ARNHEM LAND Part 2

Conintuing the story of Arnhem Land....where did we go?

Before I launch into our itinerary, I should explain that we went on a tour because the idea of driving all those kilometres through an almost human-free landscape is not my idea of a holiday. The only company that is given permission by the indigenous owners to drive through Arnhem Land and lease land for lodges is Outback Spirit https://www.outbackspirittours.com.au/tours/arnhem-land-wilderness-adventure/  . We were a group of six couples, four widowers, two groups of two female friends, Susan and me, plus a brilliant driver/guide Chris. He made the tour work on many different levels - skilled driver, knowledgeable about indigenous culture, bird fancier and all-round story-teller about the land. And a decent human being. The group itself had (I estimate) an average age of 75 with Susan, the youngest on the bus. But if that makes you think of a group of old crocks, some were more nimble than us and all had actively chosen this isolated world to explore because they were interested in history, culture and nature. We were a varied group - farmers and academics, doctors and paramedics, bankers and teachers - but we muddled along together very well.

The tour was a great combination of exposure to the land, the water and the indigenous inhabitants. We met musicians and healers, fishermen and community leaders, weavers and painters. We visited arts centres in Nhulunbuy, Maningrida and Ramingining to meet people who are telling their traditional stories through art and we also explored the extraordinary array of rock art, ranging in age from 80 years to 65,000 years old, in the Mount Borradaile area. On every trip I make I’m always conscious of the superficiality of the connection with the local people as one swoops in, stays for a few days, and moves on. It was true with this trip as well but at least Outback Spirit made sure that we met the indigenous people whose land this is so conversations were had, for example, with:

• Vernon, a dancer and singer, who interrupted the performance to go racing down the beach to try and spear a fish
• Frankie, who introduced us in language to the stories connected to the trees and birds in his land,  the Arafura Swamp
• Stewie, who helped fish-spot out on the Liverpool River near Maningrida
• Doreen, a senior weaver in Ramingining, who’s just mentored her daughter in an exhibition at the NGV.

Our first interaction with a local was quite amusing. We’d just flown into Nhulunbuy from Darwin, dropped off our bags at the Walkabout Lodge and gone for a wander around town and down to the Surf Live Saving Club….which is somewhat ironic, given that you can’t swim in the water. On the way back, we called into the BP Petrol Station ($3.09 per litre) to get some cold drinks. A woman waved and said hallo and asked if we part of Outback Spirit. Obviously, older white people like us stand out in such a place. Lina welcomed us to her town and then was part of a more formal welcome to country on the Wirrwawuy Beach the next day with dancing, music, stories about country and herbal massages.

And so the journey continued. We walked to waterholes and billabongs, to the rocky outcrops containing indigenous rock art, to places like the ruins of Victoria Settlement, the longest lasting of the failed attempts to build a white presence in the north. We went out on boats to see the crocodiles and birds of the Arafura Swamp, to catch barramundi in the creeks around Maningrida, to explore Port Essington. And we sat around sipping wine as we fed on amazingly good meals served by charming backpackers in a range of wilderness lodges across the top end. Each place had its special moment. The feral ponies grazing around our cabin each morning in Murwangi Safari Camp, making sure, like us, to keep on the right side of the “don’t got here, there are crocodiles” sign. The stunning sunsets looking west over the flood planes from Barramundi Lodge. The rock art in almost every outcrop surrounding Davidson’s Wilderness Lodge (the biggest collection in the country). The water vistas from the Seven Spirits Bay Lodge.

Apart from meandering around Nhulunbuy, we didn’t spend much time in the other towns  such as Maningrida and Ramingining. The main impression was derelict cars and yards filled with plastic, an image that has come up time and time again in documentaries set in the outback. Chris challenged our perceptions of why people didn’t seem to care what their homes looked like. Firstly, as we’d experienced, the roads are terrible and I can only imagine what they do to cars. Once one breaks down it can sit there as a possible source of spares for the next catastrophe, so useful rather than just junk. Secondly, Chris pointed out that for the Yolngu people, every part of the difficult landscape they inhabit - tree, bush, rock, waterhole, bird, wallaby - has value, has a name, has a place in the story of their existence. But plastic bags and tin cans don’t. They are Balanda (white) artifacts and have no meaning so aren’t important enough to bother about.

Photos:

1.     7.  Frankie painting with ochre

2.       8. Doreen weaving with pandanus leaves

3.     9.   Welcome to Country, Wirrwawuy Beach

4.       10. Sunset at Barra Lodge, looking out over the Arafura Swamp

5.       11. Catching a barramundi, Liverpool River