It has been a while folks!
Lots has happened.
No I didn’t win the lotto, find the man of my dreams or move out of my parents home.
I did however;
Travel to West Arnhem Land, Northern Territory (pretty much the remote outback) for a month, completing my last teaching prac in a small Aboriginal community. I did this by choice and everyone asked me how my experience was (except my yiayia/grandma, who was pretty much happy to see I survived). I can not even start to explain how much of an amazing time I had in the outback, immersing myself as much as I possibly could, as an outsider, into the communities life and culture. It is truly one of those things that, if you live in a country where you can go and volunteer your time to help the native owners of the land – JUST DO IT! (no Nike promo here – I promise!).
I got a genuine understanding of how a child’s circumstances effects their schooling life, in the classroom and playground. You also grow lots and lots…and lots of patience.
It is such an eye opener and it enriched my life in so many ways. I cannot even begin to explain how. Going to teach in a remote community is something that I will definitely do for a few years, sometime in the future.
Speaking of teaching:
I FINISHED UNIVERSITY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am now a qualified teacher and have to wait until April to have my graduating ceremony – BOO!
I also got a full time job straight after uni, which is AWESOME!!!!!!! Not only because it is a job in a career I am passionate about, but because I no longer have to work in retail or on weekends. THE JOY!!!
Here are a few photos of my time in the outback. P.S. There is a river were we lived called the East Alligator River (Alligator because the bloke who named it was American and thought the crocs were alligators) and one day we crossed it there was about 8 MASSIVE crocs in the river!!!
Climbing Injalak – A big rock in the community I was staying in that is well known for its rock art.
Long Neck Turtle – Some rock art from our guided climb. Our tour guide was a local Aboriginal man who had such vast knowledge about the community, the art and the rock we were on. Such a beautiful day.
I am pretty sure this is a Barramundi fish.
How well-preserved are these very old rock art?!
AMAZING
Just taking in all the beauty, created from quite possibly, centuries ago. I was in awe!
Up top of Injalak (This is slightly zoomed in and the colouring isn’t the best – It was so bright and sunny that day I couldn’t get the right setting).
The community you can see is the community that we lived in for a month. Now imagine everything around the community in the picture completely submerged in water – That’s what it looks like in the wet season – HARD TO IMAGINE!
