Last blog of 2019


I'll be leaving this amazing community on a little plane on the 18th and will arrive home on the 19th.
Excited to be coming home for a holiday.



I know this just looks like a regular grey cloudy sky, but for us it is the promise of rain.  A couple of blogs ago I added a photo of clouds!  We had about 6 months of blue sky with no clouds......so this grey sky was exciting.  Sad to say, no rain was forthcoming.



As the end of the year approaches we were treated to a 'cookout at the lookout'.  An amazing view for a meal I'm sure you would agree.  This is the place that most of my sunsets come from.





One of the spectacular views from the lookout





My kids hard at work.




Another fire out the back of my house.  We are lucky that there are not many trees or grass for fires to take hold.  No one ever does anything about the fires as they just burn out.



You know when you're in the desert when you leave the butter on the bench for an hour and it melts!!!




Thank you your 5's for the hair pins.  Last year's Year 4 class at Girton donated a lot of hair accessory's and they girls love to have their hair brushed and then put in a clip.




Justice for 'Walker'

A couple of weeks ago, a young man from Yuendumu was shot and killed by a policeman. He has family in Balgo.  Yuendumu is 500km or so down the Tanami on the way to Alice Springs. The Balgo community did a march to the police station to show solidarity and the Black Lives Matter.

Magda is painting a white strip on everyone's forehead as a mark of respect for someone who has passed away




The children are ready for the walk



The community also made a banner with their handprints

Some of my class with their foreheads painted.

This is the school banner with all of the student's handprints.




Unfortunately the community wanted to put their handprints onto the police station.  



The police station has now got many red hand prints on the bricks and everywhere else.  
I explained to my students that our police are here to protect us and they didn't do anything.  
Its such a sad situation.

I popped into the Women's Centre (This is a nursing home for women), but was greeted by a snake.... but its ok as it is a Black Headed Python destined for someone's dinner table.

Just hanging out at the pool as my 10 year  old self!!!




Casey and I laid out our towels and very quickly we had them full.  Great kids.






Christmas Party time...… of course we can't just go to the local restaurant ! We drove 3 hours up the Tanami to Halls Creek and then another 4 hours to Kununarru. This is the closest main town.  We had two nights at a fancy hotel and went on a Party Boat on the Ord River.  It was a lovely afternoon that finished with an almighty storm. Wet season is coming!!!
This is Clare my ATA (Aboriginal Teaching Assistant).  Yes, my hair is frizzy...… the humidity does wonders to my hair!!







We all had a swim in the river which was soooo warm and free of fresh water crocs...in this area at least!!
I'm in the middle with a hat on.


Sunset on the Ord River.


Comments

  1. Unknown1 December 2019 at 20:24

    Thanks so much Michelle for the wonderful photo's and descriptions of snapshots of your life. I have loved reading all your blogs this year. Good luck with your last couple of weeks and safe travels. I am around in the week before Christmas if you have time for a catch up. Lots of love, Jen

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