This week we had assembly at school and they played the national anthem and it was the best rendition of "Advance Australia Fair "i have ever heard as it has an intro that is with the Didgeridoo and it plays in the background throughout the whole song. It was quite haunting but beautiful and almost brought a tear to my eyes.
School life is quite different on the other side of the fence as all the teachers do so much work and often on their own time to make things great for the kids.
Their always trying to come up with innovative ideas to engage the kids and to make it as interesting as possible.
There are always lots of courses and meetings and lots of feel good stuff and i am currently doing my Cert 3 which I'm given time each Thursday afternoon to work on.
Sean and i have been approached by The justice department to act as mentors for some of the children that come across their books and that are in danger of becoming offenders and as it is a new program we are the very first mentors in the state of WA which i think is a real honour.
Sean started on Saturday with his first boy to mentor and it involves taking them out different places and doing things with them and hopefully imparting some of our ways and wisdom upon them.
I start in about a weeks time with a 13 year old girl and i can't wait as i would like to spend time showing her how to do her nails and about grooming and hygiene etc as there is no one to show these children that sort of thing.We also want to take them for weekends away which we can all do together which should be fun.
I think the only drawback will be sending these kids home at the end of the day as some of the homes they are from are horrifying,I think i will end up wanting to take them all home.
Hopefully we can make a difference to their lives and make there worlds a little better as the children are so gorgeous.............
Monday, 3 September 2012
Monday, 27 August 2012
Fitzroy Crossing.....A guided tour
IGA and Post Office
Finally got around to taking some photos of Fitzroy Crossing's main landmarks as you can see everything is quite new.
Broome......The big smoke.............
Its been a busy time here in Fitzroy Crossing now that I'm working and there is so much to do here that the time just flies.
Two weeks ago Sean had to go to Broome for a course so i drove up on the weekend to join him and how exciting it was to be in a big city with heaps of shops so we made the most of it and stocked up on things we can't get in Fitzroy Crossing.
Seans work put him up at the "Mercure"Hotel which was really nice and Meg stayed in the kennels at the local vets.
We went down to Cable Beach one night to have dinner and got there just as the camels were heading off on there sunset ride which was a beautiful sight.
It was a great weekend and nice to have a change of scenery and to see the coast again.
Sean at Cable Beach
Camels Cable Beach
Two weeks ago Sean had to go to Broome for a course so i drove up on the weekend to join him and how exciting it was to be in a big city with heaps of shops so we made the most of it and stocked up on things we can't get in Fitzroy Crossing.
Seans work put him up at the "Mercure"Hotel which was really nice and Meg stayed in the kennels at the local vets.
We went down to Cable Beach one night to have dinner and got there just as the camels were heading off on there sunset ride which was a beautiful sight.
It was a great weekend and nice to have a change of scenery and to see the coast again.
Saturday, 4 August 2012
Fitzroy Crossing ..........School sports
This week was a busy one and on Friday it was school sports day and wow what a day for many reasons.
One it was a really hot 31 degrees and so after standing up the whole day organising the kids for their events i was exhausted but it was also an exciting day as boy can some of those kids run.I felt like i was watching lots of potential Cathy Freeman's in the making.
The kids had a really good day and it all went smoothly so when we were finally done all us teachers met in the staff room for drinks and nibbles which was a really nice way to end the week and gave me time to recoup for my 3km walk home.
When i woke up yesterday i felt as if i had been hit by a truck so we have had a very lazy weekend recovering.
Yesterday we went for a walk across the other side of the river to a sandy area where we had a swim and sun bake which was very relaxing and a nice way to cool off as it was hot again yesterday,The locals say winters now over and it will get progressively hotter over the next few weeks up to 45 degrees.
Sean also finished the gate and i painted the salon name on a piece of wood we found which we've hung above the gate so its looking a little like Gilligans island but very practical.when i get a chance i will take photos and post them.
Were off now to have a paddle on the river............
One it was a really hot 31 degrees and so after standing up the whole day organising the kids for their events i was exhausted but it was also an exciting day as boy can some of those kids run.I felt like i was watching lots of potential Cathy Freeman's in the making.
The kids had a really good day and it all went smoothly so when we were finally done all us teachers met in the staff room for drinks and nibbles which was a really nice way to end the week and gave me time to recoup for my 3km walk home.
