The two French boys we met near Cooktown cut across to Northern Territory while we carried on towards Cape York. They were going to look for work in Darwin, but competition and cost of living here was too high, so they left and tried to beat the crowds that would soon be heading south to escape the heat/humidity. The one thing they recommended to us was a free water park in Palmerston. Since we were staying in caravan park just outside of Palmerston, it made sense to give it a visit, after all, the price was right and we had little else to do.
Today’s photos are courtesy of Risa’s iPhone. I didn’t want to bring my camera not knowing what the situation was with lockers etc. I needed have worried, as lockers were only $1/hour.
The water park at first glance looks huge/amazing, but you quickly realise that it’s basically a six-lane slide, and a few wet areas for children to play. No pools to swim in (no water deeper than 300mm). Still, it’s free, and the one slide that we can use (as an adult) is pretty good fun, especially since it was a race and Risa couldn’t beat me (thank you gravity).
Just like the ones at the Gold Coast, if you shifted your weight as you hit the apex, you’d float a few meters before landing again on the down slope. Probably not the smartest thing to be doing as the guide rails aren’t particularly high, but feels great to leap through the air.
It was fun for about an hour, then Risa’s hands were tired from holding on to the mats so hard (probably because she wanted to beat me), so we left.
The only other notable thing from today was a visit to KFC. I saw a new burger advertised, the Parmy Burger, which is basically a chicken parmigiana burger. They also had an option for big food connoisseurs like myself, the Parmy Stack, which is a double parmgiana. Bacon can also be added for an additional $0.80 and 150kJ, bringing it to a total of about 3,500kJ and $10.50. I’d heard from a friend that he was disappointed with his – small, cold and rather shit. Mine was quite different, the schnitzel was larger than the bun, it was hot and crispy, and really wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t that great, either. I’m in no hurry to eat another, but would happily recommend the curious to try.
The tranquillity of dinner at KFC was ruined by the flocks of birds that were living in the trees either side of the road in front of us. There were hundreds of Galahs, Lorikeets and other birds. The swarms that were flying around reminded me of the sentinels in The Matrix. And the noise! Such an odd place for birds to live…
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