Ayr and Airlie

Saturday 8 December (Ayr)

 

It sure felt good to be back! Up at 6am, just like my old routine, and out for a walk through the streets of Ayr, while all was still and quiet - apart from the magpies in Queen Street who sang delightfully for me as I marched past, on my way down to Plantation Park.

At 8am I jumped in the car and headed down to Airlie Beach to join the board members for a meeting with WWF about turtle tagging and gearing up to train their own rangers and a few other items. We ran through the WWF strategic plan and identified a number of initiatives that Gudjuda was interested in collaborating on. There are so many opportunities ahead for these people - it's a very exciting time!

And for any of you worried about me working on a Saturday, here's some pics of me with the Uncles and Aunties 'working' ...



L to R: Eddie (Chairperson), me, John (Business Manager)

 

With the turquoise of the Whitsundays behind us, you can imagine it was hard to concentrate so we had to have quite a few breaks!

L to R: Renarta (language/culture), me, Dorothy (Board Member)
My original 'deadly Aunties'!

 

 

 

And of course once everyone knoew we were in Airlie for the day, we had extra visitors so I got to meet yet another of Dorrie and Eddie's brothers - Greg. We rounded out the meeting with a drink at the tavern down the road, so we could catch up for a couple more hours. I was simply procrastinating as I didn't want to leave.

So, just as I was settling in to the lifestyle I loved so much and picking up conversations where they were left off only seven months ago, it was time to head back to Ayr. I hugged and kissed everyone at least twice and finally jumped back into the car for the 2-hour drive home. Note to self - don't ever, ever, ever pass up a chance to stay in the Whitsunday's overnight again!!

The drive home was fabulous - the sun was seting a brilliant peachy-red and then the brightest of stars came out to replace him and guide me home. I drove alongside a freight train for a while which was oddly comforting and then I turned off the air con and stuck my arm out the window to feel the warm night air pushing my hand back. I only put the window up about 10 minutes later, when a great, big bug slammed on the front window and I began thinking about what I might have been inadvertently letting in - gulp! I spent the trip changing channels on the radio - from jazz, to interviews with talented people including an indigenous musician who explained the difference between an aborginal and a non-indigenous sense of being in sync with the earth as that white man might write a song called 'sunset dreaming' but he would write a song called 'sunset feeling'. Then I heard a review of a theatre production called 'Beautiful One Day' which turned out to be a documentary style production, with one of three stories based on Auntie Renarta's father and the story of his life and the terrifying events he was subjected to on Palm Island - how amazing was that for a small world?!

OK, so once back in familiar Ayr, I took a quick detour to check out a few more Christmas lights and then drove home to Ray for  warm welcome and a quick cuppa before bed. Aaaah - so nice to have been surrounded by people who just love to be happy because it feels good! I really am one of the luckiest people, ever! 

Return to Ayr

Friday 7 December (Ayr)

How lucky am I that these wonderful people keep inviting me back!

 

Friday was the official launch of the yet-to-be named cafe and while I couldn't get a flight in early enough to attend the event, I arrived in the early afternoon to catch up with most of the board members and to find out just how well it all went.

 

Funnily enough, the launch was about launching the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and to introduce the cafe to all the people who had participated in its creation, but the cafe doesn't actually 'open to the public' until February! Not exactly what I was expecting, but might be another excuse to get up here early next year!

 

Anyway, the kitchen of the cafe is now fully kitted out and looks fantastic. The walls alone cost $6k as they needed to be stainless steel. The hand washing sink comes with a kickboard, or should I say 'hipboard' because it's at hip height, which just needs a tap and the water rushes out, avoiding the need to turn on a tap. Everything is sparkly and new and I can imagine the local chefs will be enviously watching on as it starts operating!

 

Apparently the food and event went really well and the RAP was a hit (well, it helped them to get a $500k grant to set up their next venture, so was something useful out of my time there!) and only a handful of spelling errors noted, so version 2 will be produced sometime in the new year!

 

Spent the late afternoon with my mate Ray and a cuppa and caught up on the goings on of the motel, staff and guests.

 

Ended the evening with a wander down the road to check out the most amazing Christmas Lights ever - they change in time to the music!! Of course, Steve will want a set of these amazing American lights for himself when I show him the clips on my phone!! Please don't tell him anyone?! :)