Saturday evening we went to what they called a Marsharts event. It was held out on what they call marshes but I would call dry mud flats. These really flat dry cracked mud flats go on for miles. Anyway they had a very large screen mounted on a sea container out on the flats and showed a series of short movies later in the evening. Interesting that in these locally produced pictures the old aborigines said many times how they were born, raised and worked on the stations and loved it and the money or lack of didn't bother them. What a terrible thing we did when we had to treat them the same as whites and couldn't afford to employ them. They went from hugely skilled and useful workers when it suited them to being nothing.
So heaps of cars drove out on the mudflats and pulled up at this screen like a drive in, some sat in their cars and some brought chairs, it was quite a sight.
They also had perspex art set into the ground with lights under them and a number of other works of art out there. They had a big table set up where kids could fashion things out of mud. At the end of the night they had mini hot air balloons that kids could light up and set off it was quite a site with these things going off into the night sky. The hot air was created by firelighters and I think the balloons were made from crepe around wire.
Sunday morning I and 9 others were picked up at 8.15 and taken to the airport where we were briefed and boarded a prop jet seaplane. It was a 30 minute flight to circle then land on the water just off the horizontal falls. We had morning tea then boarded a 600hp rigid inflatable. The young bloke that took us has been working out there for seven years, last year he didn't go to town for four and a half months, worked seven days a week through the season and he and another lad live out there on a very basic platform. Although i didn't mind the company boat he was able to take home. So it was amazing how he handled this boat, first taking us through the gap backwards, we sat still with the water speed at 36kph, his control was fantastic, we then came out and went through forwards several times. It was very exciting. He then took us on to the second narrower opening, you could almost touch each side with such a rush of water. The fall off from outside to inside was about a metre and a half. His skill and the rush and swirling of the water made it very thrilling.
We then went back to the houseboat at the pontoon and these two lads cooked up a heap of Barra and a fresh salad and rolls, I made a bit of a glutton of myself. He then took us for a tour of the mangroves and where he lives in Cyclone Creek. He picked up this platform from Paspaley who used to have an oyster farm out there and had made it home with some veggies and things. He has also developed a relationship with some fish. He has been feeding and playing with them for over four years. We then went back and boarded the plane and returned around King Georgecsound over heaps of islands, a bit longer flight than getting there. I was surprised how soft the landing and take off had been. A great experience.
Rose and I went to the aboriginal church in the evening where a group from YWAM were conducting the service, it was good to meet and be able to encourage them, a diverse group from all over the world including a 55yo bloke doing the DTS with them. We were a bit sad the old aboriginal pastor wasn't able to connect with them however.
Went for a botanical walk this morning after a while Ellie took off after a Wallaby and wouldn't come back. It was pretty thick scrub land out of town we whistled and called for ages but couldn't see her so Rose stayed and I walked the couple k's back to the van, just before I got there Ellie came trotting along the track absolutely worn out and covered in burrs. We had thought we may not have seen her again.
Preparing to head off along the Gibb River road tomorrow after a really good few days around Derby.