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<\/a><\/p>\nRachael is James\u2019 much hotter, older sister and has owned this double-story delight at Parap for over ten years. I had visited once before \u2013 late, after a night out \u2013 possibly a New Year\u2019s Eve or Christmas? Back when I used to live a few blocks away at Parap Grove. My memory is hazy but I recall swimming in the pool with a bunch of girls \u2013 I have no idea who they were, but I think an Irish chick from Shennanigan\u2019s pub \u2013 Louise I believe, was among them.<\/p>\n
Regardless \u2013 this is a superb setup now, Rachael lives upstairs and James has his own space downstairs \u2013 fully equipped.<\/p>\n
(And they have three sausage dogs to stand security and keep them safe \u2013 one of which is a spritely seventeen years old!).<\/p>\n
Jimbo provided no clue as to the type of vehicle he would collect me in \u2013 so when I checked out of the reception and saw a little red, tinted-windowed hatch-back waiting in the driveway, I put my head down and towed my suitcase toward the passenger door. When I was a couple of feet away, with a hungover grin flashing across my dial \u2013 I noticed the driver had a beard and dark tan!<\/p>\n That\u2019s not James.<\/p>\n The bloke looked at me and moved off into the street.<\/p>\n I pretended I was just walking that way \u2013 with no intention of ever hopping into some stranger\u2019s car.<\/p>\n I finally came to rest on a bench and waited \u2013 before a silvery, Toyotarish type, medium sized car pulls up alongside me \u2013 and this time I can clearly recognise young Jimmy Picker\u2019s phiz.<\/p>\n I dumped my hefty case in his boot and slid into the passenger seat \u2013 the air conditioner was working marvellously.<\/p>\n We had to pick up a family friend, Greg \u2013 from the Picker\u2019s place at Larrakeyah and drop him off at Hidden Valley for the Super Cars. Greg was a top, friendly and helpful kind of bloke \u2013 Vietnam Vet, from Cowra, who spent a few months each year caravanning in the Picker\u2019s backyard with his lovely wife Carol. They turned out to be excellent company on several occasions in the ensuing weeks.<\/p>\n The trip to Hidden Valley was interesting for me \u2013 taking in all the changes and familiar old scenery as we went. I\u2019d forgotten just how good the roads are in the NT \u2013 very wide lanes, in fine condition.<\/p>\n In fact \u2013 it scared me again when I arrived home in Brisbane and realised how close one needs to travel to roaring B-Double trucks in the next lane! It\u2019s a wonder there are not more accidents than already occur.<\/p>\n It could have been about then that James announced: \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve told Steve yet \u2013 but we\u2019re going to Monsoons for a few beers this arvo and then we\u2019ll probably call into Mum\u2019s place to say hello and have a drink with ya\u2019s\u201d.<\/p>\n More drinking? Lord have Mercy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We called into Parap Bakery as we finally approached home, for a local mushroom pie for breakfast, a couple of rolls for some ham & tomato a little later, and a nice cold drink.<\/p>\n Rachael\u2019s place was great \u2013 I had my own air conditioned, quiet room \u2013 with a recently erected double bed and lockable door. The orientation of the structure is such that, at this time of the year, a prevailing cool breeze flows right through unhindered \u2013 from front to back.<\/p>\n I dumped my bag off inside and we proceeded out the back into the entertainment area, around the pool.<\/p>\n James lounged back in a cloth-seated chair and I chose, what appeared to be a more robust, white plastic, outdoor type common to every backyard. I trust these \u2013 I know they\u2019re sturdy, been using them for years.<\/p>\n Crikey \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t want the embarrassment of my big arse ripping the bottom out of one of his cloth-seated chairs! That would make for an unbearably uncomfortable situation for me, having just arrived \u2013 and with ten days yet to spend there!!<\/p>\n I would postulate I\u2019d been seated for some five minutes, chatting about the previous night, when \u2013 SNAP!!! My sturdy white chair goes suddenly wonky.<\/p>\n FUCK! I leapt straight up. The four legs remained true \u2013 but the side armrest had busted out due to the girth of my arrse!<\/p>\n (Now \u2013 that unbearably uncomfortable and embarrassing feeling I alluded to earlier \u2013 yes, this was it. In spades).<\/p>\n James sympathetically blamed the chair\u2019s age and exposure to the sun\u2019s UV rays for having weakened the internal structure \u2013 and I appreciated that sentiment greatly \u2013 but I knew it was my oversized, wide-load arse that was to blame.