A number of St Clare’s students and staff recently had the privilege of participating in the 2022 Red Earth Immersion Trip to Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory.
Students documented their adventure with a daily diary, as follows, with a selection of photos highlighting their experience at the end.
0. Arrival and night one
After a few flight delays the group arrived safely in Darwin. They spent their 1st night at Adelaide River before heading off early for their 1st homeland of Begedi this morning. A quick lunch stop in Katherine and they are now on the long dirt road to Bulman and beyond. More to follow in the next few days…
1. Day One
The build up for the departing day finally arrived, we all met at Sydney Airport at 4:30am. We persisted through the fatigue, enabling excitement to fill us with adrenaline. News spread of a cancelled flight, which was thankfully worked out. Many eyes began to shut as the plane took off, overwhelmed with the events of the day so far and in need of a little more rest before the events commenced.
We arrived in Brisbane around 10:15am, had some snacks and jumped onto the next flight at 10:50am to take us to Darwin. When we arrived we met Josh and Nicole (our group leaders from Red Earth) and were immediately greeted with great heat.
We didn’t get to experience the croc tour as we arrived late because of the delay on the flight, but we had lots of fun on the bus.
We arrived at Adelaide River and got taught how to set up the tents that we will be using. After all the tents were set up we jumped in the showers, which was better than what we all had expected, while the cooking girls made us some delicious burgers.
We sat at the campsite and ate our burgers and talked about how we were all feeling about what we were about to experience.
After the long day of homesickness, lack of sleep and sitting down we all went to sleep very early.
_Tilly, Ella, Lucia, Imogen, Giah
2. Day Two
This morning was a 6:00am wake-up, with breakfast and pack-up done by 8:00 am, ready to get on the road. After stretching and being relieved we didn’t have a 3:30 am wake-up like yesterday we filed onto the bus (more like a truck from the hunger games) ready for the 8hr drive ahead. Through endless rounds of karaoke, he’s a ten, kiss, marry, kill and what’s your middle name? We can safely say the ice was officially broken. We made new friendships on the bus, cementing the feelings of comfort, familiarity and fun that we’re hoping will last beyond the trip.
After a few hours, having long passed Katherine and our lunch stop we took an afternoon break at a lookout. Serenity was definitely the feeling across the board, with it finally sinking in that we were on immersion, ready and anticipating the new journeys and opportunities that were about to be offered. After staying here a while and learning exactly how to go to the toilet in the bush (without everyone seeing it), we got back into the welcoming and refreshing aircon waiting for us on the bus. A few more hours passed by quietly on the bus, everyone sleeping and reading before we reached our first homeland. Bigedi.
Upon reaching Bigedi (the first homeland) we packed our stuff out of the trailer and bus ready to set up quickly so we could go over to our first welcome to country ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, we were definitely a bit nervous yet excited and ready to be properly welcomed. The ceremony was a smoking ceremony. Leaves were placed on the fire creating smoke which was then placed over our heads. The ceremony cleansed and cleaned us. The ceremony also is intended to bring us safety on our journeys.
Overall today was a tornado of feelings and after having dinner and reflecting on our experience today we are starting to appreciate the culture that we are being immersed in.
_ Jessie, Jenny, Lucy, Ebony, Liv
3. Day Three
Day 3 brought a nice change of pace with the wake-up call at 7:30. With no travel in store for the day, we were set to spend time getting to know the Bigedi site we were staying on and the locals nearby.
To fuel up, we started with an Eastern suburbs delicacy: avocado and feta on toast with a zesty twist of lemon. From there, we sat down with the traditional owners.
The first session, run by Wanita and Dianthea, involved learning about bush food and medicine using the natural resources available on the land. We were able to try a eucalyptus tea intended to remedy colds, flu and gastro. It tasted like black tea and will hopefully help us deal with the heat. This was followed by an opportunity to learn about crafts and tools, with elders Kirsten and Patty and their grandsons. We were in awe of Kirsten’s weaving skills and can’t wait to give it a go tomorrow. We were also impressed by their openness to share their experiences as Indigenous Australians, and the hardships they endured over generations.
We broke for a classic ham sandwich feed, followed by a much-needed midday break which a majority of the group spent catching up on lost sleep. The few remaining non-nappers were treated to a spear throwing masterclass from Tyrone (to varying degrees of success) and as the rest of the group slowly emerged from their tents, we got the chance to kick a footy with some local kids.
