Captain’s Log Date: 4 October 2007

Pelican Expeditions wishes to thank the traditional owners of Cape Flattery for their kind invitation to visit and use their land during the Expedition.

27/9/07
1830 Hrs The Southeast chop hits us as we round Cape Melville. We are heading south for the Bama (Guugu Yimidhirr word for Aboriginal people) camp at Cape Flattery. The next twelve hours are spent bouncing from one wave to the next. The boys and Elders sleep on the central deck and manage to stay reasonably dry. Des sleeps on the tables laid end to end across the deck with a row of boys underneath him. Amazingly, despite considerable movement of the boat, he manages to maintain his perch.

We are having some problems with the generator and desalination system. The exhaust manifold on the Kubota engine has sheared off spilling exhaust fumes into the engine room setting off the smoke alarms. We jury-rig a temporary fix in order to run the engine a little longer to shut the system down. The desalinator must be shut down, flushed and put to bed in the correct sequence to prevent bacteria and mould growing in the system and causing problems. Any sudden breakdown can result in expensive repairs and replacement of parts. In over two thousand hours of operation so far this has not been necessary.

Mal and Davini on croc watch, Connie's Beach Cape Flattery. Photo Peter Malcolm.

We arrive at Flattery and drop anchor just off the beach at 0715 the following morning. The boys head ashore first, keen to catch up with friends and family. We sit down with the 4 Elders and Barney (the HV schoolteacher) to have a quick debrief of the voyage and talk about possible next steps, before the Elders join the boys ashore. Pelican’s crew clean the vessel from end to end and ready her for the days ahead. Peter and Joseph join Estelle and Des on the beach to assist them in coordinating activities ashore. Nick and I remove the manifold from the generator and I take it over to the sand-mine workshop where they have kindly agreed to weld it up for us. Without the genny we would be unable to make water and would have to run the main engines to charge the batteries.

The sand mine is the biggest single employer of Hope Vale people and has a policy of supporting both the Hope Vale Community and our project at Cape Flattery. They have been most helpful by setting up a solar shower for the camp , and by un-bogging several vehicles that are unable to make it over the steep sand dunes that must be negotiated to access the Cape Flattery Connie’s Beach site. Their assistance with the repair enables us to get all systems back on line that afternoon. The young man in the mask (welding mask) is himself a past resident of Hope Vale, Brad Gibson. He expertly welds our tiny manifold back together with equipment better suited to heavy bridge building than fine mechanical repair. Running me back to the jetty where Raf is waiting in the inflatable, Brad tells me he loves to fish and walk this country in his spare time. As we step on to the jetty Brad glances around and immediately spots a crocodile about eighty metres away. It is just off the beach among some drying coral but it takes Brad some serious coaching before I am able to see it. Just it’s eyes, nostrils and part of its back is showing above the water. As Raf and I approach it in the inflatable it disappears without a ripple. We locate him sitting on the bottom in about a metre of water. He is about 10 ft long and swims lazily away as we approach.

Over the next couple of days many other members of our expedition team arrive. Natalie from Pelican and daughter Aurora arrive with Samia Goudie an indigenous woman and Fullbright Scholar who will be running our digital storytelling workshops. Sam Dibella and Dr Ian Bell from Parks and Wildlife and EPA Qld arrive and take up residence along the beach with their families. They will be involving the Bama youngsters in their turtle tagging program. Warahtah Nicholls from The Hope Vale Culture Centre drives in with a group of older women who will be conducting weaving and creative arts workshops. Waratah’s partner Johnno arrives later with an elaborate outdoor kitchen set up. He will help to provide meals at the camp. Peter’s partner Davini arrives with three of their kids Lachy, Gabi and Zak. Jeremy Geia an indigenous director arrives with an ABC film crew, (Cam and Paul) to make a feature segment for Message Stick. Later Mark Willacy a director from 7.30 Report joins them to cover the story as well. I am beginning to worry that we are flooding the project with too many people but the Bama take it all in their stride. Des and Estelle coordinate everything with assistance from Peter and it runs like clockwork. Bama come and go at all hours of the day and night but life in the camp is peaceful with everyone working together.

