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photo's from Jamie
Williams & some choir members
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Wednesday, 13th August 4:30pm...We meet under the clock at Central Railway,
Sydney with well-wishers from the Block in Redfern, and former choir
members and pets! "The excitement of the lift off, beautiful fairyland Sydney below & all around us. I could hardly believe that we were actually on our way after years of planning and hoping. We were all dressed for the cold weather from Sydney but Peter was dressed in t shirt and shorts for the Darwin weather which was 20 degrees at 1am.. It was wonderful at last to be welcomed to Darwin by his shining smile, so happy to see us again. He had left earlier to make final arrangements in Darwin." Virgin Blue check in staff loved the choir and wished us all well. Every choir member had a World Youth Day bag full of goodies from Oz Harvest, and boxed cakes for the trip. When the plane took off there was so much yelling and clapping as it dawned on choir and volunteers that it the trip was actually HAPPENING! Hours later, we were still amazingly hyped up and cheering as we again took off, after a stop off in Brisbane, for the final leg, and a bit of quiet time, at least for some of us.. "Flying through the darkness, exhausted from excitement, feeling ready for an adventure. Thank you heart!" "Flying there, the darkness in the sky, full of anticipation, with a song in my heart." "Flying at 752km/hr and 13,000ft, exciting on my first time flying to the top of Australia and the Northern Territory. Everyone excited."
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"Stepping into summer breezes, lots of beautiful Aboriginal people, my soul is crying hearing the painful cries in the night." Thursday, 14th August "First rehearsal was a
beauty. Good food!" "Full of wonder, the beautiful weather. Blue skies, watching the sun setting was spectacular. Bright red and yellow, lots of people at Mindel Markets." "Woke up still tired out but
happy to be in Darwin. Lyndon is a real treasure, obliging our every need.
At Mindel Beach Markets I was overwelmed at the beauty of the beach and
surroundings. We sang and I was happy to find that people loved us.
The volunteer's hats with red roses went around and gave us a lovely
surprise. The amount raised will certainly contribute to our trip funds.
Lots of 'loved your performance', even a member from the next act said how much
he enjoyed my singing and the choir!" |
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Friday, 15th August 9am.. breakfast with the locals is getting friendlier as we start to call each other by names, with sincere smiles and big handshakes, for the 2nd day at Ozanam Outreach Centre 10am... it's now free time for choir members, some are shopping at the op shop next door, a couple have caught the bus into town, most are hanging around ozanam chatting with new friends 1pm.. rehearsal for our big gig tonight included a visit from local students who learnt a couple of freedom songs with us. We then went out to the park to sing under the trees with the "long grassers" who waved their arms and ended our songs with thankful hallelujahs "Wow the full moon magic. Schools of flying fish lanterns dance in the sky. We sing in the forest a taste of heavens as the barriers dissolve with song." 4pm.. sound check at darwin festival, the choir members are shocked when they see the beautiful outdoor auditorium erected at the shell stage for the festival.. "is this all for us?" "Rehearsal, sound check Darwin Festival. In a beautiful romantic park area. Shining Heart, a song that I wrote, was a success."7.30pm.. the choir just came offstage after performing for 75 mins with a full house of 250 enraptured and vocal audients.. darwin chorale joined us for the last 4 songs and the whole audience, all warm & fuzzy, sang along to "amazing grace". now choir members are signing CD's at the festival merchandise stand "Best function I ever sang at, at the Botanic Gardens. Then finally a good sleep." 8.30pm.. we're back at ozanam, we've eaten and now we're dancing and singing out the back at our own karaoke party.. so much joy and love being shared together... we're so high... "We get to sing at Darwin Festival, it was overwhelming. It was great. Then back to Ozanam (home)."
From
the bottom
of my heart and beyond, I would like to thank each one of you for
enriching my life up here in Darwin. I did not get to personally meet all of
you, but collectively you are a wonderful group of people who truly made a
difference to our piece of paradise up here. Peter congratulations
on a conducting such magical singers & musicians. Megan & Helen two
wonderful caring ladies. The
opening of the Darwin Festival on Friday was awesome. I had goose
bumps with some of the songs being sung. Thanks
again guys. Love you all. Dianne
McNeil, St
Vincent de Paul Society
(NT) Inc
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"Rest day. Nice day to reflect on Darwin, fellow choir members, staff, and indigenous people" Saturday, 16th August "The day started with a massive fight and I was all ready to go home. I calmed down and we went to the Wildlife Park. Someone suggested I throw myself into the billabong with the crocs, that'd be a solution. I thought about it for a moment and thus the Cousin It persona arose from the pond and turned things into a joke." 12pm...We went to the Territory Wildlife Park and met their friendly staff. The shuttle bus driver treated the gang by introducing them to the Brolga dance (the Brolga is in love with driver she says), and some of us fed water buffalo and got up close to a large salt water croc! We all enjoyed the Birds of Prey show and now we are busy spotting kites everywhere we go. "Went to Wildlife Park and saw a beautiful eagle, a large crocodile, fish all walking through. A great day. Saw a Brolga dance" "Started to feel the heat at the Wildlife Park. Beautiful centre. Train ride and Brolga dancing. Buffalo and Grahame the Crocodile. So many interesting creatures. Tricia Zammit our train driver told us how to survive as went along. The trees are a survival kit." "A really relaxing day visiting a
Wildlife refuge. The eagles, birds, and creatures amazed me.
