Day 7

Saturday 30 September

Another boatload of keen Bama fishermen head off on Pelican, this time to Eagle Island. Most of the remaining teenage boys and a couple of the girls go with Marty. It’s a beam sail both ways, meaning that the wind is coming in on the side of the boat so it’s easy to sail fast to and from Eagle Island, without needing to motor sail using the engine to assist the sails going upwind.

Tim and grandson Zamyn on the last day before heading to Cape Flattery

The camp is very calm and quiet with all these young hunters out doing their thing. Time to have a last breakkie with Ross, Rohan and Hayden before they fly out and three more ANZers come in on the same flight. Des and I chat with Ross – the necessary conversations have begun and now it’s up to Des, the Council and Ross with the ANZ to see if this can lead to real results. Contact numbers are exchanged; Caroline takes Ross off to a windless place to interview him for the BBC radio piece.

Rohan, Hayden and I lug their bags to the airport. These two boys have been fantastic on this camp, fitting in so easily with the Bama camp. In just 2 hours they will be home. The single engine Comanche has flown from Atherton to Cooktown where the pilot picked up Hong Taing, Andrew Golding and Sarah Luxemburg . It’s an incredible way to be introduced to the island as you see it growing from the air with its bright blue fringing reef. Hong is from HR and has been involved with Indigenous programs with the bank, Andrew is part of a pool of Assistant Managers who service the Relationship Managers around north WA – this is a reward for the time and energy he’s put into his work recently.

Sarah is the Manager of the new ANZ Cooktown branch. Because of her enthusiasm to get to know these Bama people, and possibly take on one as an employee at her branch, she joins us during her own weekend time. She will sail Cape Flattery tomorrow and then get a lift out by 4WD, back to her car at Cooktown airport, in time for work Monday morning – that’s the plan anyway!

There’s a brief hand-over chat in the open sided airport waiting room. Ross and the boys climb into the Comanche and with a last wave are gone. My mind briefly imagines them all watching the AFL footy final on wide-screen, in a few brief hours time, but being Queenslanders their target will be the NRL footy finals Sunday evening. We carry luggage back to camp and introduce the new ANZers to Des, Estelle, the Elders and the rest of the Bama camp. Hong and Andrew will be with us through to the end of the project on Sat 7 Oct.

First Ross brought an esky full of quality meat for a barbeque on Lizard that was greatly appreciated by the mob. Sarah hands over another portable esky of porterhouse steaks, quality bacon and snags. After a day of no fish from the hunters, this welcome addition of protein comes at precisely the right time. A lot seems to happen on this camp like this without the need for western style administration. I reckon the Dingaal Elders in spirit are with us all the way, just as they said they would be to Des in his dream last year. They show us little signs of it every day.

Pelican comes in with some despondent hunters. The boat didn’t position at the best spot on Eagle Island and they didn’t catch any fish. Good for the reef perhaps but disappointing for the young men who take pride in feeding the whole camp, like their people have done for at least 40,000 years in this region. In their traditional culture, part of becoming a man is to be able to show your Elders that you can provide protein for your family. It was the same in all cultures – the ability to get food from the ‘bush market’ before our supermarkets came – even in our Wangarr pre industrial revolution ones.

The island of St Kilda off the Scottish west coast developed a Rite of Passage for their boys-becoming-men which directly related to their ability to provide for a family. The young men had to be able to stand on one leg looking down a 1000ft cliff, with one hand holding the other leg – try it at home now! If they didn’t have good balance and a head for heights, they wouldn’t be capable of at collecting gannet eggs and fledglings – their staple protein diet.

Gareth with his daughter -a Dingaal man who felt a strong connection to their Stingray Island

Des asked me to speak to the young teenagers about opportunities and possible work avenues with him. Some of them are beginning to drink and smoke at young ages. We are fortunate to have Hong, with his connection to ANZ Indigenous programs and Sarah with us. Sarah said she is now looking for the right Bama person to join her Cooktown ANZ team. This really supplements my brief talk about how these young people are in a position now where they have a better potential of land and work opportunities perhaps like never before. Des’ plan is to use the existing Community Development Employment Program of two days work-for-the-dole as one stepping stone of many towards traineeships, apprenticeships and full-time prosperous, sustainable work.

Presently the CDEP program is considered by many as their only future and the reality is, as Des and the Coucil is keenly aware, CDEP could stop in a few short years. It’s easy to see how boredom, drink and drugs, low self-esteem and tragically suicide can set in for them. Des’ Fightback plan is all about combating these issues and opening opportunities and not losing another generation.

My message to these youngsters is that it must come from them. We can’t change anyone else but ourselves. The impetus to take on a traineeship has to come from you, for what YOU have an interest or passion for. Sarah’s ANZ offer is there right now for a Hope Vale youngster who has fire in the belly to be trained and work for the bank. Imagine how far that person could go in ANZ – a bank that has a policy of bringing more and more indigenous Australians into its fold. An indigenous head of a major Australian bank in 10 years time – why not? Let’s dare to dream big for this Community.

I end by going round the circle asking each one if they have any ideas about what they want to do – saying it’s fine if they don’t. Heads are bent low but eventually starting with Jazzmin, Coraleen’s son, ideas are thrown out by each youngster – stockman, diesel mechanic, boilermaker, physiotherapist from one of the girls and a few others. Des and I emphasise again that the impetus needs to come from them and have their vision for themselves and then to be able keep focusing positively until they get the apprenticeship or training and get qualified.

Luke winches hoists the mizzen sail on the final journey to Cape Flattery

Later one of the young men comes up to Des and asks about sailing on Pelican 1 down the coast later this year. A few of the boys have been talking about what was said and what they could do with their lives. This is a very encouraging.

As the session finishes a few AFL stalwarts head off to the Resort Marlin Bar. They've set up a data projector with the Grand Final in full swing, albeit a little out of focus, and because it's broad daylight it's hard to see. I arrive at the end of the third quarter in time for one of the all time great AFL footy fourth quarter finals. The West Coast Eagles managing to stay one point ahead of the Sydney Swans three times to win one point ahead. Apologies non-footy people - I never used to be like this!

This afternoon is the crew’s first opportunity to have a few hours off. Most of them collapse into bed and rest with a few go for a walk. They deserve every minute of it and I wish we could let them chill out more. Tomorrow is their second return voyage to Cape Flattery starting at 6.00am. Starting early so that they can be back in time to do a third fishing trip in the afternoon, and hopefully position Pelican in a better place for hunting – such is their commitment to fulfilling our side of this project.

Our penultimate evening in the Lizard camp is another evening of listening to the games and laughter of kids wildly burning off the remainder of their energy before sleeping soundly in this sensational place.