<\/p>\n So after that, I either stood up or sat on the pool\u2019s edge with my legs dangling in the water \u2013 somewhere I could do no further damage.<\/p>\n I also became paranoid about the possibility of somehow damaging The Picker\u2019s other possessions. Drinking-glasses, fridge, computer, bed, shower. I wasn\u2019t game to take up his offer to borrow his car anytime I liked (he would in turn borrow his Mum\u2019s). Early on I had visions of driving around a little more \u2013 visiting old haunts. I was even thinking about heading down to Cooinda, in Kakadu overnight and taking in the sunrise cruise on Yellow Water the next day.<\/p>\n James asked one day if I had any plans \u2013 and I suggested heading down to Humpty Doo pub for a beer (something I\u2019ve done many times over the years) \u2013 it\u2019s about thirty-five K\u2019s each way. But I\u2019d forgotten about the Berrimah Line!<\/p>\n The Berrimah Line is a mythical line passing through one of the southern suburbs of Darwin \u2013 which Darwinites like to avoid crossing! Beyond the Berrimah Line is like Never Never land \u2013 locals only head that far on extended holidays and such \u2013 and then, only when absolutely necessary!<\/p>\n So when I saw the reaction on his face as I suggested Humpty Doo, I decided I\u2019d best keep the Kakadu idea to myself.<\/p>\n (Rachael invited me up to attend James\u2019 40th<\/sup> birthday \u2013 James told me I was welcome to stay there any time \u2013 so I said, Pisser! And booked myself in for twelve days or so.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t till sometime later that I actually realised I perhaps should have discussed the extended stay with James, before I booked myself in!<\/p>\n When I lived in Darwin \u2013 I told everyone they were welcome to stay at my place for as long as they wanted. And I meant that completely. But not everyone does.<\/p>\n My instinct at the time of booking though, told me that this would be fine \u2013 and I felt extremely comfortable around James, despite not seeing him for ten years.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a cool bloke, speaks the truth, I trust him implicitly, and he is among the most honourable men I have ever met.<\/p>\n Anyway \u2013 next time I visit, I\u2019ll have a plan and discuss it with mine host before I leave home).<\/p>\n I was sitting with my feet dangling in the pool and was oh so tempted to dive in.<\/p>\n This was the middle of June mind you \u2013 winter and freezing down south, but I bravely took the plunge regardless. The water was still about 25 degrees Celsius and the outside air temp a brilliant 32.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n James headed off somewhere and did some shopping for supplies to feed his unexpected new freeloader for the next fortnight \u2013 while I bobbed around the pool, chatting to Rachael as she waved princess-like from high on her balcony.<\/p>\n We made it to Monsoons in the late afternoon \u2013 to my great delight James was treating me to one of the Top End\u2019s unique yet quirky little liquor promotions: Side Boob Sunday!<\/p>\n Well, that\u2019s not the official title \u2013 but it probably should be.<\/p>\n When I lived there, they had a thing called \u2018Tits-Out Tuesday\u2019 \u2013 which is another splendid example of the local cutting-edge liquor promotion strategy. This however, was banned for apparently being uncouth and classless \u2013 bloody wowsers!<\/p>\n Here we ran into Pottsy, perched upon a stool at the bar \u2013 he tends to favour this particular watering hole above all others in Darwin. In fact, so much so, that he told me he was nearing the end of a two-month stretch of long service leave \u2013 and he\u2019d spent every day of it at this very spot!<\/p>\n Pottsy is a well-educated and articulate young fellow with a diverse and sometimes bizarre array of interests \u2013 he is well read and quite the film aficionado. This seems incongruous with his passion for the deathly burn or Fireball shots, which he downs as a partner to each glass of scotch he consumes.<\/p>\n It seems he is known and well-liked by all who frequent this establishment \u2013 both customer and staff alike, and on this particular day he was drinking with a young Irishman who is at other times, employed by the venue.<\/p>\n At first I mistook his mate for a possible child of Pottsy \u2013 for he is naturally young in appearance and slight of stature. I wouldn\u2019t have thought him old enough to enter licenced premises, let alone work there!<\/p>\n It turned out that the young Irish fellow, whom I\u2019ll call Sean, was a really nice bloke. We all had drinks and a few laughs and a friendly chat \u2013 before Pottsy called it a day and left.<\/p>\n Sometime later, as James and I headed for a cab to his parent\u2019s place for a catch-up, we came upon Sean lingering out front of the hotel, quite under the weather. He was in a pickle because he had spent all his money on booze but still needed to get home \u2013 which was gonna be forty-five bucks in a cab!