When i woke up yesterday i felt as if i had been hit by a truck so we have had a very lazy weekend recovering.
Yesterday we went for a walk across the other side of the river to a sandy area where we had a swim and sun bake which was very relaxing and a nice way to cool off as it was hot again yesterday,The locals say winters now over and it will get progressively hotter over the next few weeks up to 45 degrees.
Sean also finished the gate and i painted the salon name on a piece of wood we found which we've hung above the gate so its looking a little like Gilligans island but very practical.when i get a chance i will take photos and post them.
Were off now to have a paddle on the river............
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Fitzroy Crossing.........Crocodile hunter?
Last weekend Sean and i were paddling in the river on a kayak when we noticed a dead crocodile in a tree branch so we stopped and pulled it out of the tree. It had swallowed fishing line and then must have then rolled because it was all tangled around it.
It was only a small one about 3.5 m long but i still wouldn't want to be close to it if it was alive.
We grabbed the head as we thought it would be great to clean it up and keep it as a souvenir.
Most of the crocodiles around here are fresh water ones which I'm told are not aggressive and won't attack like the salt water ones.I think i would rather never be in a position to find out.
I will take some photos once its been cleaned up.
The rest of the week has gone so fast as we've been to a bbq,out to dinner for a friends birthday and my hairdressing business is going really well so life is very busy indeed.............
It was only a small one about 3.5 m long but i still wouldn't want to be close to it if it was alive.
We grabbed the head as we thought it would be great to clean it up and keep it as a souvenir.
Most of the crocodiles around here are fresh water ones which I'm told are not aggressive and won't attack like the salt water ones.I think i would rather never be in a position to find out.
I will take some photos once its been cleaned up.
The rest of the week has gone so fast as we've been to a bbq,out to dinner for a friends birthday and my hairdressing business is going really well so life is very busy indeed.............
Fitzroy Crossing.........School days
I started my job at the school this week and apart from the fact I'm really tired i had a ball.
I am working in a class of grade one and Two's and they are so cute.I want to take a couple home and put them on my mantlepiece.
The school is only a couple of years old and has really good facilities, each of the class rooms has a kitchen attached and any of the children who don't get fed at home can come in and have breakfast.
Some of the kids come from communities an hour away so don't usually eat before they leave home and sadly some have parents that don't care whether they have been fed or not.
A lot of the children have special needs or behavioural problems usually associated with Foetal alcohol poisoning,its so sad.Some of them come from very bad homes where they aren't cleaned or fed properly and are undernourished.
If this is the case Centerlink has the power to take money out of there dole payments to pay for there lunch at school which is a hot lunch and cold drink.
Some of them quite often come in with ulcers and boils all over them which we patch up and a lot have runny noses (Hence i have a cold and its only my first week)
The kids are always coming up and giving you a cuddle or sit on your knee while your reading to them and even though they have runny noses and one little girl was absolutely covered in nits theres no way you would ever turn them away as some get little or no affection at home so i think i will have to invest in some nit treatment as a preventative.
On Friday it was school photo day and I'm hoping i can get permission to post mine with the class on my blog so you can see how gorgeous they are.
The teachers are also really lovely so i think I'm going to enjoy my time at school for the first time in my life.......Who would had thought.............
I am working in a class of grade one and Two's and they are so cute.I want to take a couple home and put them on my mantlepiece.
The school is only a couple of years old and has really good facilities, each of the class rooms has a kitchen attached and any of the children who don't get fed at home can come in and have breakfast.
Some of the kids come from communities an hour away so don't usually eat before they leave home and sadly some have parents that don't care whether they have been fed or not.
A lot of the children have special needs or behavioural problems usually associated with Foetal alcohol poisoning,its so sad.Some of them come from very bad homes where they aren't cleaned or fed properly and are undernourished.
If this is the case Centerlink has the power to take money out of there dole payments to pay for there lunch at school which is a hot lunch and cold drink.
Some of them quite often come in with ulcers and boils all over them which we patch up and a lot have runny noses (Hence i have a cold and its only my first week)
The kids are always coming up and giving you a cuddle or sit on your knee while your reading to them and even though they have runny noses and one little girl was absolutely covered in nits theres no way you would ever turn them away as some get little or no affection at home so i think i will have to invest in some nit treatment as a preventative.
