat and back. This mysterious wheelchair failed to materialise for the walk down from the bus to the boat so I hobbled down slowly holding onto Paul. I could only hold on with my left hand as my right arm was sprained and could not be touched. Fun for us (Paul) especially trying to get  to the amenities.

 

Anyway once on the boat, it was an amazing experience and we had expert commentary from a local ranger who was not only informative but very entertaining. Highly recommend this tour. I have so many photos but i will only attach the best of the best.

 

 

As we disembarked,  a wheelchair and porter appeared and i was pushed to the bus. It was uphill and the porter refused all offers from Paul to do the pushing. Is there a better word than ‘pushing’ ? I cant think of one at the moment. I blame the drugs.

  

After the cruise and back through the town of Katherine (20 seconds according to the bus driver) and we were back on the Ghan and lunch.

 This will be our last meal on the Ghan and it was as usual special.

 the wine list. Have i mentioned how good it is?

On arrival in Darwin, a shuttlebus transported us to our hotel and I was given the best spot at the front reserved for people with disabilities. It all helps. There are a few benefits.....

The Novotel in Darwin has perhaps seen better days. Very 80s style with lots of tropical plants.  

We had a surprisingly good dinner at the hotel restaurant however, sharing scallops and ravioli. Very good.

And what will we do for the next few days? How will we get around? what will the food be like? So many questions.