They are so powerful and wise. A wallaby gets a bit frisky and
nips our fingers" |
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"Finally, a good sleep. I managed to
surrender between the noisy machines revving around the streets and the
heart-wrenching cries echoing through the night. Father sky and
mother earth guide us through and heal the pain."
Sunday 17th August 10.30am.. It's Free time, after breakfast and a meeting, and some people decide to sing karaoke while others have gone back to bed. 1:30pm End of another magic gig at St Vincent de Paul Strategic Planning conference. During the singing, one of the Vinnies team cried and said she started to sing along for the first time in her life (she hates singing). The choir members were invited to speak about what types of services would provide the best support to homeless and disadvantaged people. One choir member spoke passionately and succinctly about how mental health services can be improved with a shift of focus towards mental wellness in a therapeutic community setting as opposed to clinical, hospital environment. At the end of the talk and songs, Peter invited everyone to form a circle, hold hands, and sing Amazing Grace. We got a blessing from a Minister for a safe journey for the rest of the tour. "Berrimah Conference for St Vincent de Paul. Met Jane who broke me up when she was speaking about us and broke down in tears. I was affected by her empathy. Sid has said he would like to get us to Canberra. " "Lovely gig with St Vinnies people. Great sunset at Fannie Bay." 6pm....Sunset at Fannie Bay. The amazing day closes with a short play on the beach and walk into the ocean with crackers and juice before shooting off to Bagot Community Church for more singing from the Street Choir, followed by the Bagot indigenous women's choir, and dancing to a local indigenous rap artist, Isaac. 8pm....Dinner at Ozanam and presents from Lyndon, all personalised and loved by all. Everyone had done their laundry during the day and so tonight we are all planning to zip our bags shut ready to just bring out blurry eyed for an early start as we leave Darwin for Katherine "You guys are extraordinary! You've left a deep and warm, live and fuzzy feeling within us all who have had the immense pleasure of meeting you during your stay in Darwin. Wherever you take that magic that has come from within each of you, our best wishes and thoughts go with you. May you be safe and energetic to share the gifts you have for the rest of this NT tour, and beyond. Keep talking about 'taboos' - that is just so important, as you said. Much love! Xavier, Youth Co-ordinator, St Vincent de Paul Society (NT) Inc"
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Monday 18th August 8.45am.. we are finally on our way and we sang some favourite songs like "From Little Things Big Things Grow" and "Island Home" with guitar in the bus for a while, after some informative narrations from Reg Yummo, our new tour guide from Remote Tours. 12pm.. we're running an hour late so no time for our planned stop at Edith Falls. However we do need to fill the bus with fuel so we pulled over and disperse amongst the trees on the rocky terrain for a toilet stop. Some of the girls crossed the road for privacy, and when they got back Reg explained one of the major hazards of the Stuart Highway - rocks thrown up by road trains moving so fast the rock will shoot through you like a bullet. We needed no further warnings! 1pm.. we arrive at Bernhard St Community Centre in Katherine to be greeted by the Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, the Katherine Red Cross and Community Centre folk with lunch. They kindly kept enough sausages for us in our lateness. With a quick set up, we sing a few songs and then invite them to join in for a singalong. With such a spirited and strong community feeling we implore them to join in the gig planned for the evening. 3:30pm.. Just had the most fantastic swim at Katherine Hot Springs and are heading to our campsite near Katherine Gorge. Recklessly several choir members dived over the moss-covered waterfall. It was a peaceful, beautiful spot. "Cascadingly, minerally refreshingly, therapeutically healthy." "Heavenly, sensational, magnificent, refreshing. I have found sacred water from the heavens. It came out of the ground, and I was blessed." 5:30pm.. We're arriving at the venue and Katherine Community Choir is there with bells on along with the cast of Crossing Roper Bar. The choir members are all quite tired after a very quick pitstop at the campground to shower and get dressed in their performance clothes. But as soon as they walk in they're shouting with joy, greeting people and making a general racket. Soundcheck shortly. 8:30pm.. It's interval and the Katherine Community Choir are beaming like moons from the excitement of our big sing. Some tears can be seen, and many hugs are had. The community spirit is very strong. We performed a short set of our own songs, after which the Katherine choir sang one of their favourites as they joined us on stage for a brilliant finale of three songs. 10pm.. Now we mount the stage again to join the Australian Art Orchestra led by Paul Grabowsky, the Wagilak musicians from Ngukurr and Ruby Hunter for her final song, "Welcome to All People". This is the finale of Crossing Roper Bar which is a collaborative music show that has been developed over the last two years and is now touring the Top End and Western Australia through Tura New Music. What an extraordinary synthesis of traditional Yolngu song with contemporary jazz. "Just fantastic, the people were beautiful, they were so friendly, I really enjoyed, it I felt good and relaxed. There's no way to explain it, it was just wonderful. Everyone loved it." "It was very exciting to meet Ruby Hunter for the first time. I liked the experience of singing alongside Ruby Hunter. I felt good that I was singing the Sorry Song too, in front of people from that area." "The moon mirrors the sun. Golden energy opens my heart, deep river, music flowing. Ruby singing with you is a dream come true. Singing SORRY is a prayer of release, to break through the fear, anger, pain and shame..FREEDOM IS COMING!" 12am.. Campfire has died down, and we have had a nice night of singing around the fire. Voices soaring, ash falling, and Reg had found us a couple of branches from a Salmon Gum tree, so one of the choir members had a good play on it. "Magic. It was just incredible the way everyone felt really at home. There were photos being taken and in one it looked like the fire was coming out of my head. The sky wasn't black, it was blue. It was a full moon. The trees were black at the bottom and white up high against the stars. Singing together with the guitar was the best thing."
