Beauty and the Beast

Well it's been a while, so it must be time for a blog. The volunteers are here and the beauty salon is up and running, very popular. Some of the women have great skills as hairdressers and are keen to learn, while everyone else is just lining up for a haircut. Dyeing is very popular too. The blokes are working outside making a bough shade shelter while we wait for the fencing materials to arrive.

The mark of the beast (perhaps it is uranium mining) is also upon us. The army has arrived (one truck and three people in gear that looks like 1990's kids fashion wear, I'll post a photo when I have one) and will be here for three weeks, taking over the clinic. Saving the children in that time seems a big ask but then it is a very demanding government we have. If anyone had asked the people here they would have asked for the army to build houses and train builders, as has been done elsewhere. Reducing overcrowding would definitely reduce child abuse (and ill-health).

I have just taken a long weekend to camp at Wigley's waterhole, the expected overnight walk with the bushwalkers club didn't eventuate and I was so exhausted it was a good thing. Instead I hung out with the birds, stargazed and enjoyed the absolute peace and stillness of the massive quiet of the desert at night and the frost patterns on the van window in the morning light. I played my recently araldited guitar by the fire, explored and read two books. I saw so many different kinds of birds, the rarity of water drew a huge variety - cormorants, finches, parrots, thornbills, flycatchers, everyone was there to delight me and heal me. The parrot in the picture is a rarely seen mulga parrot
and my favourite willy wagtail posed for me.

I have been feeling very stressed and torn, knowing that I will be leaving at a time when there is so much turmoil and change here. I am still hoping to find someone good to take over my work as it has all been going so well and it does make a difference to the women here.

This worrying may just be me making mountains out of molehills (I hope so), like the huge piles of rubbish that adorn the landscape all around the Papunya tip. Everyone here has been keeping their yards really clean and clear of rubbish (just so it's plain that they look after their kids and won't be harrassed or lose them) but the effect is somewhat marred by the fact that the CDEP co-ordinator can't get the workers to work to pick up the overflowing bins in the streets...ah Papunya!

I leave you with a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, my favourite Buddhist poet: " You who are journalists, writers, citizens, you have the right and duty to say to those you have elected that they must practice mindfulness, calm and deep listening, and loving speech. This is a universal thing, taught by all religions..."

Sunset Photos

I have been walking with Sandy from the clinic. They have lots of extra forms to fill out thanks to little Johnny but still doing the work they always do - no sign of extra help yet. Here is a photo of our shadows as we walked towards that distant mountain where I've gathered bush tobacco - minkulpa.

A very well-spoken grey haired fella called Jeremy Long turned up the other day and said he had worked here in the 60's, taking trips out to the desert to pick up the Pintubi. I took him out to visit old Snowy McDonald who went with him then and is the oldest person here, at 85.

It has been very cold here, frosty nights. No sign of the army or the administrator yet. Will keep you posted.

The Other Invasion

I have just spent the weekend in the company of the Alice Bushwalkers Group, hiking for miles at Kings Canyon , one of the most beautiful places on earth. So I have been part of the other invasion, tourism, and just to remind me there were helicopters every half-hour or so above the canyon: the war continues. And it took us five hours of evil earth-destroying fuel-guzzling road travel to get there. We walked 22 k along the Giles track on Sunday and avoided the helicopters and saw some of the most spectacular and exhilarating country...walking the dotted line as Lisa calls it, following the markers - but it was so beautiful. And so exhausting, good healthy workout for the body/mind. My broken foot reminded me ligaments taken a long time to heal but all was well after a day or two. ...these pictures are worth a thousand words, apologies to those on dial-up. Click on a picture to see it bigger... This is ancient rock, but the climate is doing the same to my skin... o to be a duck in paradise!