After this, we all chucked on our swimmers and headed down to the river to hunt for some freshwater mussels. The water was cold but our spirits were high as we collected buckets of mussels to cook up for lunch tomorrow.
Following nightfall, we were treated to an exclusive firework show, courtesy of the local kids, before sitting around the fire and hearing some Dreamtime stories from the community elders.
Overall, an exciting and culturally enriching day that truly did end with a bang!
– Neena, Claudia, Lara, Ava and Chloe
4. Day Four
Our third day in Begeti began with a freezing start in our tents. We set off on exploring the surroundings of the community and learning so much from the traditional owners about living in Bigedi.
After breakfast, we headed off for a walking tour with the traditional owners around the land surrounding the community. The traditional owners on the walk shared their stories of family past and present who have inhabited the nearby land, and with guidance from the owners plus 5-year-old Mary’s extra entertainment. After we got back from the walk, we learned how to weave and dry pandanus plants, using natural dye from roots and boiling the plant with the dye to create a beautiful orange. We then hung them up to dry and began to weave bracelets and skirts, and spoke to Kirsten – one of the traditional owners – about her experience with weaving. As this was happening, Duncan introduced us to Spikey the crocodile (named by Tyrone).
Following the painting and weaving, the traditional owners treated us to a lunch of damper, kangaroo tail, and the freshwater mussels we had collected. It was such a delicious lunch and to have the opportunity to taste food from Bigedi is certainly a highlight of the trip. After dinner, we got to watch some of the traditional owners dance, and we had the opportunity to experience dancing with them. Listening to indigenous music was an absolutely amazing experience, and it’s safe to say that the dancing of the traditional owners was a big part of our trip that will stay with us. The traditional owners then invited us to dance with them in a dance circle, which was so much fun to get involved in and experience with the traditional owners themselves.
Overall, our fourth day of immersion was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, and being able to understand and gain insight into the cultural practices and natural surroundings of Bigedi was such a great opportunity for the entire group.
– Tara, Tilly, Steph, Rylee, Breanna
5. Day Five
Our trip has been very relaxing. Today consisted of receiving our skin names, playing with the local kids, going to the river and a lot of dancing.
In the morning we woke up absolutely freezing, had some breakfast and went over to the traditional owners who taught us all about skin names and their importance. We all picked our own names and learnt what our partners, children and extended families’ skin names would be. This made us feel very honoured and blessed by the traditional owners. Usually, skin names were given to people who stayed 2-3 years on their land. Because skin names are so important to them, this made us feel so welcome in their home, and for that, we were so grateful.
We came back to camp, had some delicious chicken wraps, and afterwards played with the local kids. We play games such as chasie, marks up, tips and the little girls enjoy being swung around. In doing this we felt a deeper connection with the local children and formed bonds that will last a lifetime.
After a play with the kids, the older boys took us back down to the river where a few of us went for a swim or dipped our feet in. This was so fun as we were immersed in nature and were able to spend some time relaxing with our friends.
It was here when we reflected on our trip so far. We spoke about how we are bringing our knowledge of the land back to Sydney, what we think about the trip so far, and much more.
When we came back from the river a dance routine needed to be choreographed for the dance show we had on later that night. Ms Thompson helped us choreograph a dance to ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’ by Harry Styles.
We had some dinner and then headed over to the locals, gathering around the fire. We were first up to dance. They liked it so much, so we had to perform it three times. After our turn, all the kids did a dance and Josh (our Red Earth team leader) joined in a traditional dance with Demetrius and Deshawn. His dance moves surprised us all.
Watching Demetrius and Deshawn dance, it was clear to see how important dance is to their culture which was something we were grateful to experience and be able to become a part of.
After a lot of dancing, we headed back to our tents where we went to bed very quickly as the next day we had to wake up early to head to our next community, Barrapunta.
6. Day Six
We had a nice early wake up this morning ready to pack up and say goodbye to Bigedi. It was an emotional time saying goodbye to the place we’d called home for the last couple of days and the new friends we’d made.
We felt honoured to have learnt from the people and be embraced into their culture. The long ride ahead was used to reflect on our journey so far and what we were able to take away from our experience in Bigedi.
Upon arrival in Barrapunta we felt a sense of tranquillity being in a new place. The lack of people was unexpected but allowed us to spend some time connecting with our friends and wind down after a couple of hectic days.
We are excited for the days ahead in Barrapunta and can’t wait to learn more about the culture and new people in this area.