<\/p>\n He was hoping to cadge the required cash off any acquaintance that may be able to render assistance, but it appeared no one was coming to the fore.<\/p>\n It was here that James once again displayed his character \u2013 by taking Sean by the shoulder, guiding him across the road to the taxi rank and organising a lift home for him, handing the driver his last fifty bucks with strict instructions to make sure Sean got home alright and to give him the change.<\/p>\n James knew he\u2019d never see the fifty again.<\/p>\n Sean would wake up sometime later and wonder how the hell he got home \u2013 so James wouldn\u2019t even get a \u2018thank you\u2019, or even a silent appreciation for his good deed.<\/p>\n No one would ever know \u2013 but that is his nature, he stands among the finest of men.<\/p>\n This is due in no small part to the exemplary job his parents have done in raising both James and Rachael. I\u2019d like to see James have kids at some point \u2013 he\u2019d be an outstanding role-model and I believe he\u2019d make an excellent Dad.<\/p>\n (On a different occasion, many years before \u2013 James and I were drinking at Lizards bar in the Top End Hotel. Just sitting there drinking beer, shootin\u2019 the shit and listening to music. There was a bloke and sheila sitting a few tables away \u2013 the bloke appeared to be chancing his hand. I wasn\u2019t paying much attention but guess they would have been there for about forty-five minutes, when the chick sat forward and bitch-slapped the dude across the face!<\/p>\n He took exception to that and slapped her cheek right back!<\/p>\n Next thing I know \u2013 James is up and dragging the dude out by his throat, before handing him over to an approaching bouncer!<\/p>\n Then he simply returns to his seat and says \u2018Ya don\u2019t fucken hit girls\u2019, and he continued on with the previous conversation. Didn\u2019t miss a beat.<\/p>\n I just sat there like a stunned mullet \u2013 thinking, ‘Shit! That was pretty impressive’.<\/p>\n But once again, that\u2019s his nature).<\/p>\n Speaking of the senior Pickers \u2013 this is where we headed to after Monsoons, for a fried-up seafood extravaganza!<\/p>\n Dave Picker, the father, is a big man \u2013 a retired Territory cop.<\/p>\n He was the gun ballistics expert of the Top End before his eyes began giving him grief and loss of vision forced him into an early exit from the force. He remains a man of many talents though \u2013 with limited sight, I suspect he just \u2018thinks\u2019 his way around the place like an ancient master wizard! He is the backyard catering king and can barbecue, or roast any beast to perfection. I\u2019m not sure if he summons some kind of mystical, magical instinct \u2013 or he was born with an innate sense of timing, but you can rest assured, once Dave declares it done \u2013 it\u2019s time to grab your knife and fork.<\/p>\n Dave is also a brewer and purveyor of fine spirituous liquors. Once again \u2013 I cannot determine what kind of sorcery a legally blind man uses to conjure up such tasteful delights, but he certainly knows his shit!<\/p>\n I had the pleasure of sampling one of his rums (mixed with coke), and enjoyed a couple of straight Butterscotch Schnapps which went down a treat \u2013 though I was warned they may kick my arse!<\/p>\n Nola Picker is a beautiful woman with a happy disposition and kind heart. She seems to keep everyone else pretty much in line, which I imagine can be quite the challenge at times. There is nothing Nola wouldn\u2019t do for her family. I love the way this family all help each other out \u2013 at the drop of a hat, and without hesitation. Simple things like giving a lift to town, lending a car, trailer, esky or bed, picking someone up \u2013 cooking for each other and pretty much anything else one might name. My family do the same \u2013 but it\u2019s a pretty rare and beautiful thing!<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t stop there. On several occasions, when I was stuck in Darwin for Christmas \u2013 devastated, despondent and depressed about not being with my family for this most special of days, the Pickers invited me to join them as one of the family to celebrate with a beautiful Christmas dinner and even better company. No great fuss was made \u2013 but I appreciate those invitations more than they\u2019ll ever know and will carry those memories and good will forever. I\u2019d love to repay them in some small way some time.