Wendy's adventures

Ahh snakes!!

We had to do an extra thorough yard check at work after lunch as king brown snake was found in the front of Baya Gawyi. I of couse was the only one worried.

Fires!!

On the way home from dinner there was a very large grass fire. Again I was the only one worried. Apparently kids do it sometimes. I pulled over and took a quick pic.

Walking excursion

We took the children from Baya Gawyi for a walk to plum Plains. It was a walk I’ve done a lot since being here but was turned in to an amazing cultural adventure with Eva one of our Educators sharing her knowledge about the properties of the different plants.

Kakadu plum tree and plum. Amazingly high vitamin c

The old ladies strip this to make Pillows. It’s really soft

Trying to explain Fitzroy crossing FX

I was asked the other day if there is a McDonald’s here in FX. It is hard to imagine a remote town without visiting one. I’ll try and create a visual image for you.

It is very quiet, I walk the 350 meters to work along red dirt, passing bush dogs and cats. If a car passes me, there is a high probability that the driver will wave.

There is only an IGA and post office which is locked securely after 5.30pm and 1.30pm on Sunday. Their is a small but good hardware. (Looks like a shed from the outside) An outback clothes store (looks like a shed from the outside) which seems to open limited hours and two petrol stations which you can also get bits and bobs. There is a small runway which has small aircraft visit.

There is a small hospital with pharmacy in it and a football oval a rec center. A school and Baya Gawyi children’s unit and PCP Parent child center which are very modern and would look familiar to you and a great community spirit which may not be so familiar. Most people in town are local Aboriginal people from one of five language groups;  Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Nyikina, Wangkatjunka, and Walmajarri. There are also people who come, like myself to work. Doctors fly in and out every couple of weeks a new one comes. Nurses, teachers ect. People in the town are very welcoming, but also live with the fact that ‘workers’ such as myself are usually transient. It would be very difficult to live without consistency and very limited medical care.

The pictures below of scrub and sunset I took tonight, just past my house and hospital-about a 5 minute walk, as well as those on our walk with the kids are representative of all that surrounds us. The nearest town which is slightly bigger, Derby is 2.5 hour drive away.

⛽ petrol stations

clothes store above hardware below

airport

Me thinking I’d go for a ride but getting stuck in the sandy track