Galiwin'ku Weeekend

It has been two weeks since our last Blog. Forgive me readers as we have been slack. We have embarked on a more ambitious cycle of travel which takes us to two communities a week for six weeks. It's a bit much - we will have a break every three-four weeks after this contract. It's hard to carry enough supplies too. I have run out of facial moisturisers and my toothbrush broke and there was none of either in the shop! I also need a haircut..... I am not yet out of coffee, so still coping.

But as you can see, the view we have to live with, makes up for the inconvenience. We are living right on the water (and in the water as I will describe soon) and so we have wonderful changing views from the front varanda. The accommodation here is adequate (certainly not the worst we have had) but it has a few shortcomings. Rotten varenda boards, rusted through railings and a collapsed roof are just the beginning. Downstairs is trashed and the washing machine (all that is left down stairs) is a health hazard and does not work.


It has rained - a big rain. It poured for ages late yesterday and raining on and off all day today so far. This would not be an issue except that the roof leaks and I mean leak - including through the lights on the ceiling! We are emptying the bucket each 15 minutes or so when it is raining. The bucket emptying routine is a great theory if you are here and there is only one leak at once.

Yesterday we were not here, cause we work...... we do ..... and we came back exhausted to the accommodation after a huge two workshops days and our twenty sixth packup, to find the ceiling had leaked all over our bed and gear. It was soaked. Well we have two single beds and one got wet!!!! The other was not too bad but still needed a bit of "airing".

So we had to make an inside clothes line, turn on all the fans and start the drying process. Matresses, pillows, sheets and our clothes. We were so tired and a bit cranky by now. Turned on the TV for escape and we could not get the broncos game - only that Victorian rubbish! Lucky Worf kept sending me scores via his iphone onto Face book.

But today is a new day and after breaking into the other rooms of this guest house (literally) we found two dry mattresses and pillows. We have washed our clothes and hopefully they will dry before we have to fly off to Ramingining tomorrow.

The perspective to have here is that the local people's houses are no better than ours and many are worse. There are very few cyclone safe houses here. Also, we are also not sharing with dozen's of others over a weekend - we have 6-8 folks in here during the week. The local community families have dozens of people per house every day. Must be quite tough on bad days when your house leaks.

Varanda views across to the storms coming through.

This week is better than last week. The accommodation at Milingimbi last week was the worst we have experienced. It was so filthy that we both ended up very sick, even though we took precautions as much as we could. Lucky there were two toilets and we were each sick on different days so the workshops happened with one of us on run duty and one on workshop duty. It was not helped by the Balandar (white fella) paranoia with locking up everything, including the toilets and buckets, mops and brooms. It is almost killing territory when the key to the toilet is in a locked office and the key to that is in a locked truck and the key to that is in the pocket of the missing manager of the keys. It was about a K to the accommodation, so a "run" back to the toilet was generally rather stressful.

But all is good now. We hope to get out this afternoon for a fish, but it is looking unlikely with the lightning strikes happening now. We have the usual report to write for the nameless ones. That will keep me amused. Got some great local music to listen to. We have some crumbed lamb chops for dinner and the shop had sweet potatoes. Nothing much else in the vege line. Lucky I now carry supplies from place to place. I miss my herb and spices cupboard and the home made curry pastes. Be nice to have a roast. Think there is something called salad... be two more weeks before we see that in Yirrkala.

Last week we loved our visit to Maningrida. The accommodation there is not too bad. We had a good workshop too with perhaps the most sophisticated video productions ever, emerging from two days of people's hard work. The rangers have an enormous store of photos to use as a basis for great stories. They have amazing jobs. Makes me want to be a ranger.

We also bought our burial poles and broga's from there. Scott, watch out for very large and heavy deliveries in a few weeks. You will need help to carry them into the house. I took photos of mine last visit. Mine is about 5 feet hight with waterlillies and barramundi. Paul's burial pole is taller and wider than this. He also bought a small pole that Marcus, one of our participants and art centre helpers, made. We blew our economic stimulus money budget. Have to move out the sewing machines, so the burial poles fit in at home.



Should be a nice afternoon really. It looks like rain will cotinue but.

We hope the morning is clear so we can fly. We plan morning flights but if this weather sets in, Paul, our new best flying friend, may not come and get us.

Hope dad had a nice birthday the other day and hope St Paddy's day is a good birthday for mum. Hope Jeff has a cool mow for me this week and all is good at the Lukritz household at Karalee. Hi to all the Sutton's all over Qld - where is Jacinta this week anyway..... Somewhere exotic I hope.

Thinking of Sue recovering from her surgery and hoping the Simpsons are enjoying their holiday. Hi to Tabers - why won't you write?

More adventure sof buckets and loos next time!!