TRIP TO GUDJEKBINJ WITH CHILDREN

JULY 2003

I picked Jen and Anthony and their girls, Alex aged 12, and Leigh, nine, up from Gunbalunya about 9 am Monday after leaving Baby Dreaming at 5.30 am. Michael and I had driven in the night before and camped at Kikkikyaw. He stayed in camp to prepare lunch.

When I returned it was quite hot, and so we carried our lunch to the caves where 'the old people' lived until recently. It was lovely sitting there in the cool, eating pickled asparagus and mushrooms and sardines on fresh bread.

Then we drove to the outstation where they met some of my relatives. Esther in particular took to young Leigh and gave her a cuddle.

As Peterson, Stephanie and Mrs. Nganjmirra had to leave for a funeral Shane and Hopie ( grandson and daughter) and a couple of young girls said they'd go fishing with us. The car was really too small but somehow we all squashed in.

However we'd only gone a few kilometres when the car slipped sideways into a rut and staked a tyre. My relatives stood around too shy to help. "Come on Guk guk, Dje dje!", I encouraged them, and next thing we were all working together to free the car.

First we filled in the rut and then Anthony drove the car out to higher ground. Part of the jack handle was missing and so we had to struggle to raise the jack using a screwdriver. But we couldn't raise it high enough so we dug underneath the ruined tyre all us adults taking turns or working side by side. As we agreed it was a true 'grassroots' experience. Anthony thought at first a shovel would be handy, but I said no, it would have been the wrong shape. We used the best tools, ironwood sticks to dig through the hard soil.

We were all filthy as you can imagine! Anthony was the dirtiest - he had stripped his shirt off.

This accident could have been a downer on the trip. But Jen in particular seemed to relish the experience and even the girls had fun, walking around in the ashes (0 grassfire hod just burnt through) finding crystals and agate.

Jen and Anthony later remarked, that at first my relatives appeared to regard the incident as if it were a white-fella problem. But once encouraged them to help, it became a joint task to free the car we worked together like a team. And as I told Jen and Anthony they had helped my relatives to cross another bridge, that of working side by side with white people as equals. Young Shane actually told us he'd go back and fill the hole in with a shovel. (I've asked another relative who has charge of a road crew to tackle this rut and another block spot on the track.)

The family loved Barkibong the fishing hole even though they caught no fish (I caught some though the bait with my cast net). We were there at sunset and the pink and blue striped sky reflected in the serene- water and wet rocks. It was simply breathtaking.

Back at camp Michael had made dinner so Anthony and 1 dropped Jen and the girls off to eat while we drove my relatives back to the outstation. Dinner was pasta and a vegetable and tuna sauce - really tasty! And I'd bought Lavazza coffee which Jen in particular appreciated. After dinner we sat and talked about my relatives and Baby Dreaming and what we were trying to do. Anthony, a management consultant hod ideas for formal guide training, but I told him that would not be suitable. My relatives know how to work with and look after others - they've been doing it for thousands of years. But they work together, not as white people do it, with one person in complete charge. The next day when the subject arose again Jen agreed with me.

The next morning we were to go fishing with everyone at the outstation. By this time many others had turned up from other outstations wanting to give 'the balanda kids a good time'. They were preparing to pile into the tractor and trailer but some needed to come with us. Again it was quite a crush!

On the way we stopped at a waterhole so I could catch bait with my net (both Jen and Anthony were quite impressed with this skill - I did offer to teach them but they refused!). The tractor was some distance behind at this stage. Here Peterson asked me to talk to the others about becoming involved in tourism. I understood he was upset about his son who had gone to town and was drinking.

At Yirrkakak Peterson went off to call out to the old long dead people and the Rainbow Serpent (it's a Rainbow Serpent Dreaming site). Then he took the girls and Anthony to where they could fish. Anthony hooked a large sooty grunter which pleased him mightily (and us).

Next thing the tractor rolled up and there were kids and people everywhere. And to my surprise there was Esther. She had not wanted to come but then decided she needed to show all the kids (black and white) how to find bush honey (sugar bag). "All those lil' kids should learn," she said.

Then my grand-daughter Suzanne who'd come from Mumadewerre another outstation to help took an axe and chopped into the tree (Jen was very impressed with Suzanne's axe-wielding technique). Esther dug the honey out of the tree and we all had some. The kids, Jen and Anthony were included in everything as if they were part of the family! And my grand-daughter Rosemary always had a steadying hand on the impetuous young Leigh! (

We then had to leave for the journey back to Oenpelli first dropping Stephanie and Peterson back at the outstation. Peterson gave a polite little speech thanking them for coming. Then we drove back to camp, had lunch (canned turkey, nice sardines and pickled asparagus, mushrooms, capsicum and artichokes) before packing up.

Oh, back at camp we had another chat about training both Jen and I pointing out to Anthony how my relatives were learning by 'doing' ie by having visitors there and working with them. He agreed.

Jen and Anthony told us they'd be telling 'all (their) friends' about Baby Dreaming. We hope so, and we hope they return for they were our sort of people (that goes not just for me but for my relatives as well).

PS. The track has now been repaired!