2025 and LEAVING CROKER

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 Hi everyone

In early March I attended a Marine Mega Fauna Workshop in Darwin. Nancy was already in Darwin helping to look after Noah and Millie as our daughter in law Kristy had had a knee operation. 

The photo below was taken at Stokes Hill Wharf on Darwin Harbour. 



Kristy's dad Patty, with Millie and Noah in Geelong beside Patty's truck. Noah in his high vis shirt - matching with granddad's. 


To keep up with Patty, I was able to order a small size Garngi ranger shirt for Noah.   


Last year Garngi Rangers had reported many illegal foreign fishing vessels in our area. We had 4 Chinese asylum seekers come into our accompany which prompted our head office to put out a media release - much to the displeasure of the Commonwealth Government. The media attention has resulted in the Australian Border Force (ABF) significantly lifting their profile in the Croker Island area. Below is a photo of a remotely controlled vessel which the ABF uses as another set of ears and eyes. At times this year we have seen up to 7 of these vessels around Croker Island and the Coburg Peninsula. 

The ABF has also positioned helicopter in this area - below is an ABF Airbus H135 with Garngi Rangers assisting with refuelling. 

Garngi Rangers conducted joint patrol with one of the patrol boat boarding groups. Below 3 rangers are boarding an ABF RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat).

Here they are heading off towards Raffles Bay on Coburg Peninsula on the mainland. 

Noah got a swing set for his birthday. Below Granny supervises Noah and Millie. 

While enjoying a meal one evening at the Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin, I snapped these photos of the seagulls. 

Some standing still and some in flight. 

Uncle Jayson and Noah enjoying reading together. 

Aunty Laura visited Darwin in April and enjoyed some time with Noah ..........

........ and Millie.

Our time at Croker Island came to an end in May when I resigned from my ranger coordinator role. Below our boxes of personal gear on pallets waiting to go into a container for the return trip to Darwin on the weekly Sea Swift barge service. 

Below our Troopy about to be loaded on board.


My employer forgot to book our flights back to Darwin so a last minute charter had to be arranged. It turned out to be a Cessna 206 ..... which was a nice twist as we had spent so much time in C206s back in the 1990s with MAF. The young pilot was very pleasant and very professional. 


Looking out the rear window of the C206 as Croker Island disappears. One chapter closes but another opens. 

In the next blog we decided to take the long way home to SE Queensland - a visit to Kintore, crossing the Simpson Desert and an amazing scenic flight over Lake Eyre, now filling after heavy rain earlier this year. Until then take care.

Blessings Bryan and Nancy






















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