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"last night I was awoken by by the sound of
hooves racing past my tent, it could have been wild horses or
buffalo or pigs. I was too scared to get up to look. I'd had the feeling I
could sense something out there all night"
Tuesday 19th August 8.30am.. we're all packed and on the bus heading towards Nitmiluk National Park (katherine Gorge) to see if we can get a free boat ride into the gorge... Helen (tour coordinator) has been trying to get a good deal for the Gorge for over a mth and negotiations have not really got us anywhere.. Reg suggests we just go there for a view and put it to them again in person, so we'll see what happens.. 9.30am.. the park is slightly shrouded by smoke as a result of controlled burning done by dropping kerosene balls into inaccessible areas.. helen, with our doco makers filming, got a great deal for the boat ride at 1pm (half-price), so we're heading back to Katherine town for shopping then back to Nat Park for the two gorge tour at 1pm. 3pm.. the Gorge tour really touched most people, lots of sighs at the beauty. There was rock art, at least 10 000 years old. We saw a freshwater crocodile sunning itself on the side of the gorge. Peter dived in to retrieve one of the eager choir members who embraced the inviting water. The second gorge, according to the Jawoyn people (the traditional owners of the land), is significant as the place where the Rainbow Serpent chose as its resting place. They believe "Bolung" still lives down there today and so they don't drink or swim in the water of the second gorge. We stopped for a group photo and sing two songs, 'Sorry' and 'Freedom is Coming', to "Bolung". The acoustics were amazing, and other tourists spontaneously erupted with applause while relaxing on the Gorge. We are now back at the bus where Reg, our tour guide, has some food for us. We munch on cold chicken, hard boiled eggs, and fruit. "I went swimming in the very heart of Australia." "We saw a freshwater crocodile, I fell in love! So beautiful!" "Pretty faced wallabies at the Gorge. I watched a family group, there was a big one, little one and middled size one. There were blue winged kookaburras, a bower bird's nest, and there was a big fish shaped like a shark. The river flows both ways." "Gliding smoothly over cool, green waters. Rock faces came alive with ochre paintings, dreamtime treasures, protected by the indigenous guardians." "It was rejuvenating to travel on the water and feel the gentle breeze on my face after living with so much dust." "Singing SORRY in the gorge made me feel great, much better than singing in Sydney" "Katherine Gorge was really really awesome, i thought it was really good singing SORRY right where the rainbow serpent was too" "After hearing the story of the rainbow serpent, a veil lifted and the steep rock walls began to appear as aboriginal faces and figures." "i was in a canoe in the gorge and heard the voices start to sing, sounded awesome, i videoed it" - Chris Fuller from Adelaide 5.30pm.. We're at Mataranka Homestead. On the way Reg stopped a few times, pulled out his chainsaw and cut some fallen Woolly Butt Gum branches to make didgeridoos with. Our first sleep with Reg reveals that we now have luxury swags! One of the choir members and the nurse volunteer are feeling very sick. 7.30pm.. Dinner time! Some members have been down to the beautiful hot springs which date back to the Second World War and were created by the officers blowing up a trickle of water with dynamite. The pool is fringed with Livistonia palms, the biggest patch anywhere in the world. Karaoke is happening again over dinner, there were some tense moments brought on by tiredness and fear of the illness in the camp. 9pm.. Some choir members go down to the springs after dinner for candlelight swim, and the film crew took some creative shots using a torch to make the letters 'SSC' in the water, much to the amusement and bemusement of other tourists in the pool. A short chat is had around the campfire while nursing the sick. "The first time I have swum in hot springs ever. Awesomely spectacular!" "At Mataranka, I decided to camp in the trailer (which carries our luggage), it was cosy & comfortable! And the thermal pool was a 10 out of 10 (thumbs up)" "about the night... how many 4 letter words can u put on a Blog? I was up all night, 3 ppl were vomiting, the nurse was sick and I felt exhausted" |
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Wednesday 20th August 8am....A couple of choir members were heard hurling (not the Olympic kind of javelin throwing!) through the night. Salad bowls were decorated! Our nurse volunteer is back on deck this morning, taking over from our doco maker Lisa, who got no sleep from tossing the salad bowl contents. Some have gone for a last dip and neck massage at the waterfall end of the Mataranka pool, and some are up looking at the replica of the Elsey Homestead, famous for its use as a film set in "We of the Never Never". Reg is packing the jigsaw puzzle of boxes, bags and swags so we can drive south. "I went for a walk around the springs and a kangaroo must have heard me coming because there she was sitting looking a me standing on the track with a little baby in her pouch. Never seen anything like that in the wild" " I put on my boots and kicked a few heads, lack of sleep can do strange things." 10:30am...We're at Larrameh Pub which is where Noah landed after the flood.. we met up with 2 pet crocs, several pairs of parrots, 2 snakes, 2 water buffallo and rats aplenty. Our youngest member of the team delighted in all the rats which she thought were cute. There's a big pink panther here too. 2:30pm...The sun was shining through pink bougainvilleas and frangipanis at our next stop - Daly Waters Pub. Here we stretched our legs and enjoyed a great lunch (thanks Reg!), and later the Choir rehearsed before patrons. One of the recovering hurlers relaxed on the floor of the kids' playpen and enjoyed a cooling lemonade icy-pole. Frank Turton, a pub entertainer from Adelaide, treated everyone to a few self penned songs. We got a few photos inside the pub (underneath a hanging display of bras and undies!) before setting off for Elliott, refreshed and relaxed. "It was the best pub on earth it had everything people had left behind." 8pm....Tired and hot we arrived in Elliott and quickly find Harold Daly-Waters at the AIM Church who had been waiting for our bus for 1 hour patiently. He warmly welcomed us and showed us our accommodation for the night: a house with a verandah and yard for our swags to be laid out. Tensions raised as everyone is so tired but then lowered with Reg's great spag bowl and veggies dinner and a bit of a relax. Now we're going down the road to South Elliot Aboriginal Camp to meet Harold once again. 