26th July Darwin my 70th irthday

 Kms today 11 (to the ferry) Kms to date 6850

I didn't sleep very well and was up early as I had to be at the Ferry Terminal by 7:30am. I rode the Kawasaki down to the port wearing my shorts: the first time I have done this in Australia, mind you all the locals ride round in shorts.

I was getting a Ferry to the Tiwi Islands 80kms from Darwin.  I had booked a cultural tour. Quite a crowd built up at the ferry terminal including a lot of locals, not just tourists.  The trip took over two hours but it as quite smooth sailing so my Kwells weren't needed.

Our very modern INCAT ferry

We arrived at Bathurst Island and were met by a mini bus with some local guides Trevor and Leon and taken for a drive through the community.  About 1,500 people live on  the two main islands and almost all are indigenous islanders and all of them are fully vaccinated against Covid. The Tiwi Islanders are a quite separate cultural group from the mainland aboriginals. They are also mad about Aussie Rules Football and have provided some great players to the AFL, such as Michael Long.  First stop was an art collective called Ngaruwanajirri. It had a section for carving and a section for painting.  

Decorated ceiling in the art collective

We watched artists finish off their work and asked permission to take photographs.  Aboriginals have been traditionally reluctant to have their photographs taken, but the advent of the mobile phone has  just about eliminated this cultural taboo. One man was painting straight lines with incredible accuracy.  Another woman was completing a picture of a crocodile.  I bought a small carving for Morag; a totem for a woman.

This man's line work was as accurate as a printer

This woman was finishing off a picture of a crocodile.

Next we went for morning tea-damper and Billy tea.  There an old fellow called Bernard, who was Macarius in the film Island Wedding, who told us about his dreaming and culture.  I had a go with his clapping sticks. There were 3 women painting scallop shells and the tourists were buying them up, because they were cheap.  

Three women painting shells

Some found the Smoking Ceremony a bit too much

Then the younger men explained the 4 "skins"  that were on the islands and what were the rules for contact and marriage between the skins.  This was all to prevent inbreeding in the small population. We had a smoking ceremony. Then they performed four totem dances for the shark, the crocodile, the brolga and one other.  We had to guess the animals.  

Leon explains the "Skin": rules for social interaction on the islands.

 

Trevor dances like a Brolga

Next we visited the old church and saw the radio shack from which the Father McGrath of the Mission of the Sacred Heart warned Darwin that there was an air attack coming in 1942, which they ignored. There were two air raids that day and the damage to Darwin was extensive.  Japan attacked the north of Australia 100 times, but the Darwin raid was by far the largest. It was about the same size as Pearl Harbour and had the same Jaapanese commander. 

Church of the Sacred Heart

Finally we were taken to the Museum which had the history of the island. There was another art shop on the way back to the boat but I gave it a miss.

 

Entrance to the Tiwi Island Museum

Once we got back to Darwin, I went straight to the Boat Club for dinner and another spectacular sunset and to celebrate my 70th Birthday.  I talked to Morag, Catherine and Lachlan while sinking a few pints of Peroni,  my favourite draft beer..

Happy Birthday to Me!