– Liv, Jenny, Jessie, Ebs, Lucy
7. Day Seven
We awoke in the beautifully quiet Barapunta homeland. The smell of French toast roasting on the open campfire drew us from our tents like moths to a flame. Wild buffalo roamed the perimeter of our campsite as we prepared for the welcome-to-country ceremony. We met the traditional owners of Barapunta; Alfred, Anne, and Julie, who welcomed us onto the land to keep us safe and healthy during our stay. We were blessed with water from the natural springs and cleansed with smoke from local foliage.
We then went for a mid-morning walk around country to hunt for red and yellow natural dye for our pandanus weaving. After learning how to identify the plant roots, we got to work excavating. We then had the luxury of a post-lunch relaxation, with a few rounds of mafia, and a couple of naps here and there.
We were then split into two groups with one heading down to the (supposedly croc-free) natural swimming hole. It was as warm as a bath but getting in and out was a struggle with many falls and lost Crocs. The other group spent time with Anne and Julie foraging for pandanus leaves for weaving. We then alternated to share the fun.
After a lovely dinner, we were lucky enough to hear some stories from Alfred around the campfire. These stories included those about his life, family and traditional Dreaming stories. We were even treated to some warm hot chocolates and roasted marshmallows before heading to bed to get a night of much-needed sleep.
– Chloe, Lara, Neena, Claudia and Ava
8. Day 8
Our last day in Barapunta began with delicious pancakes made by some of the girls. It was a lovely start to a busy morning, and a great way to get ready for our community project. Our community project for the Barapunta homeland was to create a pathway throughout some of the bushland, all the way to the spring. We gathered small rocks, and large rocks and began to rake and shovel them onto the path. It was definitely a rocky start (no pun intended) as we struggled to gather rocks from the incredibly muddy ground, but we eventually started making a lot of progress. As a group, we’re really hoping that the path will help visitors and the traditional owners to access the bushland easily and safely. We felt grateful for giving back to a community that has given so much to us for the last few days. We all appreciated the opportunity to help maintain the land of the traditional owners, especially for future visitors to Barapunta.
After the community project finished, a lot of us took a break to have a nap and just some relaxation time to cool down after the hot morning. We then took our towels, journals and books down to the spring and some of us had a quick swim in the warm (but muddy) spring. It was such a nice time to chat, swim, and take some time out from the sun and in the shade of the spring.
Anne then sat with us for dinner, where she told us stories of her childhood and life living near and in Barapunta. She then said goodbye to us, and a lot of us got teary as we thought about how welcome and supported we were in Barapunta.
Overall, our last day in Barapunta was a really fulfilling day, and while it was at times tiring because of the community project, it was really rewarding. We are so grateful for being able to stay in a homeland as welcoming as Barapunta, and are so lucky to have Alfred, Anne and Julie guiding and supporting us throughout our stay.
– Rylee, Bree, Tara, Steph and Tilly
9. Day Nine
Wake up was around 5:00, so we could be on the road by 6:30. It was freezing and way too early but we all got to watch the sunrise as we drove out of Barrapunta which was such a special moment to share together.
We spent the first few hours of our journey to Katherine on a super bumpy dirt road. Every time the bus went over a bump all of us went flying. At the time it was quite frustrating but looking back it was very funny and definitely a core memory from our trip. Once we hit the sealed highway the music came on and the singing began as per usual. A very short six hours later, we arrived at our final campsite.
Almost straight away we headed to the water to start our tour. We hopped on the boat and the driver talked us through the history of the river and country. It was an amazing experience that we’re sure we’ll never forget. It was so beautiful and we saw so many freshwater crocodiles lounging around. In between the two separate gorges we got to walk along the coast of the rocks, allowing us all to immerse ourselves in the beauty of Nitmiluk.
Following the tour, we all were very excited to spend some of our “souvenir money” on some snacks at the campsite reception. We came back to our area and relaxed while eating some delicious food. We set up camp and went for a swim in the pool, which felt like such a luxury after spending the last 10 days swimming in freshwater creeks and springs. We had HOT showers which we were all beyond grateful for and then ate our last dinner as a group.
We finished the night off with a reflection which was really nice and wholesome. We talked about some of our favourite times here in Arnhem Land and bonded over all the memories we created and shared together.
We are all so grateful for the opportunities here in NT and cannot wait to get back and share all our experiences with our family and friends!
– Ella, Imogen, Lucia, Tilly, Giah