11:30pm ... At Harold's place we met his 7 children and other family members. Harold, with Terry and Roderick from his family, are a well-known gospel band and they invited our photographer and our violin & piano volunteers, to join them in a very noisy gospel jam. Their kids joined in, singing and banging metal objects in time with the music. There was a lot of laughter and love all around. Now, sitting around the campfire back at our church accommodation with Harold and his wife Kay, we hear about their desire for missionary to come to town to teach them more about the Bible. They want to start a children's choir and keep their family together and closer to God. Their stories about their adopted children and how they came to be in their care, through addiction and neglect, touched everyone listening. "I vomited a couple of times and I was too sick so I missed Harold's performance. The choir was crap without me!" "It was great, every time the black and white people to play music and sing n remote areas we are one breath closer to heaven." "I could see this little Aboriginal boy, he was digging and looking for chillies, and he was trying to tell me in his own language which ones to pick. He stayed around me and before long we cuddling each other listening to the music." "Sitting around the campfire I was moved by Harold's story about how he was born again." "Harold and Kay share their stories around the fire. They deserve support as caretakers in their community to continue creating their musical journey together. A small bus would be great for them to transport people who want to go to church and performances. The children singing with Harold and the land. Seven shining stars lightng up the night."
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Thursday 21st August 6:15 all awake and the bus is packed and ready, we actually leave at 7:50 ten minutes ahead of schedule... amazing. We drive through Elliott and stop the bus outside Harold's to sing "From Little Things Big Things Grow" before waving a fond farewell to Elliott and drive towards Tennant Creek along the Sturt Highway... 11:15...a stop at Mary Ann Dam outside Tennant Creek for some choir members to shower and shave before we meet with Pastor Mike Baker at the Outback Church. The dam is nearly dry: just enough water for a few yabbies and a choir member (the same one who dove in at Katherine Gorge!). 12:30pm....Met Pastor Mike and rode to Tennant Creek High School where there was a quick singing warm up and set up. Students filled the hall with teachers lining the walls. Friendly but shy faces among the audience with a high proportion of Aboriginal children. 1pm....."One Day at a Time", "Natures' Song", "Shining heart", "When I'm 64" was followed by a singalong with Peter teaching the words and tune to "Soon I will be done with the troubles of the world". Choir members and volunteers swarmed through the jubilant crowd to help overcome shyness and get everyone singing. The crowd responded enthusiastically and Amy representing the School, and Tim the Music Teacher thanked all for coming and sharing with the School. The group were escorted to Barkly Regional Arts sound space to meet Steve and Barry Banning, a veteran Tamworth Country Music Festival performer. Barry lost two brothers, also musicians, and he says he is "carrying the torch" for all by recording his original music. 1:30pm.....back to the Outback Church we find Pastor Mike has cooked up a bbq storm. We were absolutely famished and very appreciative. Some said it was the best food they'd had in the Territory. The 6 vegetarians did not agree. It was a shame we couldn't have spent longer with all of them but we are relentlessly moving now towards Alice and Uluru, keeping to our tight schedule and seeing as many people as we can along the way. We all had a bit of free time and did shopping or had a coffee. "it was great how a couple of Aboriginal kids were curious about us and our family connections, assuming we were related." "A year 7 boy came up to the bus as we were leaving. He said 'thank you very much for coming here, I really liked the music." "How did he get the kids singing like that?" - School Vice Principal I really appreciated that guys coming here, cos I really love music, singing, and dance" - Tim (music teacher) Thank you all so much for the wonderful show. We have very interesting but sometimes "difficult" kids up here, and they can sometimes be very cruel. But you pressed-on and "wowed" most of them - tho' they'd not necessarily admit it. We, including me, all know the power of the shame-job notion but you triumphed over all of that. Bravo! With respect, empathy, admiration, love and absolutely the best wishes for whatever the future holds, Paul 4pm... We arrive at the Devil's Marbles or Karlu Karlu. These granite boulders are the oldest piece of exposed land on the Earth, they seem to spring up from nowhere as we drove over the flat landscape of red dust. We pile out of the bus take the obligatory photos of us pushing up the boulders. Some of us pick lemon grass, wild flowers and quartz. Captain Reg reckons the whole landscape is yummo. Karlu Karlu is a sacred women's place for the local Aboriginals and they conduct many ceremonies here. Some of the women in the group felt a deep spiritual connection with the pregnant shaped outcrops. Meanwhile some of the men, led by Charles sing "Son of Biripi" which can be heard by everyone down on the ground in various parts of the park. We then watch the sunset and the beautiful earthy colours on the horizon and the boulders. At the end of our walking we sing songs finishing with an impromptu performance 'I'm on my way" where choir members make up their own verses. "I feel that the spirits are listening to me when I sang Biripi at Karlu Karlu" "Standing on the rock not wanting to move because my feet were anchored to a powerful resonant energy in the rock. My head was flying." "The devil's marbles looked like potatoes" 7pm.. We are on our way to Wauchope (pronounced War- kup) where we camp. We can see Venus shining brightly on the western horizon. By now the routine of setting up camp is becoming an efficient operation. Our second barbecue of the day includes food for the vegetarians. The rest of the night is free time. Choir members choose to go to bed early, sing karaoke or sit around a fire and chat. The rest of the night is amazing; an incredibly icy cold strong wind, swirls and howls around our campsite. "I set up the best karaoke night in my life!"
