Hop, Skip and a Jump

While surfing the net hoping to find something to do during my last week before meeting Roger in Cairns, I struck gold.

When we first came to Alice in March, I read about the Kangaroo Sanctuary, but unfortunately it was closed while a BBC TV show was being filmed called Kangaroo Dundee.  It popped up again in my search, got great reviews, so I booked myself on one of the evening tours.

Brolga, the Aussie who began the sanctuary a few years ago has been passionate about educating people about animals since he was a teenager.  His knowledge, commitment and love of Australia's iconic animal is evident from the moment he met our small group with a 4 month old joey snuggled in a pillowcase and held close to his chest.

He explained many joeys survive in the pouch when the mothers are hit by cars on the road, and that people are encouraged to check if they come across a dead kangaroo. Joeys are brought to the sanctuary and carried around to simulate being in their mother's pouch until they are old enough to thrive in the mob (a group of kangaroos).

I was thrilled to be able to carry Rosie around.

It's too bad the woman chopped Brolga out of the shot but at 6'7" he looked like the Friendly Giant.  I, on the other hand, was probably closer to Rusty. 

That silly grin I get when I'm having one of those "I can't believe I'm doing this" moments!

Very high on the cuteness scale

Rosie was just happy to be cuddled and I was happy to comply.

As part of the education component, Brolga has Aboriginal women share their knowledge of hunting kangaroo and the weapons that have since been replaced by rifles.  Prolific breeders, it is estimated there are 50 million kangaroos in Australia, and each year 10% of them are killed.  Only Aboriginals and government licensed shooters are permitted to hunt them.

Women talking about hunting in the past, and present 

Huge boomerangs like this used to be used to hunt kangaroos

The grandchild of one of the women carrying a wooden implement that serves many purposes --- sort of like an Aboriginal version of a Swiss Army Knife.

She was captivated seeing her face in my camera

The Sanctuary is only opened for 2 hours, 3 times a week and all but a few of the 30 kangaroos are free to roam the 90 acres.  Brolga brought a pail of feed as a treat, but most of the time, they forage as they would in nature.  Brolga built an electrified fence around the perimeter to keep dingos out as they are kangaroo's primary predator.

In the cool of the evening, we went on a walkabout as the kangaroos became more active after the heat of the day, which on the day I went, was 41C.

You can see how important the tail is in making a perfect tripod.

Snack time!

Here's a mum with a Joey taking a peak from the pouch

It is clear that Brolga has a special relationship with the kangaroos, but he is very aware they are wild animals and have the potential to injure or kill.  During the evenings he has tours, four males are separated in an large enclosure with the alpha male called Roger, who can be very aggressive.

Brolga with the alpha male, Roger

Roger stretches to 7 ft tall and is extremely powerful

Kangaroos have really lethal toenails that are part of their defense 

The landscape reminded me of Botswana

Sun setting as we headed back from our walk

The Kangaroo Sanctuary is the real deal.  Loved it.  And I still have that silly grin on my face when I look at these pictures.

While I was in town I saw a poster about the Mbantua Festival and when I checked on their website, found they were looking for volunteers.  

I went to the orientation evening, and came away volunteering to help at a BBQ for 300 people on one night, and to help out on the weekend.  Finding some place to volunteer always puts a skip in my step.

The festival was held at the Telegraph Station, where Alice Springs originated, and where many of Australia's Stolen Generation were housed and schooled. 

Volunteers BBQ'd snags (sausages) and chops by torchlight --- reminded me of when I cooked in the Kalahari! 

The BBQ was for survivors of the Stolen Generation and their descendents who had come to see a play about that time in history.

The original job I volunteered for had been taken over by some enthusiastic Aboriginal volunteers, so I was teamed up with 3 young, adventurous young women who are working in Australia and we manned the Ticket Booth.

While I didn't get a chance to visit the exhibits, I learned something about the Aboriginal community.  I saw how young and old volunteered over the 5 day festival that served as a celebration and way to educate others of their culture.

Up until today I saw very few doing anything other than walking in groups around town, and it is no secret the social issues that plague their community.  It was wonderful to see another side of them.

Back row:  Sonia and Franziska  Front row:  Me and Kormala
I also ran into another volunteer from Calgary!

So my bags are packed, and I am more than ready to jump on a plane to meet up with Roger. 

Over the last 35+ years we have spent lots of time apart, but we are so much better and so much happier together.  Not sure if our theme song should be Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After all These Years", or Debbie Boone's uber-saccharine hit of the 70s that we played at our wedding, "You Light Up My Life".

