will the real australian please stand up?

The last 6 months in the Kimberley region of Australia have been a bittersweet enrichment. My child health clinics in very remote areas allowed access to bright and dark elements of Australia’s fabric. There is an incredibly rich and historic culture that spreads across the desert, freshwater and saltwater people. It is punctuated by spiritualism, identity and family. Stories of creation and great warriors soak the bold landscape. Long stretches of bushland have been described to me as a vast network of highways, having been travelled by foot for thousands of years.

How then, does a living 50 000 year old culture suddenly have to fight for sustenance? There is a broken spirit, despairing for a dismantled past and stolen future. Respect has been forcibly removed, and a path back has not been mapped.

Graduates of the Australian school system will be familiar with European settlement, the occasional rifle vs spear battle and the “close the gap” campaign. There are breaks of generally unknown gruesomeness in our recent history. Massacres of Aboriginal people are documented across Australia, with the number killed often just noted as “hundreds”. Most sites are now a residue of history, with evocative names like Skull Creek. I am unsure why we are taught more about Roman emperors than this difficult aspect of Australian history. It is shameful that the massacres occurred, and it is shameful that they are poorly acknowledged. The weight of history must not be underestimated. These issues have an ongoing direct impact on the lives of Australians, as I found out in conversation with local Aboriginal men on the verandah at Fitzroy Crossing.

Recent events have once again propelled Indigenous policy into the minds and media of general Australia. For those who have any connection with the affected areas, the issues are not revelations, they are reminders.

The vast majority of Australians are horrified when we hear about Indigenous suicide/sickness/insert latest media article. Media stories can drive a discussion which occurs in lunchbreaks around the country. Discussion leads to education and opinion, and I believe this is where our approach to Indigenous Australians needs to improve.

How do we provoke discussion? Indigenous issues jump into the mainstream if there is a human element to a story. An enthusiastic statistical discussion is not going to happen, but questioning the reason guards shackle an Indigenous child is more thought-provoking. Seeing the people behind the statistics creates an impetus to learn more. We need exposure to those affected to understand the actuality of “closing the gap”. Seek out indigenous journalism, find out the name and beliefs of your local mob, and start a discussion.

It is easy to look away from the intense glare of a horrible reality. We need to adjust our eyes and face the truth. With education, exposure and acknowledgement, we will be able to improve lives and appreciate the full richness of Indigenous culture.

outreach trip 2: fitzroy crossing and bayulu community

The Fitzroy Valley has shifted seasons since I was last here. The daytime temperature has reduced from 43 degrees to a mild 35 degrees. Broad storm fronts have caused the Fitzroy River to swell and rise up the banks. Grasshopper plagues peppered the windscreen and filled up the gaps in the front grill of the car.

“Drive for 15 minutes up the highway, then turn right at the big hill”

Once again, I was privileged to visit a small Aboriginal community. A group of four year olds led me to the clinic, then went back to their stick and rock games. There was a lot of laughter, possibly induced by my new broad-brimmed hat. It was a fantastic paediatric clinic. The cheeky kids and proud mums gave me the impression that Bayulu is thriving.

The Fitzroy River in full flow

The black kite probably met the same fate as its lunch.

last light

I was chatting with a fellow healthcare worker yesterday and learnt an interesting quirk. Watching the sunset at Cable Beach is apparently an experience that many people aspire to. Judging by our time at Cable Beach so far, this doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately, ticking this item off your bucket list can be more difficult if you suddenly approach the end of your life.

"There are people" my new friend said, "who rush to jump on a plane to Broome, despite being very sick. They deteriorate due to the slightly lower oxygen levels over a long flight, and get taken straight from the airport to the hospital. People have travelled thousands of kilometres across Australia, then died in hospital five kilometres from the Cable Beach."

back to broome

There are a few differences this time around. Six years ago, our random wanderings here involved hikes, bikes and crocodiles. Now we're back with Biscuit Boy and Rhino, who are 4 years old and 2 months old. The pull to come back to Broome has always been strong... even stronger than the intimidating task of flying 6000km with the family to an area of extreme weather and isolation. We're settling in for six months, and will hopefully reach a deeper understanding of The Kimberley.

A few happenings in the last week:
Two green tree frogs were gently relocated from our toilet to the garden.
We were invited to Dingo Joe's birthday party.
Terrence introduced me to traditional Aboriginal spear fishing.

Once again, I've been astonished by the embedded palette of colours...

Gantheaume Point

Climbing trees in Pemberton

The "Karri" is one of the tallest trees in the world, and it is only found in the southwest of Western Australia. A few trees have a ladder-like arrangement of metal poles around them - they were originally used as lookouts for fire.

