Our first trip was to the Bungle Bungle Ranges, about a three hour drive, the bulk was off-road. They were spectacular, well worth the drive. The first shot is taken near Cathedral Gorge (in the car park as we left the camera in the car). The second is a beautiful Kimberly sunset on the drive out. Leanne is comforting Lisa who had just driven the car through the creek behind them.
Boabs are quite beautiful and, like the ranges, changed colour and character with the light. The first had peeled open and the inside was hollow, with room for a double bed. The second was taken at sunset, with these two posing for their next album cover.
Some of the Community Elders organised a camp during the first week of the holidays, to immerse the kids in their own bush culture, a culture that has been watered down by modern day conveniences. We drove in and out of the camp a few times, returning home for showers and rest. The first two shots show sugar bag being gathered, Naragu (the other Leanne) is wielding the axe while one of her girls holds the tin for storage. The sugar bag is like a sweet bush honey, quite potent alone, though perfect in tea.
Chalk proved quite entertaining for the girls in the back of the troopy.
One evening we camped out with the kids, on a dried section of Bow River. We had damper and sampled a little (fresh - as in that day, in the bush) kangaroo stew, the kids sang me a little 'Bound for Botany Bay' and we kept the fire piled high. It was freezing, though the stars were breath taking as we lay in our swags. I enjoyed the unfamiliar sounds of the WA night, like frogs croaking. Leanne quietly corrected me in the morning - it was the barking of juvenile crocs.
Lunch the next day provided two enduring memories. The first was that the two local police joined in the activities. Such a positive example of active community building, where rather than locking people up, the constabulary present themselves as 'people' with an interest in helping the kids get the most out of life. The second was of the meal itself. The day before, I'd 'missed the bus' to go hunting with the boys. The volunteer from NSW told me later I was lucky I had - as a life long meat man, he was reconsidering his dietary orientation. The boys had come across a cow and plowed the troopy cross country until they got a good shot. It was slaughtered on the spot and thrown in the back of the troopy (thanks Thrifty) in pieces to be sliced and BBQ'd for lunch. I was offered some, heavily salted on a slice of bread. To be truthful, it was quite flavoursome, though I'm not the hunting type, more the gatherer, so I'm glad I missed the big event. Leaving Warmun was like leaving another planet. In my own country but so far from home. Off to the Ag Show...
On arrival in Kununurra, we met Rod, Leanne's boyfriend. He took us to our accomodation for the weekend and we got ready for the Cattleman's Dinner. The big event to kick off the 35th Annual Kununurra Agricultural Show. I bought an RM Williams shirt, size small but still I swam in it, and prepared for the cattlemen's night of nights. We arrived, I was assured by the girls that I looked good and, more importantly, would fit in. In my head, I had prepared my answer if anyone asked which Station I was from - I'd answer Ashfield Station, and explain, earnestly, that it was in NSW when met with an unsure look. I enjoyed my complementary XXXX and after some chit chat, hand-crushing shakes from some of the Jillaroos and a few reassurances from Leanne that I wouldn't be shown the door we took our seats.
I was sat next to Grahame the road grader from Carlton Hill Station. The guest speaker was introduced and began with a joke that he'd talk to anyone, and if they didn't want to talk cricket, he'd talk fishing (laughs all round). Lisa later introduced herself to Merv, and explained that her husband doesn't know a thing about cricket and hasn't caught a fish since the late 80's. This introduction was evident in the look Mr Hughes gave me when I wandered over to meet the Great Australian moments later.
The show was on the next day, I've included my favourite event winner here-'best dressed dog'.
This is Rod's horse, Mango. The girl riding is Rene, who only met the horse on the day, and went on to win various ribbons. Just after the photo, she won a blue ribbon for the Rescue Relay where she raced down the track, picked up her partner and threw him on the back, then sprinted back to glory. No one offered me the chance to ride in one of the races.
And back to the Donga for a hard-earned rest. The accommodation usually houses stockmen in town for the weekend, not newlyweds, though the price was right.
Rod took us out to Argyle Downs Station (Ashfield's Sister Station) to camp on our last night in WA. We repeated this scene many times as the station is 800sq Km. The sky held clouds like these all afternoon.
The happy couple down by Lake Argyle.
And finally bedtime. Rod drove us, complete with his rifle on the dash, out to Stockade Ck, where there was plenty of firewood, a beautiful sunset, a hot meal and a bellyful of rum from the Hoochery we'd stopped at earlier. Rod cooked up a feast for breakfast, we filled up courtesy of Jammie Packer and headed for the airport. Another great week with one of the few human beings we could spend that amount of time with. A great friend.
We spent the bulk of our three days in Darwin sick in bed. The YWCA was a vast improvement on the M version. We were lucky to have the company of Ralis, Carmel, Liam and Hannah in Darwin and were able to manage a dinner out together, I managed a second. We're pictured here watching the sun set on another day, talking about the months ahead, and the weeks past. Coincidentally, Ralis and Carmel had left for their own 'big trip' on exactly the same date 11 years previously.
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