<\/p>\n Sumo. Sumo is a big sooky dog who runs everyone\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n He is an enormous Bull Mastiff, with a head like an African lion \u2013 but he still gets excited and loses his shit like a baby goat when his Master arrives to take him for a walk! He has uncanny timing and will let you know if when it\u2019s Dinner Time (not drink-finishing time!). Sumo tips the scales at sixty-five kilos and could tear you limb from limb if the fancy took him. But for the most part he seems content to just lean on you, or rest his big black jowls on your leg.<\/p>\n He is extremely well disciplined and placid of nature for such an intimidating beast \u2013 though I wouldn\u2019t recommend jumping the fence unannounced.<\/p>\n So we enjoyed our dinner with the Pickers, as well as the entertaining company of the backyard caravaners from Cowra, Greg and Carol.<\/p>\n We finally headed for home (Racheal\u2019s place) for a few more drinks, before crashing for the night.<\/p>\n Next day we did a tip-run \u2013 I was glad to see a second plastic garden chair, which had similar side damage to the one I destroyed, sitting in the trailer with the rest of the rubbish.<\/p>\n I think we had brekky about lunch time, bobbed around the pool for a while before ending up back to Monsoons for drinks.<\/p>\n By this time in my recollection, several days seem to run into each other \u2013 though I do recall we drank to excess each and every day.<\/p>\n We visited the Waterfront precinct, which I\u2019d not seen before \u2013 and I found that to be an eye-opener. Though I could really have settled in there, the Fat Yaks going down nicely. Incidentally \u2013 since I arrived and Jimmy and I commenced the old \u2018Shout\u2019 routine with our drinks, it seemed that I always finished mine first \u2013 leaving James with an inch of warm beer in the bottom of his glass as I served up a fresh new schooner.<\/p>\n Sometimes I\u2019d try to slow down and wait \u2013 but the Territory is a hot place and I was thirsty.<\/p>\n So when this occurred at the Waterfront pub, I offered to have a second shout \u2013 James insisted he get them and disappeared into the bar.<\/p>\n Thinking outside the square, as Jimbo is apt to do \u2013 he returned, placed a pint of Fat Yak in front of me and a schooner of mid-strength before himself. Nodding contently, he muttered that we should now be in sync!<\/p>\n Curiously, the roles were reversed when consuming a meal.<\/p>\n James would serve me up a plate full of awesomeness from the barbie and then retreat to finish off cooking and fetch his own. I\u2019d be well into mine by the time he returned \u2013 not letting good tucker go cold and all, yet he would without exception, finish before me.<\/p>\n So apparently I drink like a fish and eat slowly, while inversely \u2013 James drinks slowly and eats like an Irish Wolf Hound.<\/p>\n Though most things he does, he does with energy \u2013 so it must just be beer that he has an issue with?<\/p>\n We dined at the Pickers several times \u2013 on one occasion I was presented with a most exquisite looking slice of dragon fruit. It was an intense reddy-crimson coloured juicy morsel \u2013 with little taste compared to its impressive appearance. It is certainly not objectionable by any means, and tastes like nothing else I\u2019ve eaten previously \u2013 certainly worth checking out if the opportunity presents itself.<\/p>\n Nola happened to mention that they used to frequent the Darwin RSL Club \u2013 enjoy a meal and play the pokies for a bit, but lately it seemed that the old Rissole had lost its way. The club was in dire financial peril, with whispers of being forced into the hands of receivership in the near future.<\/p>\n Lo and behold \u2013 the next day the Darwin RSL Club burnt to the ground!<\/p>\n The News had vision of a blackened old snooker table, burnt chairs and bar \u2013 I sure hope they were insured!<\/p>\n We drove past in the arvo \u2013 there were still a few Firey-Inspector looking coves milling around the entrance, with danger tape keeping the punters at bay. Perhaps they found something suspicious?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was more swimming in the pool, some local site-seeing \u2013 including my old house (which I strongly felt like entering and walking around), more late nights and sleep-in mornings, and James seemed to have no end of domestic chores to do before the Big Day – party day, on Friday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn\u2019t hurt\u2026Oh no \u2013 that was Johnny Cash. I woke up feeling pretty dusty myself, had a cuppa tea and a shower \u2013 content that the first big night was over and I didn\u2019t have to drink tonight. James arranged … Continue reading DARWIN 2018 – Rachael’s Place<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5K3B8-7J","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=479"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":597,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479\/revisions\/597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewallaby.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n