Minyumai, Jubul, Billajee

Hello everyone! I am back. But I have no pictures to add here because we were not allowed to bring our watches, cell phones, cameras, anything like that... on the camping trip. But it was absolutely incredible-- easily one of the best parts of the trip so far. We started out Monday morning from Lismore, where Margaret dropped me off back at the park she had picked me up at 2 weeks before. The last week with her was great- we went to a 'bush dance' (bush means anywhere outside of the towns), to Nimbin, and out to eat at a 'vegetarian ashram' called 20,000 Cows. I also went to my friend Laura's birthday dinner at her homestay family's house, which was complete with a raising of the American flag. I also had my Roosvelt Fellows interview one of those mornings at 7am....after 3 times of trying to connect with them.

But anyway! Monday morning we started the drive southeast to the Evan's Head area, and we camped on Aborginal land called 'Minyumai' which is a part of the lands of the Bundjalung nation. We camped with Doug, an Aboriginal who was the traditional owner of the land, and also Russell, who is an Aborigine from southern Queensland. In the traditional Aborginal way, we had no schedule or structure to the trip, but rather took our time and did things when and as we felt like it. It was so refreshing and calming and the way it should be, to all sit around the campfire, talking, hanging out, hearing stories, drinking tea and go on walks and hikes and swims when it was time--rather than making it for 8am, or whatever it usually is. I'm pretty sure I was indigenous in a past life.

One afternoon Russell gave us all boomerangs, and we sat around sanding and painting them for awhile, got lessons on how to throw them, as well as how to throw spears, and how to make bread in the fire. At night we would sit around the fire with the Milky Way band overhead, hearing Dreamtime stories from Russell and Doug. It is incredible to see and hear about Australia from them-- not the 200 year old white Western Australia we see, but the ancient Aboriginal Australia, the oldest and most intact and undisturbed indigenous culture and thought-system on the planet. This is their land, their country, it is their religion, there is nothing more to them and their people than their relationship to the land and to each other. The Aboriginal culture has survived tens of thousands of years without agriculture, without government, without structures or buildings because of their logic on the fundamental-ness of strong relationships, on their Dreamtime stories, on social harmony, on laughter, on not knowing the time, on no-hierarchy, on isolation, on living in total dependence and total harmony with their land that they believe they belong to. The Aborginal culture does not have any math or even numbers really-- they have 1,2,3 and then a number for 'more than 3' and 'a mob of people'. The rest of everything is described in terms of kinship relationships. All thought is based on relationships, there is nothing else.

On our short trip, we did a number of really great things in very beautiful places. We went to Black Rock Beach and swam in Jerusalem Creek, and Wednesday we left Minyumai and drove to an area called Jubul, where we camped near (and swam in) the Clarence River. It was the most beautiful place, and some elders from the Aborginal community in the area came and spoke with us, told stories, and we cooked dinner and sat around the campfire, again under the stars. This morning we packed up that camp and drove past Tabulum to a small Aboriginal community and visited a very tiny school-- only 11 kids. We played with them, and then they performed for us-- sang some songs, played instruments and......did the Cha-cha slide. Exactly what we expected to happen. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon driving back to Byron through Casino and Lismore.

And now we are back in our apartments in Byron! It was great to shower and soon it will be great to sleep in a bed. We have plenty to keep us busy this weekend between school work and trying to figure out more about our ISPs, and before we know it, it will be Monday morning when we leave for our next and last group camping trip to Cooloola which is north of here and part of Great Sandy National Park. Next week is April! I cannot believe it. But here are a few random pictures from the last week or so, before the trip: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2073406&id=9803563&l=34c0df7630

Hope everyone is doing well and talk to you soon! Happy birthday Abba!