Back in Balgo for 2020

LEAVING BENDIGO FOR THE 4 DAY DRIVE TO BALGO VIA BURRA, COOBER PEDY AND ALICE SPRINGS.

We were packed to the rafters.  It's amazing how much we needed to pack for Rusty!

Driving out of Mildura we were met by a dust storm.  The car got a taste of red dirt earlier than expected!

Rusty had a great seat in the back.  High enough to have a good view out of the window.  However, he slept almost all the time, crowded in by many boxes which threatened to fall.

We stopped at the Kulgera Roadhouse. It was the stop before Alice Springs.  Time for lunch and a walk for Rusty.

This is a shoe tree!!!

We were pleasantly surprised that the first 300 odd kilometres of the Tanami Track was bitumen.  Of course the next 550 to the Balgo turnoff  isn't!!  There had been rain in the last few weeks so we were hoping that the road was not closed.  We met some water and some damp bits but apart from that, the road was good.

Here we are at the access road into Balgo.  Balgo is 33 kilometres off the Tanami and is marked by this pink troopie. 

We arrived in Balgo and then had the fun task of unpacking both the car and the boxes that I had stored in a shed in Balgo from last year.  It was like Christmas.

This is our new 3 bedroom home, complete with 4 locks to get through to get inside and 3 to get the car into the shed.  At the moment we have fencing contractors here replacing all of the fences.  The new ones will be 2 metres high with spikes on the top.  Hopefully this will deter the kids from breaking in.!!!!

This is a photo of our school staff and the Church elders who came along to tell their stories to us.  Many of the stories are of being removed from their country and put into a mission where they could only see their parents at Christmas.  These are very strong women who have a lot of sadness in their past.

The ladies sang for us and gave us a Smoking Ceremony to bring in the new school year.  In a couple of weeks we will have another Smoking Ceremony for the children.

My very clean and quiet classroom, ready for the kids

On our 2nd night we went out to the Lookout for a Cookout!.  On the way, the elders took us to the Luurnpa Holes, which is a dreaming site of the origins of Balgo.  Jeff and Rusty are looking down one of the holes.  One of the elders looked in every hole for a snake that she had seen down there last time.

The dreaming story is called Luurnpa, The Magical Kingfisher.  Our school is called Luurnpa.

A Cookout at the Lookout would not be complete without damper and kangaroo tails.  Here, Cathy is making a great big pot of damper mixture.  It was really yummy with honey!

The ladies are preparing the Kangaroo Tails.  First you singe the fur and scrape it off, before wrapping the tail in foil and cooking in the coals.

At the lookout, the storms were all around us, showing us a wonderful electrical storm.  It rained in the distance but we didn't get any.

It was 40 odd degrees when we went out, but we were lucky to get a slight change during the evening.

When we arrived in our new house we needed to do some creative plumbing until we could get a new shower rose and arm.  Amazing how versatile blue tac is!

Rusty (and Jeff) have found it hard to adjust to the 40 plus degree days.  Rusty has found a great place to snooze just under the air conditioner.

Last night we woke up to loud thunder and heavy rain

This is the creek behind our house.  I have never ever seen water in it until this morning!

Rain, hail or shine, Jeff wanted to get the yard cleaned up.  It is very patchy tufts of grass so a mow was needed.

My first cheeky sunset of the year!