Arnhem Land seems more like Afghanistan every day! We get dust storms here – just like Kabul. In Kabul, the locals herd sheep through the streets – here, they herd dogs (which looks pretty similar from a distance!). And the other day, i found myself in a meeting with a couple of soldiers. Just like the old days! Strangely, the soldier i was dealing with left Afghanistan about the same time as i did… … Read more »
I went to Darwin for the weekend last Friday. I’d booked a couple of weeks earlier, so i managed to get a seat on the Friday evening flight, which leaves at about five o’clock. That meant knocking off from work at four to go to the airport – as they like you to be there an hour before the flight’s due to leave, in case they leave early (which they sometimes do).
The airport building at Maningrida is just a small tin shed with an awning on the runway side. I guess the bench against the wall under the awning is the “departure lounge”! There’s a fence in front of this, with a gate onto the runway – or rather, onto the area where the planes park (the runway’s a bit further away). … Read more »