The Bungle Bungles - Fulfilling a Childhood Dream

WOW! What an trip... A last minute decision made yesterday... One of the best last minute decisions ever made... I think pictures speak louder than words... Today I fulfilled a childhood dream, and the smile is still from ear to ear.

My Gardening Experience!

Well, who would have thought! I got stuck into a bit of gardening and I love it!! On Saturday I went up to Kununurra, got all inspired and spent way to much money on a range of bits for the garden… herbs, bushes, pot plants, pots, peat, potting mix… I spent all of Sunday weeding and planting... Here’s hoping that the brown thumb is turning a lighter shade of green!

Below are some shots of the bugs that were happy to let me close to them, after hanging out with them all day!

A Red Dragonfly (dragonflies signify the start of the dry)

1kf

A Grasshopper (this colour grasshopper is also a sign of the dry approaching!)

kjashd

A Green Tree Frog (who snuck into my house the other night!)

Trip to Argyle Diamond Mine

Earlier this month we took the high school students out to the Argyle Diamond Mine. I was met with very mixed emotions on the journey. The mine is actually on a traditional women's Dreaming spot. The story of the Barramundi Dreaming is about these hills that they are tearing apart... The women were the custodians of the land. The mining company came in and found a small group of Aboriginal men, not even from the community and got them to sign papers giving them permission to mine the sight. The women of Warmun are the custodians of that land it was a big blow to them.

A small group of the Warmun women fought for the rights from the land as a result, the community receives a small 'kickback' (to use the popular term). So here I am torn. I am being told that most of my students will end up working at the mine... but, it is so completely against their culture that we are trying so hard to preserve! As I talk more and more to the community members out here and listen to their stories about the land, my once a month excursion becomes harder and harder to face...

Above is a picture of three of my students, with a backdrop of the mine. The picture is taken from the top of the mine at the viewing platform. The tyre is from one of the trucks that move around the slopes, huge! The distinct steps are visible for miles as you pass the area in the Kimberley.

This entry may lead you all to believe that I am living the high life... Not too far off it! However there is a lot of hard work in between!

I finally hung my hammock... I spend many an evening pondering the mysteries of life, watching the afternoon storms roll in and gazing at the Milky Way by night... Below are a some pictures of an afternoon storm, you can only imagine the sigh of relief that oozes from the Earth as the rain is quickly soaked up... The smell of water settling the dust... OH YEAH!...

I have just come back from a one week conference in Broome. While there was the drawback of a 8am start on Sunday through to Thursday, one of the many perks of the job was the location!!

Accommodation in a very nice resort with night life... A spectacular view over the peninsular and the chance to meet up with some people in the same predicament as myself! It was an induction to the Kimberley, more a chance to network I think. Below are some shots of the resort...

Not bad?? Sister Alma was kind enough to put us up for an extra night, so we managed to squeeze some shopping time in! The flight there and home was on a small plane, 6 seats including the pilots! Going up and coming down took a few years off my life... Now I know what to expect it wont be so bad! Some spectacular views of the Kimberley land formations, you really get an idea of how big and untouched the lad up here is. Some pictures below...

Sadella and I before boarding in Warmun

Aerial view of Warmun Community

Aeiral view of Broome

View from the plane mid Kimberley

Not a bad life hey? Well back to the grindstone this week... Looking forward to taking my class to Kununurra for a swim this weekend... Also staring up a basketball competition this week, so we will see how that goes!

Leanne