I think maybe it is a bit of both.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

Mignon McLaughlin

Hanging out in Alice

I've been getting emails asking where the hell I am since I haven't updated the blog recently. Not much has happened because a few days after I arrived in Australia on September 5th, Roger headed into camp -- and he's still there.

However, there are always moments worth capturing, so I took a few photos to give you a peek into Alice Springs, and what I've been up to:

Here are two maps showing the exact same locations.  According to the GPS, the Todd River runs through town, but Google Earth shows the reality of a dry river bed.

Our apartment is the round blue circle on the west side of the "river".

Apparently the river does flood at times, and you are not a true Alice inhabitant unless you've witnessed it.  Our apartment is the blue dot on the west side of the river.

It is early spring in Alice, and already temps are nearing 40C

Jenna Stratford, the daughter-in law of our friends Wendy and Craig, is a coach/player for a woman's netball team.  I watched with pride as her team won the championship under her leadership which was evident on and off the court.

Jenna and Jake's 16 month old daughter, Chloe watched from the sidelines.

The game was played under the blazing sun with temps in the mid 30s

I look forward to attending aquasize classes three times a week.  The instructors make it fun, I get a good workout, and there is a great group of people to flap around in the pool with.  Two women I've become friends with have made the classes even more enjoyable.  Our backgrounds are as diverse as they come:  Jane is a federal police officer, and Mary is a nun with the Sisters of Mercy.  Over a bottle of wine at lunch at my place last week, we got to know each other better and swapped stories.

Jane in the middle, Mary on the right

Jane and I took an advanced class this weekend and during a particularly challenging exercise, Jane chastised me by saying, "Quit laughing so hard, Heather --- Lisa (the instructor) is going to think we're enjoying this!"

Aussies are crazy for their sports, and this weekend the Grey Cup of Aussie Rules Football was played.  I could hear cheering, and jeering from a nearby sports club and watched most of the game in our apartment.

I met up with Jane today to walk down the Todd Mall which runs a market twice a month.  Arts and crafts, food, books, etc are all for sale and there is a great vibe in the air.

Todd Mall market

Aboriginals selling their artwork under a beautiful jacaranda tree in bloom.

The building on the left is Adelaide House, the first hospital in Alice Springs; built in 1926.

On October 14th, Roger and I will rendezvous in Cairns on the east coast and explore Queensland for 10 days.  We'll spend most of the time in Port Douglas, just north of Cairns, and will definitely do a snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef.  After five weeks of battling heat and flies, it will be just what Roger needs.

We've also started checking out shark cage expeditions off Port Lincoln in SE Australia -- maybe that will be our next getaway!  Eleanor Roosevelt said everyone should do one thing that frightens them everyday -- I think being face to face with a great white should cover my quota for a good long while.

Whenever I start to feel bored or lonely being on my own, I give myself a head shake and remind myself that I am in a safe country, where I can walk freely in beautiful weather (o.k., it's pretty hot), I can exercise, have become friends with a couple of terrific women, and have access to clean tap water and excellent grocery stores -- something that seven years ago I took for granted but now I dearly value.  And a a flashback to my first summer of "exile" in Mauritius and Madagascar in 2007 makes any day a good one.

To those who Skype, email, send messages on Facebook, and play online Scrabble/Words with Friends with me --- thank you.  Each time you reach out makes my day.  Fair dinkum.

"You'll never find a rainbow if you are looking down."  
                                                                          Charlie Chaplin

A Walkabout Through Alice

As I realize my time in the Alice is winding down before I head back to Canada/U.S. for the summer, I thought I better start checking out some of the "Things I Must See" places on my list.

Every two weeks, there is a fabulous outdoor market on the Todd Mall.  Stalls with mouthwatering food and locally made goods make for a terrific outing.  The fact the sun was shining and the weather was warm only added to the experience.

Todd Mall  Market on a beautiful "Fall" day

Roger then headed out to Adelaide for a few days of business, and I set out to see some of the sights.

Alice Springs is smack dab in the middle of Australia and during my walkabout, I got to appreciate the challenges those who live in the Outback experience.

I've been lucky to find a great taxi driver in the Alice, Stanley, and he added to my list by suggesting I start my day at the Telegraph Station.  This is where the earliest European settlers came and in 1872 began relaying messages from Darwin to Adelaide.

