I saw the great barrier reef, fam
I lost my flair for this, for a week, but rest assured I was living it up in old hope vale.
back in cairns now and I miss that simple life. hope vale is lovely, if it had a bowlo (and maybe if you could swim in the ocean) I could live there forever on the beautiful elim beach (but, ya know, crocs, mate).
so. what now eh?
I have spent a busy weekend in cairns - totally overstimulated by the colours, the cars, and all these people - and I got to see the REEF (you jelly?) and eat out for dinner (and stay out at night) and even drink wine!
and now, only now, I realise how lucky I have been to experience hope vale. to live in that community and work beside the locals, drink their coffee and eat their hot chips. there is a spirit and an energy there, something cheeky in their smiles and their stories, and a beauty in that land, all like nothing I have ever experienced. to have heard those stories, brought about those smiles and put chicken salt on those hot chips together, are all memories that are so dear and so crisp right now.
and that was why I was meant to come up here, to see how I can fair in a tough situation, with a tricky project, and nothing but my charming personality to pull it off (I'd wink here if you were in my living room rn). I was told today that the measure of my success so far is that noel pearson didn't have to step in over the weekend. PHEW!
I would do this again. really, I would. we all need to work more closely with our aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples. to be witness to their calm, eloquent and humble manner, their laughs, and their approach to life is so rewarding and I miss that space already. so much to learn, you dig?
also, we saw the cutest turtle on the reef.