Thank you all so much for the wonderful show. We
have very interesting but sometimes "difficult" kids up here,
and they can sometimes be very cruel. But you pressed-on and
"wowed" most of them - tho' they'd not necessarily admit
it. We, including me, all know the power of the shame-job notion but you
triumphed over all of that. Bravo! With
respect, empathy, admiration, love and absolutely the best wishes for
whatever the future holds, Paul
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Friday 22nd August 7:30am.....The night was windy and the morning is cold, but the showers were hot and that was amazing! Everyone's up from our swag cocoons to Captain Yummo's breakfast and the regular routines of wrapping swags and bags ready to leave. We are all looking forward to a night inside tonight, even if we are still swagging. It's a long drive today to Alice Springs from Tennant Creek. Tonight we'll be able to settle into our A.S. accommodation and relax with no gigs til tomorrow. " I got up during the night to go to the toilet and nearly got blown over." " You had to cocoon yourself in your swag, swaddled like a child. I had to wipe the red dust out of my eyes." "I decided just to enjoy the experience rather than fight it as it's part of our experience" 10:30am.....A stop at Wycliffe Wells, famous for the most UFO sightings in Australia. The bus lost power as we approached and Reg, being freeeked out, swerved a bit on the road. We just had to get a few happy snaps of the green men out the front, the Incredible Hulk statue inside, and the Elvis murals. "I was a space angel" "I bought a mysterious UFO T-shirt, there were very educational things to look at and statues of animals 11:30am...Barrow Creek Telegraph Station was another stop were we could take a walk over ground that is covered in mica and quartz rock, and poke around an old repeater station for morse code. The view from the rocky hill was beautiful. Lots of nice (friendly) cats and dogs which appealed to everyone, but the absence of a cappuccino machine was a nasty shock to some. "I didn't like this stop, $17 for a packet of cigarettes!" 1pm....Ti Tree Gallery was the next stop where there was not one single Aborignal person working in the Utopia Art Aboriginal gallery. Reg educates the group about the difference between the aboriginal people in the south compared to those we've met in the north, including the use of the Woomera, spear and Nulla Nulla, which are multi purpose tools for hunting and gathering in the desert nomadic times (all the tools fitted together in one hand for walking long distances, and Reg gave the metaphor of a pocket knife). He says the people around here were more "Didgeri don'ts" than "Didgeridoo's" as these lean hunter gatherers hit their boomerangs together for music and wouldn't waste energy carrying any kind of instrument that didn't also serve as a hunting tool. Some of the Choir are upset when explained how these people trapped and killed animals for food, keeping them alive and in pain for several hours to keep the meat fresh in the heat. We also discuss ways to talk to people in Aboriginal communities to accommodate their adversity to eye contact and photographs. "It was great listening to Reg tell us about the tools like the Coolamon that scooped up water as well as carried babies, levelled ground out, made fire, and gathered bush tucker" "It was a great environment for lunch, we enjoyed the sunshine but the wind was still cold and strong. In the shop there was lots of art and souvenirs at good prices. I got some writing pads for gifts with aboriginal designs for friends back home. The Aboriginal artists all lived next door." 5:30pm....Pulling into Alice Springs and 3 volunteers make a quick dash to pharmacies and food stores to stock up for 4 days without Captain Yummo and his bus. Will we survive? The others are running around the new accommodations bagging rooms!. We have 2 houses to spread out in. The boys are in an old army hanger with a wire fence between them and Alice Springs airport. The girls are in a house which looks a bit cosier. Most of the choir members have a room to themselves, while all the volunteers are shacked up in dorms together. "We're not in swags this time, we have private rooms! The boys have a swimming pool while the girls have a fireplace" "This feels like home compared to what we're used to, from the wind swept swags to the fireplace in the lounge room" "I feel like Dorothy from the wizard of OZ, in Kansas, there's no place like home! A long hot shower and time to brush the tumbleweeds from our hair" |
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Saturday 23rd August
9am.. we just finished breakfast and now we relax by the fire or in our private rooms til the bus donated by the Baptist Church arrives at 10am, no wrapping up swags, no packing of Reg's bus, what a relaxing thought! There is an article in the local paper about UFO sightings at Devil's marbles, maybe it's because we were there singing the land?! 11am.. we're late to arrive at Alice Springs Plaza for our gig, and then we realise we've left one of the choir members behind! Our volunteer driver raced straight back while the rest of us freaked out. The venue is a shopping mall food court with a stage. Many tables are occupied with people trying to read the paper but being distracted by our activity. It seems there was an article about us in the paper the day before and these people have come to see us. The noise from the shopping centre is all around us and echoing, hope the PA is good. The toilets cost 50c to use, but luckily they are letting SSC in for free, thanks to one of our choir members talking the talk. "The bus left without me. I lay on the