Nobody in the NT because nobody could be bothered and frankly, I don’t think anyone really cares if we eat rum balls for breakfast, make a fire in a national park, notice that there aren’t any butterflies left in butterfly gorge, ask why the town Katherine is spelt incorrectly and get no response or a shoulder shrug (named by JS McDoual after the expedition sponsors daughter which was clearly spelt with a curly c and not a kicking k), park in a disabled bay, or eat rumballs for breakfast, Mother Meg rumballs of course.
The NT attitude is to have no attitude, its so laid back here that the saying oh well, shit happens is practically tattooed on your forearm at birth.
I think this little anecdote from Nitmiluk National Park really said it all for me.
When checking into this deluxe National Park campground with a deluxe price tag you are given a fluro sticker which has your departure day on it, and a mud map with 38 points listed on the back of things to remember to help US enjoy OUR stay, 37 of these points started with the phrase “do not …” almost made me homesick. The other point started with (quote) Display your sticker on your windscreen. This is your proof of purchase. No sticker = No proof. SO being the good law abiding people that we are, we stuck our sticker on our windscreen. That night at some point, it flew off the windscreen.
The following morning at 7am, the wee man came around clasping a clipboard, and asked “where’s your sticker?” I said “It blew off last night on the drive back” He said, “yeah, it’s best to put it on your dash”. I said ok, can I get another one at reception? We’re staying until Saturday”
He gave me a seriously shocked looked and said “Another one? Nah, just put it on your dash” I thought…its early perhaps he didn’t hear me. SO I said “ it blew off last night” and he said “ yeah, just put it on your dash” I thought, oh my hot potatoes, I need a coffee and said “ok”. This seemed to satisfy him, he said “ok, I’ll see you later. Bye”
We spent the rest of the day canoeing up the Katherine Gorge, and didn’t see him later. Carole wrote a short note and put it on the dash. The next morning same man arrived, at the same time and asked the same question. “Where’s your sticker?” Thinking we were very tired yesterday and perhaps I wasn’t being clear went to start the blowing off the windscreen story again, but he noticed the note, read it and said “ Ha! that’s a good one!” I said “yeah it blew off the night before last, but we’re leaving today anyway” He laughed and said okydokey, I’ll have to remember that one!” and pottered off.
To me this little story sums up the NT. There are a billion and one rules which are happily displayed in a billion and one different formats, but at the end of the day, nobody really cares if you follow them or not, because no one can really be bothered doing anything about it.
Rum ball anyone?
