Saturday 26 August 2017

Spirit Journey: Learning to Listen


Being on country and listening to land are practices that have become increasingly meaningful to us in recent years. We feel called to this, but how do whitefellas like us learn this new way of being? The whole notion can sound pretty foreign when we've been taught, at worst, that land is something to possess and exploit or, at best, something to be admired but still more or less background to our anthropocentric drama.


We've been helped in our understanding and practice by spending time immersed in the ancient land at the heart of Australia, in conversation with others at the two 'Edge of the Sacred' gatherings hosted by Keith Castle and Stella Hayes. These gatherings, held at 'Whitegums' west of Alice Springs, have brought us into contact with elders from the Arrernte community, amazing people like MK Turner, Rex Granites, and Mallie and John Cavanagh. From them we glimpse the possibility of relating to country as 'kin', and ourselves as belonging differently.


This year, we were privileged to deepen our encounter on a five day 'spirit journey' hosted by Alice Springs Uniting Church, led by Stella and Keith and ably organised by Emily Hayes.  
As part of this experience eleven of us from all parts went bush with John Cavanagh - 'Anyame'. 

We camped in dry river beds and beside deep red sand dunes; we slept under the stars in swags.
John is from rain-dreaming country east of Alice. His land stretches along the edge of the east MacDonnell range and into the Simpson desert, it includes places like Ruby Gap and Arltunga. As we travelled, John shared stories of his life and some of his song lines - Wallaby dreaming, Caterpillar dreaming and Emu dreaming.

Here's the emu's nest.

 And here are the two chicks running away from the dingo that attacked old man emu. 

'Natural aboriginal art', John called it, and it's not hard to see why.

On the edge of the Simpson, John led us to water... in the rock, 'Moses Rock'!

Silhouetted against
cloudless blue, Moses
struck rock and water flowed.

Anyame picking bush medicine.


'We don't own the land', John says, 'the land owns us'.

Much of John's country is now leased by pastoralists who run cattle and he worries that some are over grazing the land, threatening its fragile ecology. 

The play of light and shadow creates an ever-changing landscape and makes for great photos.

Ruby Gap - no rain for seven months and still plenty of water.


One of the things we're recognising is that formation in this new way of being does not happen all at once. The land is old and indigenous Australians have belonged here for millennia, their knowledge is passed on when the time is right and the student ready. To know and be known is a journey of discovery that cannot be rushed.

Meanwhile,
sharing stories around the campfire,
being present and patient,
we learn to listen. . . 

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Eucalyptus dreaming

From the smooth white trunked ghost gums perched on rugged hillsides and out on the plains to the gnarly old red gums standing proud and strong in the sandy creek beds that criss cross this ancient, land the eucalypts in central Australia are stunning. Their size, shape, resilience and colour are something to behold. Here are a few that welcomed us in Arrernte country.









A truly grand old dame - she told a rich story. A small car would fit in the hollow of her trunk.



Many of the river red gums are hollow in sections - makes for some good homes for local fauna.

This is out towards the edge of the Simpson desert. Not much water here.


Tuesday 8 August 2017

Larapinta

The Larapinta trail winds through the MacDonnell ranges west of Alice Springs, some of the oldest land on the planet. It is a wonderful lonely track and recently Sarah and I got to walk a stage together with our friends Keith Castle and John French.

We walked from Standley Chasm to Jay Creek traversing some truly majestic country.
A tenacious ghost gum.

Looking out on the plains.
The red of the rocks is amazing in some places.
More climbing ahead.

Beautiful flowers can be found in this harsh and dry landscape.
 Not to mention amazing and rugged rock formations.
It's not hard to see why so much Aboriginal art is painted with dots when you are out in this country.
The fish hole.


The boys.