lounge and wondered what am I going to eat. I was so pleased when the bus came back to get me." 1pm.. We were an hour late on stage, but our audience was very gracious and waited for us... no busy Saturday morning shopping rush here luckily. Even in the sound check their faces lit up. After the gig we had a picnic lunch in the food court, but we did all buy coffee so the food court people didn't get upset. Now we're in free time and choir members are excited to visit op shops and cheap souvenir options. One of our members wanted to go to Karma clothing an Aboriginal clothing shop but it is closed. "A few of us walk to find a second hand clothing shop and on the way we stop into a shop to ask directions. There were some inviting looking massage chairs - we couldn't resist it. We announce to passers by that we are on holiday and it feels like we are in a resort, especially when we asked one of these passer-bys to take a photo of our holiday. He left us laughing until we cried." 7.30pm.. we just finished dinner, and the meals are amazing now that our female volunteers have a kitchen at their disposal. The free time was rejuvenating for everyone, except for one of our volunteers who drove several trips in and out of town in our Baptist bus. I got online for the first time in 4 days to upload this BLOG and had several emails from very beautiful folk, all asking if we were OK as the BLOG hadn't been updated since Darwin.. the choir loved hearing about these emails! Now we're having a movie night "the last of the nomads" which Reg left us to watch. We also watch a documentary on the amazing flora and fauna, including a frog which can live underground for five years. This program gives us a taste of the amazing things we will see once we go to Uluru. "I really loved the story of the Last of the Nomads. I was so happy when they found them both alive and then saddened by the ending. It was all very romantic. I was touched by their love for each other."
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Sunday 24th August 9:45...This morning we have no bus to take us to our first gig until we are rescued by Reg from Remote Tours, thanks again Reg. We arrive at Alice Springs to meet Pastor Rob and Pastor Basil at the Lutheran Church and this time we have all choir members fit for performance. The church has some beautiful Aboriginal art on the altar, and some of the hymns are sung in Pitjatjantjara and English. "It was a privilege to sing in language in Church this morning. It was hard to connect with the aboriginal people there but some of us did and every bit of it was worthwhile" "So wonderful to see so many teenage aboriginal people in church, speaking & singing in their own beautiful language. Their beautiful, spiritual humility and quiet values" 10.45am.. We sang three songs and are warmly received by the congregation who donate over $200 to our tour. After the service we mingle wth them as they are keen to learn more about our journey. One choir member met a man originally from Moree who knew a lot of his own family mob from Biripi. Pastor Rob kindly takes us, in his robes, in the church bus, to Todd Street Mall for two gigs. "I came all this way and met someone who was almost a relative, and he encouraged me that I have to go North to meet the rest of my family" 12 noon...Punctuality is a bit wayward for some of us but we eventually start our first set 3/4hr late, once again many locals have sat patiently to wait for the show, watching us all the while and smiling. Once we start, a lot of shoppers gather to listen including Reg from Remote Tours and his dog. We are really pleased to also see one of the original Sydney Street Choir members, Harrison, who is now living in Alice Springs. He was at the very first rehearsal back in 2001 with Jonathon Welch. We also start talking to Eco Brian, who as a young boy was homeless on the streets of Adelaide, and now works in Alice Springs. "It was great to see Harrison, I remember him and didn't know where he went" 1pm Our second gig begins more promptly. We sing two new songs; we have re written the lyrics to one song. This is an important aspect of the choir. The song is Midnight Special an old blues number and very popular at local parties. Our version focuses on respect for each other and for Aboriginal people and their culture. The other new song is Yiluleh, a beautiful hymn written by Joe Gaiyer. We invite Eco Brian up on stage and he sings a beautifully moving song, unaccompanied, about his life. Both Brian & Harrison join us on stage for our last song, One Day At A Time. While we are singing two of our volunteers, sell cds to passers by. One of the passers by is Maurice, Choir Director of Asante Sana Choir. The CD sellers talk about a get together later. After some time for another wander around the mall, we head for the supermarket to re stock supplies. "There were lots of people and people were coming up to us saying how good we were, how well we sung and how happy we came to town. It's a shame that there was public domestics amongst us after this gig but it's understandable because we're a group together all the time and we have our tiffs. It's all part of the journey." 7pm.. A lot of us try to out-do the two professional photographers on tour by taking shots of the amazingly red sunset. Satisfied with our snaps, we eat dinner which consists of a BBQ and baked vegetables. Many people on the tour are shining in the kitchen in various ways, and tonight is no different as we get freshly made pancakes (not a packet mix) and ice cream. Some people choose to watch the closing ceremony Olympics, but for most of us the 2008 Olympics have passed us by, replaced by something far more memorable and spiritual.