The buildings were made of bricks to help keep the houses cooler in the summers where temps reach over 40C

Volunteers still send messages to other telegraph stations throughout the country

Many of the artifacts from the 1800s have been well maintained

A pair of galahs on the property.  They can be quite boisterous and Aussies who act silly are often called galahs.

A gum tree dating back to the 1800s

The telegraph station operated for 60 years until it was transformed to a residence and school for the half caste children of Aboriginals who are now referred to as the Stolen Generation.  This is a polarizing issue in Australia and clearly a complicated issue.

I was walking on my own around the outdoor exhibits when an older gentlemen rolled up in a motorized wheelchair and started chatting with me.  He told me his name was Alec Ross, and he had lived at the school in the 30s, which prompted me asking him if he was from the Stolen Generation.

He scoffed and said, "I had a good life, and it was the best thing to have happened."  His mother was a 15 year old Aboriginal woman and his father a white Scotsman.  Contrary to what happened to other children, Alec's father gave the Methodist church money to keep him in school, and he also kept in contact with Alec who eventually met some of his 11 half-siblings.

Alec pointing out the picture of himself as a very young boy at the school.  He was eventually moved to a Methodist school near Darwin but during the war the children were evacuated to Sydney.  When he turned 18, he became a professional boxer for 8 years until his wife finally put a stop to it.  

The next stop was 3 kms away at the School of the Air.  Not that far, but it was a hot slog but fortunately most of it was downhill.

The school began in 1951 and now provides distance learning to 130 students over an area that covers more than 1 million square kilometers.  To give you some idea - that's double the size of Texas.  Originally classes were taught over the radio, but now it is done via webcam.

The map shows where all the students live and are color coded based on their grade level.  Students come to  Alice Springs 3-4 times a year for a week of interaction with other students.

You can see the teacher in the room behind the glass, and two of the students are shown in the monitor in the top left corner.  The kids are taught good classroom manners and it was interesting hearing them sign in with a polite, "Good morning" to their teacher.

Children, aged 4-1/2 to 15 years attend school over the internet for up to one hour a day/three times a week.  Mothers do 80% of the home schooling, with the other 20% of teaching done by paid tutors or fathers.  There are some Aboriginal children as well, but most bush communities in the Northern Territory have a school house with a qualified teacher employed by the government, and where children are taught English as a second language.

This is called the "Harmony Quilt" that was made by the students to illustrate their backgrounds on copper squares.  You can see there are a lot of kids living on stations (ranches), but you can also see there is a helicopter pilot, park rangers and a policeman (whose child is the 3rd generation to attend the school). 

 It's hard to see because of the dark metal and glare from the glass, but this tile has a bullet hole in it and Agnews written on it -- my maiden name. Would love to know more about that family!

Next stop...The Royal Flying Doctor Service in Alice Springs historic district.  It is a vitally important service in Australia and has impressive statistics:  36 aircraft make 40,000 flights in a year, fly more than 16 million kilometers and aerially evacuate some 26,000 patients.

Testimonials of patients that have been saved because of the RFDS reinforced the need due to people living and working in remote locations throughout the country.

Medicine chests are used to help first responders in remote locations.  The contents have changed over the years, and the picture below is of one used in 1958.  I read that in a medical emergency a few years ago, a rancher was instructed to give the patient a #9 tablet.  Later, when the physician followed up, the rancher said, "I didn't have a 9, so I gave her a #5 and and #4 and she turned out alright!"

Everything is numbered to enable laymen to administer emergency first aid and medical care

The black wing icons show all the Royal Flying Doctor Service locations throughout Australia

Last stop of the day was the National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame that also included the Gaol and Labour Prison at Alice Springs that ran from 1938 to 1996.

In the fact sheet given, I learned that when the gaol was first opened, it was segregated into male and female and then white and aboriginal.  Until the 1950s, Australia had a "White Australia" policy where no person of colour could be naturalized.  Aborigines were wards of the state rather than citizens of the country.

Another interesting component was the Pioneer Women's exhibit.  Those women were tough.  Distances were immense.....weather was extreme....and there were many dangers.

The photo displays told an incredible story.  In this collage, nurses are shown travelling via camels and the caption states that women feared childbirth more than accidents or disease.  

Photos pay tribute to more than 140 women from across Australia who were true pioneers -- whether by raising families in the Outback or as women who became leaders in their field as doctors, politicians, pilots, business leaders and Olympic athletes.

A grand day made even better with Roger emailing to say our Australian visas have been approved for two years.

All I can say is:

"Bonzer!  Fair Dinkum!  Ripper! She'll be apples!"