Flight of the Jabiru by Elizabeth Haran

rivers flow into the harbor,” Sid added earnestly. “The Elizabeth River and the Darwin River. With all the rain in the wet season there are plenty of creeks, rivers, and wetlands, which are great for fishing and bird life. Believe it or not, I actually got out of the pub a few times to fish when there was a break in the weather.”
    â€œI’m surprised you noticed,” Lara said smirking. She really liked Sid. He was like a naughty boy in a middle-aged man’s body, but he was fun.
    â€œActually, I didn’t, until I found myself alone in the bar and thought it was something I’d said,” Sid smirked and lines around his blue eyes crinkled. “It rains a lot in England so I don’t think the wet season is going to come as a big surprise,” she said.
    Sid laughed at how naive she was. “Believe me, you haven’t seen rain yet. The month we were stuck in Darwin nearly forty inches fell. I believe there’s only ever been more rain in a month once before and that was during a cyclone. Fortunately, the pub roof didn’t leak, well not that I noticed, anyway.” He chuckled.
    â€œYer not afraid of lightning, are ya?”
    â€œNot normally. Why? Is it something out of the ordinary in Darwin?” Lara asked worriedly.
    â€œIt’s spectacular during the lead up to the ‘wet’. It literally lights up the landscape, but it can be terrifying if yer not used to it.”
    Lara tried to appear unperturbed, but it was difficult.
    â€œJust don’t take shelter under a tree during a storm,” Sid advised.
    â€œOkay,” Lara said, looking either side of Darwin city.
    â€œThere appears to be a lot of vegetation along the shore line,” she commented. It was difficult to tell exactly what it was in the fading light.
    â€œMangroves,” Sid explained. “There are plenty of mangroves in this part of the world. They’re a breeding ground for fish, so they’re necessary, but they’re also a breeding ground for mozzies.”
    â€œMozzies?”
    â€œMosquitoes. Millions of them. They come out at dusk and they’re as big as black birds, so be warned.”
    Lara was alarmed.
    â€œBehind the mangroves are beautiful savannah woodlands and patches of monsoon rainforest.” All this information was new for Lara, who realized quite ashamed that she didn’t know half as much about the tropics than she knew about Egypt.
    â€œI was expecting to see white sandy beaches,” Lara said, worried she’d been lied to. The vision she’d had in her mind of a tranquil paradise with gently swaying palm trees was being replaced by torrential rain, bolts of lightning, and mosquito-infected mangroves.
    â€œThe tides are extreme up here, sometimes eight meters. When it’s out, rock is exposed and parts of reefs, and sometimes mud flats that can be smelly. But there are nice beaches, too. You’re lucky you’ve arrived at the right time of year. It’s going into winter.”
    â€œIs it always this warm going into winter?” Lara asked, afraid to think about the summer months. It was still terribly warm by English standards, even with a slight sea breeze.
    â€œThe temperature doesn’t change much during the year.”
    â€œOh,” she said, thinking perhaps that wouldn’t be too bad once she’d acclimatized.
    â€œOnly the humidity levels. They go from about thirty percent at this time of year, to one hundred percent in the summer months. October is sometimes referred to as suicide month. It can be very oppressive just before the rains come. That’s why the pubs are so popular.”
    Lara was disheartened, but after spending a few weeks in Hollesley Bay Prison, she doubted anything could be so bad. “I suppose the beaches are crowded with swimmers during summer, then?” She was thinking she might be spending a lot of time frolicking in the surf and that the first thing