Day 1
Sunday 24th September
Ini and the crew have Pelican 1 ready and raring to go. The first small voyage is a half-day sail up the Endeavour River with several Elders. We recognise many smiling faces from last year. Des’s Mum Ella, Coraleen’s Grandmother, is onboard. Ella is a gorgeous heartful Elder with soft caring eyes. Once we’ve gently puttered our way round the slow sweeping first bend of the river, dodging anchored boats, we set one of the genoas (front sails – this cat has two) and turn the engine off. What Bliss! The feel of a hand-crafted sailing boat doing its thing is one of the absolute joys of human accomplishment. Suddenly we’re Climate Positive with 45 people onboard ghosting along down a tropical river paradise.
Elders on the first day-sail of 2006, Sunday 21 Sep
I get talking to Henry. He was a young boy, around eight years old, when the Community was herded away from Hope Vale. The authorities suspected that the German mission was somehow communicating to the Third Reich in Germany and could be a serious threat to the war effort. Henry described how they were herded like sheep into trucks without being told what was happening or where they were going. To Cooktown, then by sea to Cairns and overland to Townsville, where the Elders were suddenly separated from the rest and sent off to Palm Island amid much anguish and distress and finally to Worrobinda, near Rockhampton. Several children were separated from their parents and because of the appalling conditions several Community members died. Henry remembers being fed only treacle sandwiches for quite a while. He said very few of Hopevale’s youngsters had heard that story. Perhaps over time we can help record the Elders’ life stories so that they are not lost forever.
Henry Derral
In the afternoon we had a bunch of Bama and Wangarr kids onboard. Estelle had extended the opportunity to have a day-sail to non-indigenous members of the local community as a gesture of goodwill and to extend friendship and thanks for people who have helped or have friendships with the Hope Vale Community members. The kids were excited, to say the least!
It was our pleasure to welcome onboard Ross Matthews and his family – his wife Julie and sons Rohan and Hayden. Ross is the Regional Manager of N. Queensland for ANZ and will join us for 6 days with his boys for the trip to Lizard Island. He seems very relaxed and the whole family has since proved their willingness to learn and to muck in as part of the team. Sarah Luxemburg, the Manager of the recently opened Cooktown branch, also joins us for the afternoon. A courageous woman who put her hand up, according to Ross, to say “if you ever open a branch in Cooktown, please consider me”, Sarah shows a real interest in learning more from the Hope Vale people and so we also hatch a plan for her to join us for the next weekend.
Marty, Garry (Des’ brother), Des and Ross
Ini and the crew have Pelican 1 ready and raring to go. The first small voyage is a half-day sail up the Endeavour River with several Elders. We recognise many smiling faces from last year. Des’s Mum Ella, Coraleen’s Grandmother, is onboard. Ella is a gorgeous heartful Elder with soft caring eyes. Once we’ve gently puttered our way round the slow sweeping first bend of the river, dodging anchored boats, we set one of the genoas (front sails – this cat has two) and turn the engine off. What Bliss! The feel of a hand-crafted sailing boat doing its thing is one of the absolute joys of human accomplishment. Suddenly we’re Climate Positive with 45 people onboard ghosting along down a tropical river paradise.
Elders on the first day-sail of 2006, Sunday 21 SepI get talking to Henry. He was a young boy, around eight years old, when the Community was herded away from Hope Vale. The authorities suspected that the German mission was somehow communicating to the Third Reich in Germany and could be a serious threat to the war effort. Henry described how they were herded like sheep into trucks without being told what was happening or where they were going. To Cooktown, then by sea to Cairns and overland to Townsville, where the Elders were suddenly separated from the rest and sent off to Palm Island amid much anguish and distress and finally to Worrobinda, near Rockhampton. Several children were separated from their parents and because of the appalling conditions several Community members died. Henry remembers being fed only treacle sandwiches for quite a while. He said very few of Hopevale’s youngsters had heard that story. Perhaps over time we can help record the Elders’ life stories so that they are not lost forever.
Henry DerralIn the afternoon we had a bunch of Bama and Wangarr kids onboard. Estelle had extended the opportunity to have a day-sail to non-indigenous members of the local community as a gesture of goodwill and to extend friendship and thanks for people who have helped or have friendships with the Hope Vale Community members. The kids were excited, to say the least!
It was our pleasure to welcome onboard Ross Matthews and his family – his wife Julie and sons Rohan and Hayden. Ross is the Regional Manager of N. Queensland for ANZ and will join us for 6 days with his boys for the trip to Lizard Island. He seems very relaxed and the whole family has since proved their willingness to learn and to muck in as part of the team. Sarah Luxemburg, the Manager of the recently opened Cooktown branch, also joins us for the afternoon. A courageous woman who put her hand up, according to Ross, to say “if you ever open a branch in Cooktown, please consider me”, Sarah shows a real interest in learning more from the Hope Vale people and so we also hatch a plan for her to join us for the next weekend.
Marty, Garry (Des’ brother), Des and Ross