Darwin Part 2: Bohemians at The Jungle

Well folks, who stays in The Jungle omit an American who doesn't know where else to go?  A Bohemian gaggle of tradies that have seem to have taken up residency at this massive house on Coconut Grove in Darwin, AU.  Many of them seem to be servers/hospo types or work in the local mines.  Either way, when off the clock XXXX Beer is stocked in the fridge and conversations are never dull.  Truly, the types of people that look a little weathered and worn but would offer you a ride in the rain storm.  

Suzie did take me to get groceries and to the beach for a walk at dusk.  Outside of the grocery store (could have been a Coles or Aldi's... I do not remember) I heard, for the first time in Aus, the distinct sounds of a native playing a didgeridoo.

Didgeridoo Player Darwin, AU 2019

  Later I heard from Suzie that if you see an Aboriginal alone in town that usually means they were kicked out of their own tribe.  After stocking up she took me to the beach.  I couldn't tell you then or now which one we were at up I can tell you a piece of history.  In February of 1942 Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor about 2 months prior.  Today, you can still walk the Darwin beaches and see the remnants of the cement pillboxes.

Suzi seamed to have a random enough handy man or platonic side-kick named Wallie.  From the bits and pieces I can remember that was said he was a bit a ruffian in his day.  So much so that he stole a prop plane and attempted to fly from Queensland to Papa New Guinea.  Once he landed and sent straight off to jail or prison he received fan mail from Aussie women from all over the country.  When I met him, I would have never guessed he was capable of such things.  He would sing aloud bars of Hymns and while not forcing his Christian faith on anyone one would defiantly know he was a man of god.  Over the years since I have looked to see if I could find his story in the Aussie news.  More out of proving to anyone reading these post that Wallie's story is true.  Me, personally, I rather like not confirming if this God praising man once stole a plane to fly to PNG.

Folks, what can one say about Queen Suzie Butterfly of the Jungle?  She got that name because the morning I decided to take that early morning swim at 8AM Suzie decide it was a great time to garden... In nothing but panties on.  Folks, I didn't take anther early morning swim until after she got her gardening done.  Later that night one of the Tradies that looked like he was Mick DunDee's little brother drunkenly asked me, "Did you see Queen Suzie Butterfly of the Jungle today?!"  I told him, "Yeah mate... Yeah..."  He responded in the same drunken slurred voice, "Yeah she did that last night in front of the other younger Yank and he must'a took off early cause no one has seen him since."  

Tradies  Living at The Jungle 2019

I still have a food laugh when I think about what that tradie said to me about Suzie's free spirited behavior.   

Queen Suzie 2019

She is a character for sure. Well traveled.  I mean seriously has backpacked Nepal and Indonesian and who knows where else.  Has a degree in social sciences (Anthropology if I remember correctly).  Owns multiple properties.  Has at least one daughter that I am aware of.  And Suzie engages in all travelers from all over the world.  Folks, if you can put aside your creature comforts for at least a couple of days whilst in Darwin, go visit Suzie.  She loves to hear your story and where you have been.  Just be warned, in the Aussie summer heat... Clothes are not always up to a Puritan standard.  Honestly they shouldn't be in 35ºC+ temperatures.  I do remember one lad from Africa showed up to rent a room and Suzie said the same to him as she had to me... "Mate, you're wearing too many clothes.  You need to take them off."  He never came back to The Jungle again.  As for me, I pretended to be asleep one room over.  But not all time with Suzie is that random.  

Darwin, AU Coastline 2019

Suzie did take me to get groceries and to the beach for a walk at dusk.  Outside of the grocery store (could have been a Coles or Aldi's... I do not remember) I heard, for the first time in Aus, the distinct sounds of a native playing a didgeridoo.  Later I heard from Suzie that if you see an Aboriginal alone in town that usually means they were kicked out of their own tribe.  After stocking up she took me to the beach.  I couldn't tell you then or now which one we were at up I can tell you a piece of history.  In February of 1942 Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor about 2 months prior.  Today, you can still walk the Darwin beaches and see the remnants of the cement pillboxes.

Looking back I should have spent more time with all of them.  These are the salt of the Australian Earth.  The real, no agenda, raw local people just getting by in their own lives.  Doing their best where and when they can with what they have and know.  But my mind was done engaging with the Bohemians living at The Jungle... As the Aussie's say I was done and dusted - Ready to leave.  But I can still sometimes hear the random laughter of the lower kitchen and almost feel the sticky heat of the stove mixing with the Aussie summer night.  If you have ever had a restaurant job and hung out with that crew after a hard night of hungry customers, then you know the nostalgia a memory like this can bring every so often.  

©Dustin J. Casey 2025