Oh, what a night! Torrential rain and wind hit at 3:00am. The noise was enough to wake us along with the drip, drip on my forehead signaling the leaking roof. Ray was already out of bed trying to release the build up of water on the awning. Unfortunately it ripped leaving a hole in the middle. The table had blown over in the wind along with the chairs and all the bits and pieces campers leave outside in the wet season when they should really know better! (Especially when Aaron commented in the lightning just before we all went to bed). 
The thunder was excruciatingly loud and seemed to echo through the van. I left Ray and Aaron contemplating what more they could do outside to secure the remaining belongings and returned back to bed. It was very wet by then. Ray straightened out the kink which was letting the water in and the dripping stopped. We had to flip to the opposite end of the bed to escape the sodden mattress. More washing! 
Chris and Vicki escaped any real damage although their clothes airer full of clean clothes was resting on its side in the mud by morning. More washing!
The morning was steamy and the day became fine and hot. 
As it was Saturday morning we ventured into a suburb of Darwin to wander around a market. Vicki found some beautiful flowers that she would have bought had she been at home ( or if she had a vase in the van). Such beautiful tropical colours. 
Ray found his heaven; pork balls on a stick which he ate while we all groaned at the smell. It was 10:00am! I declared myself vegetarian along with Caleb. 

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I bought a home made soy candle to burn in the van because I’m worried about a residual smell from the drying out of our mattress. The scent is coffee bean so Ray can have his fix too!
We dropped into the Skycity casino where the Endota Spa is located and Vicki and I booked in for a massage and wax on Tuesday. It’s not a public holiday in Darwin for the Melbourne Cup, so it will be a nice treat for us to do something girly while everyone at home frocks up. Yes, I’m missing my heels! I keep slipping my feet into heels at shops so that my feet don’t forget what they feel like. 
We went on a search for a new, bigger clothes airer as we suspect we had a piece of clothing stolen from the park line during the last wash. I’ve decided to hang everything at the van for safe keeping. We relied upon Chris’ directions to Bunnings which he gave us at 12:18 pm and we finally arrived at 1:45 pm. Hmmm. 
We bought some ice from a unique ice machine. $4 for a 7 kilo bag. Very cheap compared with the $3.50 for 3.5 kg we have been getting. We had a lovely refreshing ice fight with the left over bits that didn’t fit in the bag. 
I’d like to say we went home and spent a relaxing afternoon by the pool but we didn’t. We were busy washing wet bedding and cleaning out the van. Even when you are pulling your house behind you, there is still housework to do. 
As evening came the checkers board came out again. Ray and Hannah battled it out and Ray won-just. Hannah is definitely learning to play with strategies. Go girl!