Posts Tagged ‘Ernabella’

Day 443. 65km. Ernabella – Fregon

Posted: August 31, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
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‘Bush tucker,’ he said as he slid off the little white dots from the eucalyptus leaves and ate them. They were some sort of mite eggs on the leaf and tasted sweet and a bit like honey. This evening we sat around the fire under the verandah of the village-chief’s house in Fregon and made damper – bush bread. Unfortunately we burnt it.

Bush tucker

Bush tucker

We left Ernabella after a wonderful day and second morning with Pat. She gave us many great insights on living in this remote aboriginal community, and took us around in her car to see the area. We went to the school in the morning before leaving Ernabella and spoke to the kids. It was fun seeing the kids, and they seemed to be engaged and interested. I hope maybe it might have made a small difference to one of them. They are the new generation, and I wish them all the best.

Water hole

Water hole

Red road

Red road

Ernabella school

Ernabella school

Kids at Ernabella school

Kids at Ernabella school

Leaving Ernabella we saw what happens to the cars when they die (if they are ever taken from the side of the road). In the local rubbish dump there was a field of burnt car carcasses. Along the road there was a car carcass every few hundred metres – sometimes on the road, and sometimes dragged off into the bush just off the road. Some were inverted or planted head-first in the soil. It must have been a spectacular crash to get them there like that.

Car graveyard

Car graveyard

Car graveyard

Car graveyard

‘Here is a coffee,’ said Pat as she got out of the car 30km out of Ernabella to give to me on my bike. She then drove forward to Clement who was ahead of me, and we had a coffee together in the middle of the bush.
We then had several cars pass that pointed us to Fregon. The head of the village was expecting us (a visit to him was the reason for us getting the APY land permit), and we were looking forward to meeing him and the community.

Day 442. 76km. Bush – Ernabella

Posted: August 30, 2016 in Australia, Cycling
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So many stories from so many people. Today was footy day at Ernabella and the whole town was there. We are in the APY aboriginal lands in South Australia, staying with a teacher at the local school. This is such a different world to Uluru just down the road, and so so different to city Australia.

Red road

Red road

Standing on the side of the footy field watching the game between Ernabella and another community we spoke to several teachers and to a social worker. The clash of aboriginal and western cultures leaves the head spinning. In aboriginal culture there is no sense of ownership – everything that is yours is mine. People have to give money to people that ask for it meaning there is no incentive to work, and so most do not.

The concept of money is also different to the western attitude – it is like a river – it flows in and it flows out. In this community there is fresh food, but, going to the shop after the footy match, the whole community had descended to buy chips, hot dogs and coke. The people working at the shop were white. The teachers and social workers were white. There are aboriginal helpers at the school but they often don’t turn up. There are so many facts and so many questions I don’t know what more to write.

Footy

Footy

The APY Lands are beautiful. Red red earth and a sandy road passing through a land void of people. It is such a peaceful place – you feel like you are the only person on the planet.

Skid marks

Skid marks

Shadow

Shadow

We had half a day of headwinds and half a day of tailwinds – and many fewer flies compared to yesterday. Thanks, Pat, for your great hospitality and conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the area!