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Monday 25th August 9am.. We're off to ABC Alice Springs to record an interview with Stewart Brash. We sing two songs and then some of the choir members are interviewed, talking about the history of the group, and our journey through the Northern Territory. After this.. a caffeine fix (has become another important ritual on this trip)! A massage is also given to one of the group who is lying on the footpath in the main street with a sore back. Three security guards venture along wondering what is happening. 10am.. We are off to Hermannsburg but we don't have our PA plus our violinist's bow needs some running repairs so it's back to our Seven Mile Accommodation. We don't have the key, Alf who runs the place speedily darts back from Alice to help out, whataguy. 11:30am.. Finally we're off to Hermannsburg in a bus kindly donated to us by the Salvation Army. The bus is fitted with wheel chair access so four of us sit on the floor at the back, wondering what the scenery is like along the way. Apparently we are on a fairly flat plain with mountain ranges on two sides. Arriving at Hermannsburg we cook a barbeque lunch and meet David and Lilian Roennfeldt and some of the members of the Ntaria Womens' Choir. 2:45pm.. We arrive at the local school. The children are incredibly enthusiastic, flashing beautiful smiles, especially the younger ones when a microphone or camera is nearby. Our first song is Yililuleh. We perform a few more and then the kids know Jesus Loves Me and Kum Bah Yah, so we sing those together. David Roennfeldt leads the children in a song which contains a reference to witchetty grubs. We finish by singing our version of Midnight Special, and the kids join in on the chorus. 3:30pm.. It's over to the old church to hear a few songs from the Ntaria Choir. There are only four singers but they fill the church with their beautiful harmonies sung in their language. We sing "One Day at a Time" . And then the ladies invite us to sing a song with them, a privilege we accept with gratitude, so we sing Amazing Grace in English, then they continue in in the local Pitjantjatjara language, then we finish in English again. We beg for more singing, even though the cultural centre is supposed to close. We all sing Kum Bay Yah in Pitjantjatjara. The women sing another hymn for us and then the staff's hospitality continues at the Kata Anga tea room where we are given free tea, coffee and piping hot scones. "The women's choir sounded like angels" 5pm.. It's time to head back to our camp. In the back of the bus various games are played. A request is made for Corn Flakes so we stop off at a supermarket and satisfy the urge. Even the IGA is a different experience in the Territory. 10pm.. A few members have been very unhappy with other members & volunteers & activities. There has been lots of talking loudly about this unhappiness and a few "I'd be on the next plane home if there was one". At the same time, other members who have had their rough patches earlier in the trip are now helping to soothe those spirits who are currently uncomfortable on tour. All the volunteers are feeling a need to get away and are currently partying in Alice Springs together to get some space, some time, and some support from each other.
Hello,
I was
recently on a trip with other travel agents and happened to be at
Hermannsburg on 25 Aug when the Sydney Street Choir sang.
It was one
of those magic unexpected moments and the highlight of my tour!
I have
enormous admiration for the choir members and the volunteers /
organisers ,You are all an inspiration! I am posting a cheque for
$300 and wish you all many years of success. Thank
you. Margie
Heffernan, Manager, Duck
Creek Mountain Travel
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  Tuesday 26th August 9:15am.. We have a group meeting as tensions in the group are at a level unseen ever in the history of SSC. The offer is made to allow anyone who is feeling tired to go home. Frustrations are raised and everyone agrees to pull together for the last leg of the journey, those who have been expressing the desire to leave choose to stay and work harder at being respectful and kind to all. We also remind ourselves of how close we have grown as a group and how well we have communicated most of the conflicts. 10:30am.. The morning coffee ritual begins our last full day in the Alice. There will be a definite drop in caffeine sales when we leave, but the benefits will flow onto our other stops. 11:00am.. We are at Alice Springs hospital to bring some cheer to workers and patients. We start in the reception area for 3 songs. The first song is What You Make Is What You Get, an original song by one of the choir members.The significance of the words of this song as we sing it are apparent to all, after the last 2 days of conflicts, as an affirmation of self-responsibility and personal power. We also sing 'Shining Heart' . '" It was a really good feeling to sing Shining Heart. We got a great response, as seen by one of the workers buying our cd. One of the doctors is flirting with the idea of inviting the choir to New Zealand" We venture further down the corridor and are able to continue our performance with 3 more songs, despite trolleys wheeling by and Peter being kicked out of the way by one of the patients. We then move to the outdoor cafe area, with the aid of the ladies in the canteen who assist with electrical connections for 3 more, then up to one of the wards to sing 3 more We see again how music lifts the spirits of the choir members and their audiences. We are also given a personal Welcome to Country from Frank Ansell a traditional custodian of Alice Springs. "It was really interesting meeting Frank Ansell, a traditional custodian of Alice Springs and medicine man. Frank has family from Biripi living in the mid north coast of NSW where Charles is from, yet another connection." 1:30pm. Back to one of the shopping centres where two of our volunteers have prepared a hearty lunch for us in the food court. Centre management are a bit concerned about us taking the seats of other patrons, eating a picnic bought at their supermarket, but everything works out. 4:00pm.. We are at Ayiparinya Hostel and sing our last gig for the day. Steve from CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Assoc) radio is there also and interviews Charles about his life and the Sorry song we sing. We are quite tired now after lots of singing, and go in search of the Joey rescue Centre for orphaned kangaroos, but we are unable to find it so we go back to camp. 7:30pm.. We are joined for dinner by some members of Asante Sana (an Alice Springs choir that meets 4 months out of 12 to learn repertoire for a desert music festival). They are more than welcome because they bring food. We join hands outside and sing Amazing Grace with eyes closed to experiment with harmonies. In the spirit of the Two Hearts tour we teach each other a song. We move inside and continue our concert, and hear their African harmonies, then we sing a boisterous set. The night finishes with a communal "I'm on my way", members from both choirs improvise, making up their own verses. It is a great uplifting way to end our time in Alice Springs. " Last night was a great night with Asante Sana choir, we had good fun singing with them, I thought it was one of our best nights, and especially with Charles on the didgeridoo."