Most of the project team. Left to right seated: Samea Goudie, Estelle Bowen, Natalie Davey (Daughter Aurora behind) Katie McQuilter, Auntie Eveyln, Auntie Dora, Sam Proudley. Standing : Ian Bell, Peter Malcolm, Bruce McQuilter, Sam Dibella, Des Bowen, Johnno, Garry McKechnie, Warahtah Nicholls, Nick Kelly, Raf heale, Joseph Raya, Estelle Kefford, Cyryll, unknown Auntie. Photo Davini Malcolm

Peter describes life in the Connie’s Beach camp at Cape Flattery : Last year the Bama family groups were spread all along the 1 kilometre beach. This made coordination difficult and resulted in activities being a bit disjointed. I discussed this with Estelle during the year and she suggested setting up one big camp this year with better facilities. Estelle has put a lot of time into organising this new approach. So now as many vehicles arrive and people of all ages set up, it is one big community. One of the Hope Vale Council work crews have already set up awnings and other basic facilities for a large kitchen area. Big thank you also to Cape Flattery Silica mine for the solar shower,

Joseph and I check in with Des and Estelle to provide support and coordinate the Pelican part of the operation. There is a strong feeling of togetherness in the camp and a buzz of excitement around all the planned activities. Over the next couple of days the camp grows in size with more and more Bama members joining as well as the additional members of our team.

Weaving at Cape Flattery. Photo Peter Malcolm.

One of the Traditional Owners (TO’s) of this area, Johnny Derral, lives with his wife Judy and family in one of the two ex mine houses at the western end of the beach. Johnny puts in long hours working at the mine and then commutes round the corner to this idyllic spot after work. Protocol demands that Des & Estelle have officially asked for, and been granted permission from all the relevant TOs, to use this site for the ANZ Pelican project. Now it feels good to involve the Derral family in as many of the activities as possible. We know many of the kids from previous years. This year they are driving 4WDs, motorbikes and boats to come and join us on a regular basis.

The 6 days at Cape Flattery fly by in a range of activities. For me having my wife Davini and our 3 youngest kids here for the first time, being part of this rich community is an incredible gift. We all feel part of the extended Bama family and are so grateful for the effort put in by Estelle and Des, the Hope Vale Shire Council, Waratah, Sam and Ian, and all the Bama people who help make this project and these 6 days such a success.

Raf takes some of the girls through snorkeling technique before a dive at Rocky Islets. Photo Sam Proudley.

30/9/07
We load people early morning for a trip to Rocky Islets. Estelle Bowen is aboard for the first time this year. She has been overseeing the Flattery camp so this is a welcome rest for her. Many of her family are also aboard. We raise main, mizzen and staysail and set a course for the islets which are the closest to Cape Flattery. Pelican is sailing beautifully and we cover the 10 nautical miles in just over an hour. Next year we are planning a sea Kayak trip to Lizard with some of the young people and Rocky Islets are possibly the first overnight stop on route from Cape Flattery. Traditionally the Bama would have island hopped on their way to Lizard in their dugout canoes so the planned expedition will provide a link with the ancestors. This is a good opportunity to reccy a possible campsite. We also take the opportunity to snorkel in the clear water.

Estelle conducts sail training with the girls on route to Rocky Islets. Photo Sam Proudley.

In the afternoon we take a second trip out to the islands but the wind freshens to more than thirty knots. Some of the people on board are feeling unwell as Pelican reaches across the rising waves. We head back to the shelter of Cape Flattery.

1/10/07
We had planned to sail to Lizard for an overnight camp with the women but winds gusting well over thirty knots dictate otherwise. We decide to stay at anchor in the shelter of Cape Flattery. The men vacate Pelican to give the women time and space aboard.

Estelle Kefford (Pelican crew member) who was present describes events of the night… Twenty-five women come aboard for a ‘girls night out’. Most bring swags and pillows for a sleep over, some just bring themselves for a few hours. I think some people have in mind that this will be a deep night, full of discussion, but it is clear that the women are more interested in laughing, dancing and just having fun. But first things first. We make dinner which takes most of the night, the younger girls sit on the deck and cut vegetables for a soup. Older women down in the gallery do the cooking over the hot stove. Dinner gets served up with a cheese toasty for everyone.

Girls night out on Pelican.

Samia has been working on the wheelhouse computer during the dinner preparation, downloading photos taken by the women and girls during the previous 2 days. Girls pass through, some staying for a minute, some staying for hours to see how to make a digital story. Over the soup we see a collage of the photos put to music. All watched intently. After dinner Samia showed an amazing collection of films from other Indigenous Communities, from Australia, North America and South America. In a space of a few hours these films opened eyes to other Indigenous struggles and successes. Perhaps these Hope Vale women could make digital stories/short films with us next September. We thought that the girls would take a while to settle but they are more interested in sleep. So Garry is called to come back and start ferrying people to shore, the others with bedding go to sleep. During the night the first rain falls.