On Friday it was school photo day and I'm hoping i can get permission to post mine with the class on my blog so you can see how gorgeous they are.
The teachers are also really lovely so i think I'm going to enjoy my time at school for the first time in my life.......Who would had thought.............
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Fitzroy Crossing........Guided Tour
This is the view of the River from the Inn.Not a bad backyard?
We spent most of Sunday afternoon here just hanging out.
Above are some photos of the Fitzroy Inn and surrounds where I'm staying.
I will take some photos of the town for the next post.....How exciting!
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Fitzroy Crossing......Who would have thought
Now! the plan was to just spend a night or two in Fitzroy crossing as i was heading to Darwin and from there planning a trip to Bali....well that was until......
I was told the best place to stay in Fitzroy crossing was at The Lodge so after stopping in town (AN IGA and PO) i head out of town to the lodge. when i was checking in i asked if they would mind if i cut peoples hair if there were any customers and they said go for it and they would be my first customer as the only Hairdresser in town does it from home and apparently noit the greatest so i set up my salon and cut the managers hair and he said he would put the word out that i was here and try and drum up some business for me.
The next day i was sitting reading minding my own business when a guy came over and wanted his hair cut. well we got to chatting and chatting and well 3 weeks later he hasn't left.
His name is Sean and his from geelong and his up here working for centrelink for a couple of months.
His really interesting as he does Karate, was a commando in the army used to be in IT and is a really nice guy as well.....My kind of guy.
So the plan is now to stay here for 6 to 12 months and then maybe try for a posting in either Darwin or Broome.
I had to move to a permanent site and we have set up a compound for ourselves which is fantastic and its like an oasis,It overlooks the Fitzroy river and we have an open fire and quite often sit outside at night to eat dinner.
The weather here is about 25 to 30 degrees during the day and gets down to about 3 degrees overnight.
I have a job here which i start in 2 weeks as a teachers aid at the local school,Im really excited about it as i went in for a few hours the other day and had a ball and the kids are so cute.
I have also been working a couple of hours a week cleaning the centreline office where Sean works and helped out at the IGA on the 30 helping with the stocktake.
I also am getting quite a few haircuts which is great also.
Fitzroy Crossing was started to service the 35 local indigenous communities in the area and it had a really bad name until a few years ago when they brought in strict drinking laws and now its a really great town and the locals are really friendly and always speak and they interact with the whites in town which until now i hadn't seen.
A couple of days after i met Sean we were going for a walk when i spotted this caravan Park and realised it was called the Lodge and i said "IF thats the lodge where am i staying and it turns oout i am at the Inn,How funny If i hadn't of made the mistake i wouldn't have met Sean and i would probably be in Darwin by now.
Fitzroy river bed at the back of the Inn
Compound
More compound
Who knows where it will end but i just plan on enjoying myself and Sean He said the $20 for his haircut was the best $20 he ever spent.......
I was told the best place to stay in Fitzroy crossing was at The Lodge so after stopping in town (AN IGA and PO) i head out of town to the lodge. when i was checking in i asked if they would mind if i cut peoples hair if there were any customers and they said go for it and they would be my first customer as the only Hairdresser in town does it from home and apparently noit the greatest so i set up my salon and cut the managers hair and he said he would put the word out that i was here and try and drum up some business for me.
The next day i was sitting reading minding my own business when a guy came over and wanted his hair cut. well we got to chatting and chatting and well 3 weeks later he hasn't left.
His name is Sean and his from geelong and his up here working for centrelink for a couple of months.
His really interesting as he does Karate, was a commando in the army used to be in IT and is a really nice guy as well.....My kind of guy.
So the plan is now to stay here for 6 to 12 months and then maybe try for a posting in either Darwin or Broome.
I had to move to a permanent site and we have set up a compound for ourselves which is fantastic and its like an oasis,It overlooks the Fitzroy river and we have an open fire and quite often sit outside at night to eat dinner.
The weather here is about 25 to 30 degrees during the day and gets down to about 3 degrees overnight.
I have a job here which i start in 2 weeks as a teachers aid at the local school,Im really excited about it as i went in for a few hours the other day and had a ball and the kids are so cute.
I have also been working a couple of hours a week cleaning the centreline office where Sean works and helped out at the IGA on the 30 helping with the stocktake.
I also am getting quite a few haircuts which is great also.
