RED DUST AND THE GERMINATOR

Each year Kintore amongst other remote indigenous communities get visited by a group of committed people under the name of Red Dust.
Their aim is to promote healthy lifestyles with a focus on nutrition, hygiene and physical activity.
Role models from sport, music, art and dance formed part of the team...hence the term Red Dust Role Models.
We were fortunate to have Red Dust visit during our second last week at Kintore. They spent most of the week actively engaged with the kids and the resultant video was produced.. It features also one girl well known to us!

• "We are, we are we are the Germinators"

http://www.reddust.org.au/jukebox/the-germinator

SWIMMING SEASON HAS BEGUN

After leaving Alice Springs and the Red Centre behind, we have travelled for two and a bit days  with overnight stops at Devils Marbles and Daly Waters to arrive at our first swimming hole at Mataranka…Bitter Springs!!!

After setting up camp and hiring some noodles we walked to Bitter Springs and spent much of the day floating down the 32 degree turquoise waters, getting out and doing it all again.

A magic spot and one of our highlights on such an eventful trip. Welcome to the Top End!

The Beanie Festival.....

As luck would have it we arrived back in  Alice Springs (from Kintore) just in time for the opening of the Beanie Festival.  And what an array!  I have never in my life seen so many beanies!  People from all over Australia contribute their creations which are for sale.  It would seem too that people from all over Australia travel to Alice Springs specifically at this time to attend the Beanie Festival!

We had great fun viewing the thousands of beanies and felt hats on display and trying on a few (which was openly encouraged.)  What joy!  Here are some photos to help tell the story.... 

A colourful and creative felt panel made by people from the Papunya (on the road to Kintore) community

 

Gracie loved Olaf

In the background is a felt mural depicting the McDonnell Ranges 

PARTING GIFT

Today was our last day in the Kintore community…a community of people whom we have very much fallen in love with.

We were thrilled to receive a magnificent piece of art which has been painted by one of the Pintupi teacher aides…the very talented Lorna.

The painting represents women performing the tasks of hunting goanna, digging for water and meeting together surrounded by  their country which  includes sandhills (white dots) and waterholes (orange dots).

When we get home and hang our picture we will view it with many wonderful memories of the charming people and the stunning landscape that we encountered.

Thank you Kintore! We will be back.

WOMEN'S ROCK

This afternoon we were taken out by Lorna to a culturally significant rock formation.

She told the story of two women who had travelled a long way and were gathering bush tucker when they noticed they were being watched by some tjilpi (old men). The women were embarrassed and embraced to hide from them.

Lorna then invited Robyn to re-enact the scene. 

Some tjilpi watching





The two women embracing



Lorna explaining story

UNDER THE MILKY WAY

Back in Kintore for a two week teaching stint that will take us to the end of the N.T. second term (June the 19^th). The Territory schools then have a four week mid semester break (only having one week holidays term one and three!) Then it will be time to say goodbye to the Red Desert region (with sadness!) and start making our way north (with excitement) towards Katherine.

We’ve been able to discover and explore more stunning parts of the Gibson Desert during our spare moments here.

We were taken by the local staff….Nick, Gabby and Sally for a B.B.Q.  viewing of yet another magnificent sunset at a nearby red sand dune.

Spent Sunday night camping at a rocky outcrop east of Kintore sleeping under an immense starlit night sky…an unforgettable experience!

And yet another glorious sunset

Staff at Kintore, Nick, Sally and Gabby (with Harry)

Gracie and Robyn looking over the Gibson Deset

Brilliant sunlit rocky outcrop

Camp site.