2/10/07
Dr Ian Bell and Sam Dibella are conducting a turtle tagging program. We load Pelican up with the young Bama who will take turns onboard the small aluminium pursuit vessels (tinnies) as spotters and divers. We follow Ian and Sam along the coast. The shallow waters North and West of Point Lookout are the prime location for hunting, for people from Hope Vale. Extensive sea grass beds provide a rich source of food for the green turtle and dugong. Trolled lines will usually reward fishers with mackerel and the mangroves are full of jacks, barramundi, crabs and crocs. Rivers wind their way down from the Great Dividing Range through rainforest and coastal savannah to feed the estuarine mangrove systems. The area is free of any major development and still relatively pristine. Cattle leases have been handed back to traditional owners who are looking at a range of alternatives for use of their land. Des’s land at Starky lies behind the coast just to the west. He has been trying to involve young men and women from Hope Vale in developing small eco-industries here but the call of peer pressure often drags them away to Hope Vale or urban centres further south.

Dr Bell is here to involve the Hope Vale community in his work with turtles and dugong. The young people will leap from the bows of his boats on to the backs of the turtles grasping their shells behind the neck and tail tilting them back so that their swimming reflex will carry them quickly to the surface. From there they can be hefted into the boat by dipping the gunwale close to the water and dragging the turtle over the side. Here they will be measured, tagged and inspected for any signs of disease before being released. The turtles frequently exceed 150 kgs so the Bama’s expertise in catching and handling them assists the scientists greatly.

Ian’s research data suggests that green turtle numbers are in decline throughout Northern Australia. Many factors contribute to this including, habitat loss, climate change, predation of nests by pigs, tourist development, commercial by-catch, chemical run off and boat strike. The data suggests that a major contributing factor may also be the indigenous take and in particular the habit of taking large females. The large females are the fattest and best eating turtles and are often the preferred target of indigenous hunting. Involving young Bama in the tagging program is the best way to introduce them to concepts of conservation and to get them seriously engaged in the Hope Vale turtle and dugong management plan, which specifies take quotas and hunting practices. Regulating these activities in remote locations can be difficult. The big stick approach has never been successful in indigenous communities. We believe Ian’s direct involvement strategy is the best policy and the most likely to deliver results over time. Ian and Sam are well known and highly respected in the community for their willingness to involve people and share information.

Dr Ian Bell with captive audience.

Pelican’s presence creates an opportunity for Ian to deliver his message directly to everyone on board. Two large turtles are brought on to Pelican’s beech (an adjustable wooden ramp made from Qld white beech) and Ian demonstrates how to evaluate, measure, sex, tag and release the turtles. A circle of wide-eyed faces watch and listen intently.

Several dugong have also been sighted during the afternoon though none were tagged on this occasion. The strong south-easterlies do not provide the best conditions for the work. Ian described recent dugong studies from Thursday Island to Townsville. It seems that their population in this region have decreased by 96% over the last 20 years, for a variety of reasons and that the sustainable take of them is around 3 per year for this whole northern east coast region.

Cyril performs the Kangurru Dance at the Cape Flattery camp. Photo Des Bowen.

A barbecue is organised in the evening with performances, speeches and presentations. The mine manager attends with two Bama employees and is given a painting in recognition of the mines support of the project. Sam and Dr Ian are given a second painting for their work with the turtles and dugong in the community and Pelican Expeditions is awarded a third in recognition of our work with the project. Estelle has gone to a huge amount of trouble to recognise the organizations that are supporting the project. It is Des and herself however who deserve most of the credit for making this annual event the success that it is. Peter & I accept the painting on behalf of the Pelican team from Louis Jack, the Artist’s son. We will treasure the painting of two brolgas fishing near the shore and a man in the background said to be the artist (Walter Jack) himself with spear raised, ready to spear a fish. I must also stress that although Pelican Expeditions is in many ways the face of the project it is the ANZ Bank who through their sponsorship have made it possible for the last three years.

Garry and Peter accept painting on behalf of Pelican Expeditions from Lois Jack and Des and Estelle Bowen

3/10/07
Pelican spends the morning sailing up and down in the lee of Cape Flattery with many of the older people who had not had a chance to experience her for themselves. The motion of the boat lulls some into a spot of deck napping and others into a rollicking conversation about the many things happening on shore. There is a lot of excitement about the trip this year and many people feel the genuine progress is being made in terms of addressing community concerns about the social problems associated with life in Hope Vale.

