Elcho Experienced: Being tourists Elcho style

The first Saturday on the island...lets go for a walk..you know get a bit of training in for the Camino......several fundamental amateur mistakes were made, which won't happen again. Even though it is the Wet, it can get quite hot in these parts.

The plan was to walk what is locally known as the Buhtan loop, about five kilometres long. We began at the hottest part of the day and walked between 11.00 and 15.00. It was going to be 30 degrees and a reasonable 80% humidity. It was very sunny, not the expected cloud cover, and being a tad north the sun is less likely to provide lots of shade. Starting out well we decided to change the route and double our distance and walk to the other side of the island to where the barge comes in.. This is about ten ks. It was quite warm.

We had lunch at the restaurant at the barge landing - if there was a restaurant on the island we would have...had our sandwiches and watched the locals fishing. Apparently at this time of the year snapper, baracoota, shark, and smaller school fish are the fare.

Barge jetty.

But we did get back, and after a bit of rehydration we were set.

Nathalie was on call from eight p.m Saturday with Sarah the Aboriginal Health Worker. The first job knocked on our front door....having the ambulance parked out the front is a bit of a magnet. The patient was a 7 mth child with a temperature..always needing to be checked out. This was during hand over, so ABC went with Ana, picked up the AHW and met back at the clinic. The next job was an elderly gent who had pain in his back, so we went to his home, and after an onsite assessment he was provided with some pain relief. Next call was to a young boy who has severe dental pain, who was given some panadol a tried and true oil of cloves, and a follow up appointment given. Next was a another child with a temperature, not concerningly high, and last was a young man who had consumed kava, and was very unwell, physically and mentally. According to the Manual, he was given the appropriate medicines, and sent home under close supervision. This took NJC to 2 am ish.

To add to the adventure it was very very wet...as we are catching the edge of what has since become cyclone Alfred. Certainly not sandals weather. But it does tend to keep people at home.

Sunday we had organised to borrow a Toyota troopy, to do some exploring to the south end of Elcho. It had been quite wet and on and off the rain was very heavy, and big winds. The AHW who had been working with Nathalie, Sarah, was asked and offered to come with us because she could show us her home community at Ban'thula and have a visit at the same time. Public transport just isn't. Collecting her from home at about midday we were honoured to also have her grandmother, Elaine, and niece Emily come with us today.

Waiting to collect Sarah and her family.

We had heard a story, since confirmed, that one of the doctors , had the previous day, gotten himself bogged on one of the lesser tracks, and had to walk four or so ks to the main road before being picked up, and being winched out by the truck we were using. Which explains the volumes of sand in the car. Sarah, Elaine and Emily, were a bonus to ensure the balanda (white folk) did not get into too much trouble, and get the owners' tour of the island.

It was wet, and raining, but we were assured by Elaine that we would OK. Four wheel driving in and around Victoria is mostly premised on poor road base, and lots of mud. Get through and use momentum. As we discovered this Is not the case most often here. The road base is quite good. There isn't much that will stop the troopy either.

Approaching a very large lake on the road, advice was provided that the middle path was best. The video was running.

Having safely successfully driven through the puddle, our most senior passenger was clearly heard to say and record saying 'thank you Jesus' and advice that I could go slower through these lakes. Andrew considered himself told.

Seeing seven or eight vehicles travelling inbound, indicated that the road was still well able to be traversed. Every car that passed, Sarah noted that they contained her family.

Acting on Elaine's instructions, we turned left, down a somewhat overgrown and easily missed track. Some of the track was quite rugged. Ten or so minutes we arrived at an open area at the coast, which was Elaine's country and used as a dry-season women's camp. This is a place that the older women stay and for a week at a time, sometimes more, the younger women stay to be taught about women's business. They are shown and live on bush tucker, Elaine's favourite are oysters. But this is a dry season food.

It opens to the beach with six main buildings, open gathering area,many a short walk away we were shown the church. The church was a mound of red earth with a cross, and this is the church.

Nathalie (on the left), Sarah, Emily and Elaine in the Women's dry season church

A short distance later we got to Sarah"s home community, about 20 houses, and there were very few people there. None of the family was there, as they had all gone into Galliwin'ku

The community does not have mobile phone coverage, unless you climb up a nearby hill, and stand on one foot, and the other arm in the air. The Telstra phone box is really the only communication. There is a building used as a clinic, when the service comes up hers, a small 'shop' and an open sided building that is used as a church and meeting area.

Lots more rain and nasty wind, we didn't stay and returned through the, now, bigger lakes back to Galliwin'ku.