Fitzroy Crossing was started to service the 35 local indigenous communities in the area and it had a really bad name until a few years ago when they brought in strict drinking laws and now its a really great town and the locals are really friendly and always speak and they interact with the whites in town which until now i hadn't seen.
A couple of days after i met Sean we were going for a walk when i spotted this caravan Park and realised it was called the Lodge and i said "IF thats the lodge where am i staying and it turns oout i am at the Inn,How funny If i hadn't of made the mistake i wouldn't have met Sean and i would probably be in Darwin by now.
Derby............Signs are working
Next destination was Derby, Not much here but i arrived at about 3.3pm and i had 3 people approach me for haircuts so i cut hair until i lost light,My hairdressing signs are working.
Next morning i had a look around town nothing exciting except for the beautiful Boab trees and there is one that is so huge they used to use it years ago to house prisoners on route to Broome.
Derby
Start of the famous Gibb river rd
Jetty at Derby
Prison Boab tree
There is also a huge jetty but I've now seen heaps of them so i kept going heading next to fitzroy Crossing......
Next morning i had a look around town nothing exciting except for the beautiful Boab trees and there is one that is so huge they used to use it years ago to house prisoners on route to Broome.
Broome............Dog unfriendly
Tore myself away from Barn Hill and headed for Broome. I had heard that from the 1st June no park in Broome allowed dogs but the council opened an overflow are so the first night i stayed in a park that was 3o km from town but decided it was too far out so headed in to town to see if the overflow area was open and it was and it was right in town.It was at the Poloce and citizen club and you were only allowed to stay if you had a dog which for the first tim on my adventure was a bonus as it was cheaper than the caravan parks and as we all parked around the oval we were on grass and had plenty of room unlike the dusty old caravan parks where you are squashed in like sardines.
The only draw back was that you are only allowed to stay a week.
While i was there it was a full moon so i was able to see the "Staircase to the moon " which is a phenonamon where the rising moon reflects on the water and looks like a staircase.
where the park was was right near a good spot to view this from so i walked there with a couple of other girls that were staying at the park and there were markets on and food vendors which was fantastic as Broome is quite multicultural and they have a large asian population so a lot of the food was things like samosa and sate etc.
There was also a lovely older couple who took me under there wing while i was there and they drove me around town to do shopping and also took me a couple of times to the beach.
Cable beach was nice but a bit overrated but i liked the town and loved Chinatown.
While i was there the caretakers of the park let me set up my salon and i did a roaring trade which was great as it paid for my time in Broome.
While i was in town i also had made some signs for the side of the bus which says "Hairdresser" and on the back window i have Hair. Makeup so people approach me now and i don't have to advertise. Yay!
I wasn't ready to move on from Broome but as we were only allowed a week i had no choice.
Dog friendly camp Broome
Cinema in Chinatown
and again
Chinatown
Cable Beach
Night markets at staircase to the moon
bad photo of staircase to the moon
The only draw back was that you are only allowed to stay a week.
While i was there it was a full moon so i was able to see the "Staircase to the moon " which is a phenonamon where the rising moon reflects on the water and looks like a staircase.
where the park was was right near a good spot to view this from so i walked there with a couple of other girls that were staying at the park and there were markets on and food vendors which was fantastic as Broome is quite multicultural and they have a large asian population so a lot of the food was things like samosa and sate etc.
There was also a lovely older couple who took me under there wing while i was there and they drove me around town to do shopping and also took me a couple of times to the beach.
Cable beach was nice but a bit overrated but i liked the town and loved Chinatown.
While i was there the caretakers of the park let me set up my salon and i did a roaring trade which was great as it paid for my time in Broome.
While i was in town i also had made some signs for the side of the bus which says "Hairdresser" and on the back window i have Hair. Makeup so people approach me now and i don't have to advertise. Yay!
I wasn't ready to move on from Broome but as we were only allowed a week i had no choice.
Barn Hill................
Next destination Barn Hill.
Barn hill is also a Cattle station I think but they use part of the area for camping.
If your game enough to drive 15km of very sandy road you reach Barn Hill and its amazing as the station runs right along 80 mile beach and i opted for an unpowered site as they are right on the cliff top over looking the water and apart from all the bindi's it was fantastic.
Ablution block at Barn Hill
Beach at Barn Hill
There was another couple i had met further back at a free camp also staying there so i spent 4 nights just relaxing and walking along the beach and did a few haircuts and a bit of socialising before heading off to Broome.