A second turtle tagging expedition is made that afternoon with the boys and girls who had missed out the day before. Bruce McQualter Head of Indigenous Employment and Training for ANZ, spends the afternoon with a tinnie full of young Bama chasing turtle and dugong. Through Bruce’s work, ANZ is a leader in the corporate world, in terms of providing opportunities and training for young indigenous Australians. Bruce fits in easily with everyone and is a delight to have around. He has taken up residence aboard Pelican with his daughter Katie, after camping ashore for two nights. Virtually everyone involved in the project has brought family along which gives us immediate connection with the Bama families camped on the beach.

That night everyone gathers on the beach for a special meal prepared by Johnno and a night of films. Katie gives a talk about diabetes. She is studying at Newcastle Uni, and one of her units focuses on Diabetes Prevention for Indigenous Australians. She brings her expertise to a delicate issue and is well received by the Bama in the camp.

Ian presents a slide show and talk about his work with the turtles. He introduces himself as a turtle research scientist who has become a turtle conservationist. He is passionate about his work and suggests several ways in which turtle populations can be protected and harvested by successive generations. The presentation is well attended by all the Bama at the camp who listen intently to every word. The older people have heard most of this before but some are starting to notice a decline in turtle numbers and all take the information seriously. One Elder woman tells me that the old people believe that the southeasterly trade winds blow particularly strongly if too many turtle are taken. We are standing on the beach in relative shelter but I can hear the wind on the ridge above the camp. It continues to blow at up to 30 knots.

Samia shows a film about an indigenous community in Alaska who fight the oil companies for the right to control their sacred hunting grounds. It resonates strongly with the crowd. The older women who have come with Waratah and Auntie Evalyn perform an impromptu line dancing performance. We all go to bed tired but smiling. Tomorrow we pack up camp for the return to Cooktown.

4/10/07
We tie up at Cooks Landing in Cooktown after a pleasant sail from Cape Flattery. The first half of the trip we motored upwind towards the outer reef and the second we sailed SSW into the Endeavour River arriving about 1600 hours. We host Bruce, Katie and Sarah from ANZ for a meal of fresh mackerel caught on route and tiger prawns from the freezer before collapsing after another long day. The next day we take a group from Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Community to the south of Cooktown for a sail out to the reef. We are hoping to expand the program next year to include people from Wujal Wujal so this is a great opportunity to meet some of the young people.

That night we are invited to a meal hosted by ANZ at one of Cooktown’s best restaurants. Everyone from the Pelican Team is present, along with Des and Estelle Bowen plus Bruce, Katie and Sarah from ANZ. It is a great opportunity to debrief and say our final goodbyes as the project officially ends. We bump into the dietician Kirsty who was involved in the Pelican/ANZ 2006 Hope Vale Expedition. She tells us of a modest success story that had grown out of last years project. One of the women whilst walking on Lizard island last year had been suddenly inspired with the idea of starting a good eating program. She called the program Healthy Sweethearts and has been running it with great success for nearly twelve months. It’s great to know that our project has helped to generate such happy outcomes for some of the participants and continues to inspire people after we have left.

Our final morning is spent taking a mixed group of people from Cooktown Family Support Services for a sail. A great morning is had by all sailing, fishing and having cups of tea on deck in the delightful surrounds of the Endeavour River. The trip is particularly exciting for a group of intellectually disabled people who have never been on a boat before. Their excitement infects the rest of the crowd.

Jeremy wins the blue ribbon for the bareback calf ride. Photo Des Bowen

Our final treat for 2007 is an afternoon at the Hope Vale Rodeo. The Rodeo involves few outsiders but enjoys dedicated support from the Hope Vale community. This iconic event is compulsory viewing for anyone who wants to understand the culture of Hope Vale Community. The standard of riding is high, the safety riders an absolute pleasure to watch and everyone including virtual toddlers encouraged to participate fully by sitting astride calf, bull or horse for an impossibly violent, 8 second, rite of passage. Amazingly no-one (animals included) appears to be badly injured after 2 days of continuous action in the dusty arena. Jeremy who I remember from just days before in semi shock having been nearly pulled overboard by a giant pelagic fish wins the trophy in the bare back calf ride. I can see his chest swell with pride. Suddenly his ability to leap from the bow of a boat onto the back of a turtle or to wrestle a dugong, many times his own weight and size, makes sense. I hope that these skills can somehow be employed in the service of his self-esteem, to help create a meaningful space for him in a broader Australian culture. I hope he can achieve a happier life than many of his cousins have been able to find in Howard’s Australia, or indeed at virtually any time since Captain Cook careened The Endeavour less than 50 metres from Pelican’s current position at Cooks Landing.

Happy sailing Garry McKechnie