Darwin Adventures, The Second Attempt

This time last year I visited my dear friend Lara D in Darwin. It was a cunning plan; I would help her move into her new apartment that overlooks the bay and National Park, we would work during the day and attend Fringe Festivals in the evening, and take a weekend trip inland. But circumstances were against us; upon landing Lara's luggage went missing. A few hours later I was receiving early morning SMSs that my cat in Melbourne was getting sick; she would be a dead cat by that afternoon. Then we managed to get to but one Fringe event, before I came down for - the one and only time - that the dreaded COVID-19 hit me. It was thankfully a very mild case (vaccines work, people), but isolation was required. Although I didn't require any time off work, I didn't go anywhere except the balcony and spent the evenings in good company being plied with good cocktails and good conversation.

Well, the earth has completed another orbit and so I'm here for a second attempt at adventure. In a sense it started a few nights ago while attending an axe-throwing social event sponsored by the HPC computer, Xenon systems, which was a great opportunity to catch up with some people whom I've worked with in the past including Suda R., Dragan D., and Gary M. With the arrival at Darwin, I've been in the lovely company of Lara and her new housemate Mia (and the adorable rabbit, Cocoa), and we've managed to go to two Festival evenings; the first to see "A Brief History of Drunking" (some good content, but the execution needs work), and last night to Leah Potter's "I Went To Therapy". Leah, whom I've known on FB for quite a while, delivered an excellent show with challenging autobiographical content and received some superb Spanish guitar support from Gravy. We have another event tonight and then we're off to Litchfield National Park for week-end adventures. But, as always, it is neither the journey nor the destination that is most important, but the company.