Barn hill is also a Cattle station I think but they use part of the area for camping.
If your game enough to drive 15km of very sandy road you reach Barn Hill and its amazing as the station runs right along 80 mile beach and i opted for an unpowered site as they are right on the cliff top over looking the water and apart from all the bindi's it was fantastic.
Dampier,Karratha,Port Samson, Port Hedland
After leaving Indee i headed for Port Hedland and then back tracked along the coast as i wanted to see Dampier which is where the story of Red Dog is from.
Arrived in Dampier and pulled over at an information bay to find out where the statue of Reg Dog was as there it was right before my eyes ...So i did the tourist thing and took photos of myself in front of the dog.
There wasn't much else to see in the town so had a quick drive around and then head for Whim Creek where there is a quaint old pub which is no longer open but makes for good photos,then on to Karratha
where i did some shopping g and had a look around town before heading off to port Samson to spend the night.
The next day i checked out the little towns in the surrounding area and one which is called Cossack was beautiful,it was the original pearling town and had with some beautiful buildings which are now all empty since pearling moved to Broome.
Red Dog Statue
Red Dog
Dampier
Karratha
Cossack
Roebourne
Whim Creek Pub
Port Hedland
Port Hedland
I also went through a town called Roebourne...Keep driving,It was very scary looking and all the shops in town had bars all over the windows and had long since been abandoned due to crime and vandalism id say.
Arrived in Dampier and pulled over at an information bay to find out where the statue of Reg Dog was as there it was right before my eyes ...So i did the tourist thing and took photos of myself in front of the dog.
There wasn't much else to see in the town so had a quick drive around and then head for Whim Creek where there is a quaint old pub which is no longer open but makes for good photos,then on to Karratha
where i did some shopping g and had a look around town before heading off to port Samson to spend the night.
The next day i checked out the little towns in the surrounding area and one which is called Cossack was beautiful,it was the original pearling town and had with some beautiful buildings which are now all empty since pearling moved to Broome.
Indee Station........Would you believe?
My next destination was Indee Station which is just south of Port Hedland.
When i arrived i had to go to the homestead to check in and would you believe working there was a lady who used to drive the make up buses on Neighbours that i used to work with years ago.
I couldn't believe it was possible to travel this far and to be this remote and still run in to someone i knew.
I stayed for 3 nights in the end as i was having such a great time. Every night at 5.30 they have happy hour at the homestead where they put on Tapas etc and its a great chance to chat to everyone.
There were some really nice people staying at the same time as me which made it fun as well.
I also had two firsts while i was staying at Indee.
One was i saw my first snake...A great big fat Python. The only place on Indee to get phone reception was at the top of this hill and so i was heading up there to check mail when i spotted the snake..Hence the phone calls had to wait until late in the day when i was sure the snake had gone.
The second First was i saw the beautiful "Sturts Desert Pea" for the first time since i was 4 years old.
The Pea is a beautiful wild flower which grows a lot around the Northern Territory and also northern WA and its my favourite flower so i was very excited to see it grown all over Indee.
Alison got me a small cutting and i have pressed them in my road atlas.
Indee Homestead
Sturts Desert Pea
Indee Homestead
Happy hour at Indee Station
When i arrived i had to go to the homestead to check in and would you believe working there was a lady who used to drive the make up buses on Neighbours that i used to work with years ago.
I couldn't believe it was possible to travel this far and to be this remote and still run in to someone i knew.
I stayed for 3 nights in the end as i was having such a great time. Every night at 5.30 they have happy hour at the homestead where they put on Tapas etc and its a great chance to chat to everyone.
There were some really nice people staying at the same time as me which made it fun as well.
I also had two firsts while i was staying at Indee.
One was i saw my first snake...A great big fat Python. The only place on Indee to get phone reception was at the top of this hill and so i was heading up there to check mail when i spotted the snake..Hence the phone calls had to wait until late in the day when i was sure the snake had gone.
The second First was i saw the beautiful "Sturts Desert Pea" for the first time since i was 4 years old.
The Pea is a beautiful wild flower which grows a lot around the Northern Territory and also northern WA and its my favourite flower so i was very excited to see it grown all over Indee.
Alison got me a small cutting and i have pressed them in my road atlas.
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