Arnhem Land

Reading a book "An Intruder's Guide to East Arnhem Land" By Andrew McMillan, who passed away this January I just found out. It bonds me with an area, to read about it whilst being there. This book was first published in 2001 and is a weird combination of history filled with names and dates, a personal journey though the area and accounts of locals and 'intruders', in particular an anthropologist called Donald Thompson who was the first official 'whitefella' who built an understanding and mutual relation with the local aboriginal people, the Yolngu, in the nineteen thirties. Although it's not always an easy read, it's giving me great insight, building on country and culture knowledge I had already gained.

The book is filled with death, destruction and some light hearted observations. In the preface Mandawuy Yunupingu writes that the author has 'painstakingly uncovered aspects of our collective history previous writers have either skimmed over or chosen to ignore when it didn't fit their agenda. In doing so, he presents a sense of balance that's been sorely lacking in the past'. I nod.

It is refreshing and heart warming to see that the aborigines here in their own homelands and communities seem so much more content, happy and healthy than the (displaced) ones I have seen and met elsewhere in Australia.  Sounds strange but is that not a universal ingredient of contentment and comfort being are amongst your own people talking, joking in your own language? In Melbourne and Sydney for instance immigrant groups from all around the world - they tend to live close together...

I am travelling at the moment. Time in my life to see more of Australia, doing what I love doing, with a 4wd, swag and learning about the people and their country. Sleeping under the stars. The less bitumen, the more remote, the better. At times unnerving (what the hell am I doing?), at times I have the biggest grin from ear to ear...