Borroloola stories health worker with cane toad

Boroloola 26 th October

Well we didn't make it to Robinson River. We were picked up at the airport by Anthony who gave us a commentry on the town as we drove to the health centre. Where I noticed the northern Territoy and the Aboriginal flags were flying at half mast outside the health centre clinic. Whic is a collection of portable building like big shipping containers.
The back door surrounded by oxygen cylinders. Inside people were busy in the cramped rooms, there were two policemen there.

When the police had gone , we were told during the night there had been
an unfortunate incident and the nurse helping had become unwell and had to be flown out.

The mangager said to Karen that their need was greatest so we wouldn't be going to Robinson River. At present a lot staff are away doing courses. Karen is right in among it here, a very needy community healthwise.

It is a hot walk from the house we are living in about 15 minutes, one bottle of water each way and you need shower by the time you get home.

This morning when walking back from going with Karen to work
I stopped on the verandah of the 'Red Dirt' shop. An old aboriginal man with a battered cowby hat shook my hand and told me his name which I didn't catch, it was full of js ngs, oo,s , ll,s and very long. "Whats your name?" He asked ,
Ian seemed to get a blank response, (I think Ken would be easier to say here.)
He then asked what was my fathers name was, 'Hector', didn't throw much light on the situation and New Zealand might as well have been Mars when we discussed where we were from.
The intention was there however, name and place and familhy, relationships connection is important.

Last night we went out for a meal with others from the Health Center.
The dining area was between two containers with ceiling fans, the building open at each end. The cooking was done in one of the containers.
The decor was a big horned buffalo skull with a didgerdoo across its horns and a bull roarer hanging on the wall. A couple a big crabs and a massive burramundi.
I decided to have buramundi it was very good.

While waiting for our meal we were entertained by a gecko on the wall eating insects and Northern Territory stories. We learnt about cane toads and the best way to kill them, dogs who lick them to get high, and some people who dry the glands and smoke them and go to halluciengenic heaven.
Freeze them seems to be the best way they are quite hard to kill with cricket bats and golf clubs.
Ants were high on the story list with a wealth of information shared. Best ways of killing them , and how to live with them.
Don't leave you car parked in one place as white ants will eat tight through the tyres even truck tyres!
It seems that ants like modern cars they go straight for the computers in them, they also have a likeing for the red wire in houses. One man reckons they attracted to the magnetic field of electricity.
There are green ants , red ants yellow ants white ant black ants all shapes and sizes....

Another interesting creature here is a stink bettle a little round flying inscet, if it land on you and you squash it a very smelling and painful acid is delivered.
Someone left a window in a bathroom open and light on they went to Teennant Creek and stink bettles invaded the room. When they returned they couldn't get the smell out of the house and had to demolish the bathroom!!
Yesterday Karen had a day in the pharmacy room , she also went out and taking medication around town and out to the camps one was a tarpolin camp, she is right in front line here among the Mara, Yanula Garawa and Gudani clans.
When we came out from where we had tea last night the temperature was 39, so we are not cold here.
Arohanui from Borrloola 30km from the Gulf of Carpenteria

Ian and Karen

Borroloola Stories

 

Top End

 
Well we are heading to the Top End this morning.
The photo if the numbers change to a picture are when we were in Alice as bag people in the park seems a long time ago.

We the ABs did it! Joel summed in up in the text he sent. Done!

Last week Karen was on the Barkley run around the Stations . She had adventures thunderstorms and having to push the plane onto the hard surface.

She has nearly finished a big Pharmacotherapeutics assignment for Remote Nurses. So it will be good to have all the books and papers put away.

As I said this morning we are heading to the top of Australia. We fly at 9:30 to Borroloola then travel 200km to a settlement on the Robinson River.
We are there for two weeks
Karen will be at a clinic there I will be dodging the croocdiles and looking at the river . There is Barramundi fishing there so I might see a fish.
We are well, the hot is upon us, and season changing going towards the wet though still smoke around from fires.

I enjoyed seeing some of the Solar racers go through Tennant Creek on their 3000km race from Darwin to Adelaide last Monday.
Well I must race and finsh packing. Tuis is home alone at present as Robert is at Elliot for a week.
Ka kite ano
God Bless

Ian Karen and Tuiana

Elliot

Elliot
The area is the home of the Jingili people and the traditional name of the town is Kulumindini
the town lies on important Dreaming tracks.
Elliott, the halfway point between Darwin and Alice Springs, 250 kilometres north of Tennant Creek,
The town has a population of 700 .

We are here till next week Karen is working the clinic here.
When we arrived here a few days ago we saw a bloke with a camel next day met him at the clinic as he said he had a sore leg him not the camel.
I asked if I could take a photo of the camel where was it he said sure we are staying over at North Camp. Yesterday I headed off with a water bottle and camera and was wondering if I was on the right track and there was the camel eating one of the trees on the track. His name is ' 'noodle'He is a male camel and him and his mate are walking around Australia.

Met up with Bob and Deb McKerrell who are travelling around the outbacks taking Christ to Indigenous Communities. I joined in their Bible club yesterday hence the picture of Paddy and God made the giraffe they didn't have a camel one.

It is quite hot here so we are enjoying the air conditioning.

Greetings

Ian and Karen

Noodle the camel at Eliot and Paddy