One of the climbing trees

Climbing was a bit scary at first, especially since you're not strapped onto anything.

The view from the top of the highest tree. It's about 70 metres up and creaks loudly as it sways.

northcliffe sculpture walk

Gerald wasn't driving so well, and Northcliffe was the furthest we got from Perth. This small town had a great sculpture walk featuring both local and international artists.

Yep, it's an iron heart.

margaret river

We visited 10 of the 89 wineries in Margaret River. Planning to go back for the ones we missed.

It wasn't all wine...

gerald

Gerald is our campervan. He has a few problems. Sleeping is very comfortable and cooking is easy with the well-stocked miniature kitchen. Driving is another matter. Speed bumps feel like mountains and travelling over 90km/h causes major speed wobbles. We almost got blown over by a motorbike. If things get a bit scary, loud singing seems to work well.

fremantle

Good beaches, good beer and good street art... my kind of place.

broome: observations from a park bench

A Landcruiser roars to rest at the kerbside. The driver jumps out and slaps on his broad-brimmed hat. All his clothes, from top to boots, are tinged with a dusty red hue. His sun-induced wrinkles aren't even spared. He'll pick up some supplies as fast as possible, then head back out to his property.

A lady, probably in her fifth decade, strolls past with her labrador. The grains of wet sand are camoflaged by the dog's off-white hair. She wears a purple-flowered sarong, sandy bare feet and a smile.

A battered campervan creaks to a halt. The paintwork looks like grey, acid-wash jeans. A young couple slowly climb out, nattering away in German. Their bronze skin in decorated with frayed string and shell jewellery on ankles and wrists. They press a creased map out on the side of the van and decide where to go next.

Cable beach

The red pindan dust stains the ocean.

The Japanese and Chinese cemetaries are reminders of Broome's pearling history.

tunnel creek

Tunnel Creek was a hideout for the Aboriginal warrior, Jandamarra. His guerrilla attacks on the European farmers were legendary. The "tunnel" starts as a crack in the mountain range and goes right through to the other side.

We could see the reflecting eyes of freshwater crocodiles as we waded through the water.

A collapsed section of the tunnel

china wall

China wall is a strange geological formation near Halls Creek, marking a fault line. This vein of white quartz has occurred naturally, even though it appears to be carefully constructed from large cubes of rock. The line of quartz can be seen at various points around the landscape.

purnululu national park

Exploring Purnululu, commonly known as the Bungle Bungles, was one of the best days of our 6 months of travel so far. As we drove to the south end of the park, the red-orange cliffs gradually developed into the striped beehive shape. These huge structures towered above us, linked by steep curves or divided by deeply etched river beds. The landscape felt solemn and ancient, although at times the rows of domes appeared cartoonish. There was a fuzzy smell to the air. It was thick with heat radiating from the rock. I felt dwarfed by the gigantic landscape and it was easy to imagine Aboriginal culture thriving here for centuries. The area was known only to locals until 1983, when it was finally seen from above by a camera crew.

Gaj

The horizontal grey bands are formed by cyanobacteria.

Ready for our ride on the R44 helicopter

Some of the gorges are 200m deep.

lake argyle

Lake Argyle is big, it holds 23 times the capacity of Sydney Harbour - pretty impressive for a completely man-made structure. The volume and rate of flowing water during the wet season is difficult to comprehend. The same flow rate would fill Sydney Harbour in four hours.

At the end of our cruise on the lake, I climbed onto the roof of the boat to jump in. An eight year old girl followed me up and she dared me to dive in headfirst. I agreed, as long as we jumped at the same time. It was a deep dive and I resurfaced with a mild headache. She was still standing on the roof, laughing. She then climbed down and got in via the ladder.

Gaj

Claire's masterful macro photography

el questro

El Questro is a privately owned station with loads of activities on offer. The five star accommodation was not up to our standard, although Kylie Minogue apparently liked it. Sleeping without a roof was more appealing.

The warm cliffs heat the water of Zebedee Springs to around 30 degrees.

It was a tough hike to the end of El Questro gorge - lots of scrambling over boulders and wet cliff walls.

manning river & gorge

We woke up at dawn to start our walk into Manning Gorge. We had to swim across the river first, which was surprisingly warm. The pictures provide a better description than any words I could write...

I knew our $10 inflatable pool toy would eventually be useful!

The gorge was so much fun that I was inspired to do the inaugural Manning Gorge Jig.

bell gorge

Great swimming at the bottom...

Nice view from the top