Karen off to Kiana

Karen off to the Gulf County Today Karen flew to Boroloola where she will meet up with the doctor flying from Alice Springs, from there they will get a single engine plane and fly on to Kiana classed as very remote in the Gulf country . On the last Barkley Mobile run they were unable to land as the airstrip there is too short for the twin-engine plane. At Kiana there is station, a community and a school which haven’t had any health services for quite a while. The Doctor who has been with Karen on a number of trips to the stations in the Barkly said, she has a torch and a stethoscope and left it to Karen to organise things. Robert and I helped at Karen to the plane this morning with 12 bags, of equipment and medicines. Everyone should be well catered for. The computer has been out for a couple of days after a storm put Telstra out for a while. It has been nice getting some rain. Be in touch in a few days. Arohanui Ian and Karen

Tennant Creek Waitangi Day ‘Mad dogs and Maori go out in the midday sun. ‘) They do at Tennant Creek to celebrate Waitangi Day which we did on Sunday a day ahead of NZ, as all the hardworking Kiwi had to get back into work on Monday. Tennant Creek Maori group hosted a group from Alice Springs who did a great job of entertaining at the Memorial Club on Saturday night then on Sunday at the Bowling club where Michael James and his team had put down a Hangi at 4am in the morning. We were involved in getting firewood .it was a hot job on Saturday and preparing 120 food packs for the hangi . It was delicious. The songs speeches , prayers , haka and entertainment transported us to memories of home. There was hardly a dry eye on the Sunday when Whakaaria Mai was sung and there was a Karanga at the conclusion of it. It was very moving. Tuiaana started working at the Primary School this week, she is enjoying working with the new entrants she knows a lot of them from Child Care. We are swimming in the town pool which cools us down most nights. The kids get a laugh at Karen’s accent, they get her to say Tennant Creek and burst into laughter and try to give her a lesson on pronunciations. Arohanui Ian Karen and Tuiana