I S L A N D   P A R A D I S E 

this is policeman's beach - we went there by boat on sunday 

we had a fire under the paper bark trees that grow

right on the edge on the sand

did some exploring and some swimming 

this is a very beautiful place

after lunch we boated up the river at Duliwuy Bay

 and into some mangroves

we tried some fishing

Sailor caught seaweed

photos of recent 

 friday night disco dance moves

super heroes

last weekend was the primary school fete and 

we entered all the competitions

Iggy was SO excited - so much cake ! with lollies !

Sailor got 1st prize in the Kite Making competition

( which didn't actually fly but was the best to look at and home made )

He won the Up Up and Away in the Paper Plane competition ...

2nd in the scones ...

( these with the help of his wing man Liyawulumu btw

and possibly a bit from his mum )

I got a prize for my chocolate cake !

 ha !

sailor getting one of his prizes  (!)

kade also spent the best part of a weekend building the kids

a cubby house in the branches of a tipped over tree

they like it ... 

In the midst of Kate and Don's visit we had the ceremonial opening of the Seven Sisters at the art centre. The 8 large etchings were made last October in a week workshop held at Buku with Basil Hall. ( I posted about it back in October )  Tragically the lovely G.Yunupingu passed away before she got to see her print finished.  The prints had already been shown at the Darwin Festival in the Gan'yu Gallery but we had the framed works sent back to us to coincide with the Garma Festival. So a busload of attendees could have a sort of Gapan Gallery experience.  The sisters and the other great old dames got together on the steps and keened the seven stars to open the exhibition.  It was a bittersweet event in regards to the loss of their sister but the prints looked amazing at least and the centre alive with people at night  - mostly with the kids who come to see East Journey play in the auditorium ...

the ceremony on the steps

 Dhalmula and her girl posse with me in the gallery

 iggy helping with the photographing

word

 family shot

East Journey playing their acoustic gig in the auditorium

we had the lovely Kate and Donald to stay  ...! 

Donald caught some fish

we took them to our island on the boat

sailor drove

a baby kanga came to visit

lunch on the deck

Donald with Sailor and Liyawulumu

they got to go hunt some honey

we went to Goanna Lagoon for a late swim and dinner on the fire

Kate did an animation workshop for the kids from the school with a makeshift animation machine than Donald made ( ... they are so clever ... )

 beach

Don and the dogs

and on their last day we went to Duliwuy Bay for some 

damper, tea and fishing and a swim at Turtle Beach

with Nonggirrnga and her hand line

Don with a spear

picnic

boys with pink nets

me casting off (badly)

swim

tea

damper making

damper eating

oyster collecting

( thanks to Kate for her photos x)