DAY 49 FISH AND CHIPS AT NIGHTCLIFFE

Today was a bit of a rest day for me, as my back was really sore and I had a lot of sciatic pain down my leg from my back.  I had a 10.30am chiropractor appointment in at Palmerston.  I am so missing my massages from back home…  I am always a little nervous about visiting a new chiropractor, as the adjustments on my back can be quite tricky, and I really didn’t want to spend money to find it made no difference at all. 

Fortunately, we found a really good one, and he went through a pretty detailed examination.  My back was dreadfully out of alignment and he was able to adjust it successfully.  I am sure the massages I have been having over the last couple of years have helped the flexibility of my muscles.  Still he did suggest an x-ray which would be totally refunded by Medibank.   This made a lot of sense as at least this way, I could travel with them and show them to any other practitioner I needed to see on our journey.

Whilst there was instant relief,  I still had a few twinges of pain, so decided to have a rest day rather than out traipsing around Darwin.  We had planned on going back into the Wave Pool for a swim this afternoon, but I was a little nervous about it, so Ian and Kathy took off and we agreed to meet them at the Nightcliffe jetty later in the afternoon for fish and chips on the beach whilst we watched another Darwin sunset.

I had a 5.30pm appointment for my back x-ray, so we left the van park around 4pm, so that Steve could stop off at a Clark Rubber on the way into town to get a few things he needed for the van awning.

We got to the appointment right on 5.30pm as we had a bit of a hold up with road works on the way in.  X-ray done and dusted, and then it was off to find a fish and chip shop at Nightcliffe so that we could have dinner and enjoy another sunset. 

 Ian and Kathy were then when we arrived.  We found a seat overlooking the jetty and the water and were just in time to witness another of these northern sunsets over the water… There was a lovely cool breeze coming in off the water and we were just enjoying being…..  What a wonderful country we live in…

Sunset at Nightcliffe in Darwin.

It was well and truly dark by the time we left.  Since we were back in Darwin, we decided to take a drive out along the Stokes Hill Wharf and check out the lights of Darwin. 

Lights of Darwin

Steve, Kathy and Ian, at Stokes Hill Wharf

Admiring the night lights of Darwin

 Not only is  Stokes Hill Wharf a food precinct where many people were out  enjoying an evening meals, it also has memorials to remember those that lost their lives in the bombing of Darwin in 1943.  Each year on the 19th February, they hold a special remembrance service on the wharf to remember and honour those that lost their lives during the bombing.  It was interesting to read about it...  

 From the wharf, we were able to view a quite a variety of large fish including mullet, gar, stingrays and batfish.  We spent some time admiring them before heading off in search of the ice-cream parlour. 

Enjoying our Rum and Raisin ice cream

Ian and Kathy enjoying their butterscotch ice cream

 With ice-creams intact, we headed to the other side of the wharf where we found a table that overlooked the lights of Darwin waterfront… 

 On the way back to the car, the boys noticed these couple of tug boats,  they were very impressed with all the modern equipment that was on the boats.  They were also amazed at the size the stainless steel exhaust pipes on each side of the tug, and we spent some time looking at them and discussing them..

The trip out to the wharf was a lovely way to end a delightful evening out.