Crocodile

 We had a wonderful day, me, and two colleagues. 

We picked up the car at just gone nine and made our way out to Berry Springs, about 45 minutes' drive out of Darwin, where the three of us paddled around with our pool noodles for nearly two hours. 

This has been a strange job. It's the only contract I've had where I've seen most of my workmates in their swimming costumes/bathers/togs. As most of us are in our forties and fifties, this is no mean feat. Also, nobody gives a toss - which is also a good thing. There are a couple of us who are the first in, last out of the pool - that's me. Swimming when you're a bit older is very liberating. 

 It's definitely the only job where we've had project pool noodles. These reside in one of the managers offices and under their desk. I went to collect the pool noodles yesterday afternoon. Some of the project team were in the test lab when I went in, and I was spring, walking out with three pool noodles under my arm. Immediately, I was transported back to my childhood, fronting up to a neighbour's place, asking if I could use the pool. One of my colleagues giggled at me."Look at you with your pool noodles... you look happier than a pig in muck." I was. 

You can see that pool noodles make us 50 somethings very happy. 

You can feel the determination as we went down to the waters. Pool noodles in tow. 

And you get down to these warm waters and that little bit of flotation makes everything so much better. 

I'm thankful we got there early - like just before 10. We had the bottom pool nearly to ourselves. Just floating about, putting the world to rights, not having to be in work. Bloody marvelous it was. The minor sunburn, not so much, but that's nothing some moisturiser and a long swim in the very cold hotel pool won't fix. 

Lunch was had at one of the pubs at Humpty Doo. 

Then we went out to Fogg's Dam - a nature reserve which came from some guy called Fogg, in the fifties, who thought he could grow rice up here in the Top End. The scheme was an abject failure, but what is left is an incredible wildlife reserve. You drive across an embankment to a car park. On one side you find a mangrove area, filled with lily pads and water birds. On the other side, there are wild boars, buffaloes and more birds. It's amazing. It would be wonderful to be there at dawn, just to see the birds. It's somewhere I'd love to go again. 

But the highlight of the day was the crocodile. In the wild. 

Driving over the dam wall, we saw a car sitting in the middle of the road.

"What's this idiot doing?"

"Taking photos of the birds?"

"Who knows?"

It wasn't a bird they were looking at. 

More than likely, it was the two-meter saltwater crocodile sunning itself on the road. 

Crocodiles are freaky enough at the best of times. 

When they're about five meters away, only separated by the door of the rented Haval you're in - yeah... nah...

Mind you, like most wildlife, if you leave them alone, they ignore you. 

Still. They're even more ugly than huntsman spiders. And deadlier. 

After taking a few photos, we drove past very slowly, as not to disturb it. 

It got the adrenaline going. Just seeing one of these beasts in the wild, even a little one, was amazing. 

Thankfully, it had slithered off back from where it once came by the time we drove back. 

In all, it was a fantastic day out with great company. You can't ask for more. 

Today's song: