Day 9

Monday 2 October

It’s up and at it for our remaining 32 people. We want to leave this site cleaner than when we arrived. The maximum allowed on Pelican at any one time is 31 because of the number of life raft person places. As Pelican is under Queensland marine Survey, we are bound to operate completely and entirely under their rules and regs, no exceptions.

The final load off our Watson’s Bay campsite – rubbish is taken to the Resort skip

The camp clean out is a big process. Gear is packed away and readied on the beach for delivery to our trusted cat easily enough. The remaining kids are put to scouring the beach and campsite for litter – any litter whether it’s ours or not. Once done a group of us go over every square inch of the site trailing black plastic bags, even sifting through dried leaves for hidden rubbish. Louis and I focus on the campsite kitchen area, whilst Des cleans the fantastic cooking area that Marne Parks have set up for campers.

Once done we do a rubbish run by inflatable boat over to the skip at the Marlin Bar, which the Resort provide as a service to the Island. We’ve already given a donation for this useful service which saves us carrying rubbish in the tropics on a boat with 31 people onboard.

We’re given a chance once all is done, to say a final farewell to our little hunk of paradise, as we wait for Estelle’s interview to end and the rubbish run to return. The kids swim and frolic in these safe clear waters, a couple play guitars, our communal camp is over. Stingray Island has kept us all safe with no significant injuries during these past 6 days –thank you sincerely. The Dingaal Elders leave feeling more connected to their country, some young people have been inspired to start creating better lives for themselves, the Resort is continuing steps towards employing two Hope Vale youngsters, the Research Station is open to looking at taking on a Bama young person as one of their station assistants, and we have all been deeply touched by the magnificence and serenity of this wild island.

Ritchie lands a yellow fin tuna within minutes of leaving Lizard

31 people fit onto Pelican effortlessly with so many people places all over the boat. Estelle has asked if we could steam clockwise round the island so that we can see the land from the eastern side. Almost immediately when we’re out at sea, one of the lines picks up a fish. Engines to idle and a glimmering yellow finned Tuna is landed by young Ritchie. He holds the stunning fighting warrior fish up to the cameras with pride. It sprays the deck with blood as Nick kills it in fish tray, appearing with his glasses spattered in blood. Following the Traditional Way where a hunter never eats his first kill, Estelle gives this fish to the crew in gratitude for everything they have done.

Once round North West Bay, we start getting the full force of the southeasterly trade winds that have blown consistently since the project began. Ini steers our two hulls directly into the two-meter seas, until we can bear away on our course direct to Cape Flattery. It’s a better angle for sailing because we have motored further into wind when we set reefed main and mizzen sails with the smaller staysail up forward. Immediately Pelican picks up her speed from 3.5 to 8.5 knots motor sailing on one engine.

It’s a bit of a hard slog but the boat handles it with ease. Lizard Island recedes behind, as the Cape grows in front amongst seas alive with white horses. A couple of hours later, we round the Cape and hand sails in calm waters. We’re back in their regular Bama sea country now –a place most Hope Valeans are familiar with. Consequently there are tinnies zooming around the Bay, sometimes with kids driving -clearly familiar with the skill of manoeuvring these aluminium-hulled boats in tight spots. These youngsters have been around this sea country all their lives –no wonder they are such skilled hunters. Only a few people have felt sick, and they are the first to clamber into tinnies to go ashore.

With extra boats running it’s not long before the mountain of gear in the central deck is cleared out and Pelican returns to it’s simple lines. There’s a hive of activity ashore as families are reunited, tents put up, swags rolled out in amongst family campsites already chosen, probably decades ago. Estelle and Des are mission control of this Pelican operation along with the Traditional Owners of each area. We are still in Dingaal country, so Dingaal Elders have directed how this part of the project will run. We’ve been planning Cape Flattery for a year now because it is one of the few places on this exposed part of the Guugu Yimidhirr coast where we can anchor Pelican immediately next to the camp site

Des & Estelle and extended family of about 20 people have been given use of the largest of two houses here belonging to the Traditional Owners. Estelle and a group prepare the evening meal on a grate over the open fire–we have extra provisions here for all the families that she has arranged through her Life Promotions budget for this project and had delivered at the beginning of the project. Somehow 20 people eat with relative ease around one small table. Hong and Andrew, our corporate men, revel in being amongst this crazy community life. I’m a little surprised but maybe we all long for more community in our nuclear family lives. This is rich culture being amongst an Aboriginal family that has known deep, core sadness and is here joyfully enjoying a project that was inspired by one of their own.

Julianne & Geronimo – happy times for her – she comes alive with these projects

The kids go upstairs to burn off excessive energy and we hear thumping and bangs and furious giggles in amongst the odd toddler losing it to tears, only to be comforted and looked after by one of the older kids. I just love seeing “Papa” Des’s relationship with his granddaughter Abbey. She simply adores being with him and always knows exactly where he is –constantly calling out to tell me about her latest discovery. Des clearly loves the position he has won with his son’s only child.

How we all wish their other two kids had had the support not to take their own lives –such a senseless waste. Estelle reckons that the ripples from our 3-year project have helped to take the Hope Vale suicides down to zero. Coraleen was the last –long may that be so. As I lay in my tent with the generator busily charging the mobile phones until it’s fuel ran out, I wondered how ecstatic Coraleen would have been, had she have been with us, knowing that she initiated this whole project. I sometimes imagine I can feel her around us especially tonight with nearly her whole family together.

Peter Malcolm
Project Leader
4^th October 2006