Update : What I did in 2010

2009 ended just after I  completed my first solo bluewater sail  (my blog about that is here)  across the Tasman Sea from Sydney Australia to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand., with a stop off at Lord Howe Island on the way.  I went back to Australia and worked in Darwin but had two months off in April and May.I went on a tour  with Zoe from Alice Springs to Uluru....



Uluru Sunrise

 ..and back in NZ sailed the northland coast between Whangaroa and Tutukaka - north and south respectively from the Bay. I had three more months off from September and went sailing to Whangaroa and back again and then had an amazing month backpacking in India  (read my Blog here)

Working in Darwin with indigenous Australians and a really hard working group of  supportive colleagues, and visiting outlying communities in a twin engined plane as part of my job was a real privilege. In my time off I was able to visit Litchfield National Park and the Katherine Gorge, I went to the Tiwi Islands for the Footy Grand Final and annual Arts Festival, and I explored Kakadu National Park, visiting Nourlangie Rock three times, and Yellow Waters and Ubirr twice. The wonderous wetland scenery, the wildlife and the extraordinary indigenous rock art thats thousands of years old makes this whole place utterly incredible. The contrast between Darwin in the "wet" and in the "Dry" makes it seem like two different places.

A Heron at Yellow Waters, Cooinda, Kakadu



The Vastness of Kakadu National Park from Nourlangie Rock




Ancient Indigenous Rock Art, Kakadu

Despite all that adventure and excitement when the year ended I was heartbroken -  Sue had left me for someone else and the lovely home we had designed and built was finally sold off. Sapphire was all I had left.