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Wednesday 27th August
9am.. We are re-united with Reg our bus driver and he performs his amazing feat of packing the trailer. We leave about 10:00 and stop for a short break to ride camels and sing Happy Birthday to our our documentary maker. Some of the group even buy a coffee! "I had camel ride and I felt like I was riding one of the champion horses in the Melbourne Cup.": 1pm.. We leave the Stuart Highway, our artery since Darwin and turn on to the Lasseter Highway. Reg tells us about Lasseter's fateful search for gold and the importance of reading treasure maps the right way round. We have lunch at Mt Ebenezer roadhouse, owned by the local indigenous community. While eating, we talk to a bus driver returning from Uluru who saw us perform in Alice Springs. Inside the roadhouse we can see some of the local women doing paintings which are sold in the gallery. The owner of the roadhouse kindly offers to sell some of our cds in his cafe. 3pm.. We leave the Lasseter Highway and are now on the Luritja Highway. The landscape changes suddenly to be filled with Desert Oaks, endemic to this area. They look like Australian Christmas trees, and can hold up to 30 litres of water in their trunk. The ground is also a rich red sandy colour, We stop on this highway to collect firewood for tonight's food extravaganza. Reg rips out his chain saw again, but unfortunately breaks it in his effort to carve up another trunk. 5:30pm.. We are in Watarrka National Park, and set up camp at Kings Creek Station where petrol is now $2:20 a litre. The camp site is well grassed and we lay out our swags. Reg cooks up a feast including a Yummo Vegemite chicken, yes it really does have vegemite in it. 8pm.. Most of us have planned a quiet night looking for shooting stars and searching for Zodiac signs in the Milky Way filled sky. Our search soon focuses on things of a more terrestrial nature when we realise one of the choir members has not turned up for dinner. Concerned for his welfare Reg organises us with torches to sweep around the camp site. Other campers help, and one of the rangers goes off in his buggy to check the roadside and the back of the camp. Eventually our choir member is found under a picnic bench, lying face down on the ground. He says the last thing he remembers is seeing stars and then everything went black. Our nurse reckons he may have fainted. The King's Creek Manager calls the registered nurse from King's Canyon Resort to examine him. Connie travels 60 kms in a 4WD ambulance and pronounces that everything is fine with the patient. When she realises that the patient is a member of the Sydney Street Choir she is really excited to meet him. We give her and the ranger a copy of our cd, which our recovering patient autographs. Our tour nurse and his buddy monitor him throughout the night for signs of concussion. 10:30pm.. An early night is had by everyone as we have to get up early
for our trip tomorrow. The wind is strong and rustles through the desert
oaks, but it is not as gusty as our night in Wauchope. All of us sleep
outside except one member who has been upgraded to Reg's trailer
(again!).
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Thursday 28 August 3am...Disturbed night for some as our wayward choir member awakes, walks with volunteers and develops a worrying headache before falling back to sleep.... 6:30am..yummo breakfast is followed by a trip on the bus to King's Canyon with rain clouds and thunder all around. A decision is made to stay on the bus and forfeit an opportunity for some to do a 3 hour climb around the canyon in favour of coffee back a the Kings Canyon Resort followed by a shorter, less strenuous Canyon Walk with singing in the heart of the Canyon. Unfortunately the service station didn't even have instant coffee and the cafe wasn't open yet. The Resort restaurant is the only coffee venue open, and although the volunteers go in and pay dearly for their coffee, they treat them with disdain and ask them to be quiet as they are having too much fun in 'The Restaurant'. 9:30am...We return to King's Canyon, colourful now in our rain ponchos and garbage bags to enjoy a stroll through rich red and yellow rocks, yellow spinifex grass and saltbush. Along the pathway some of us spot a pair of very beautiful ground-dwelling birds who peck at seeds and copulate to our amazement and amusement. 11:00am...at the end of our walk and surrounded by imposing rock edifices we find a place to sing Son of Biripi and Sorry. Sound is first recorded and then a video recording made. It is hard to convey the magic imparted in these performances, with the face of each choir member illuminated by a sudden burst of sunlight through black clouds and wonderful expression. Reg tells us a moving story about the death of a Stolen Generation woman and a subsequent violent storm, and we are left to ponder our intense emotions as a result of being in such an incredible place. 1:00pm.. back at camp for a pack up and lunch, Yummo! A last minute shop for ice creams and coffee before we set off for our final destination - Uluru. 3:00pm...A short stop at Curtin Springs for a leg stretch with nosey emus and aviary birds, and to read amusing signs and bawdy but revealing horoscopes... 4:00pm...We watch the rain clouds build, the lightning from this morning return. Captain Yummo tells the group about his love of rainbows and encourages everyone to focus their thoughts on a small crack in the sky to draw a bright stream of radiant light into a bigger stream around our bus. No one imagines this will happen, let alone the halo of a double rainbow over the bus! Incredulous, everyone leaps off the bus into the rain and sunshine to dance and whoop, finally calming down long enough to pose for a wild group shot under the rainbow. Wow, how can we top this? Elated, we get back on the bus and long for our first sight of the Rock. 6:00pm....finally at camp and we are satisfied with our first glimpse of the Rock at sunset and our campground. On to the hustle and bustle of unpacking swags, finding bags and chopping vegies for dinner. 8:00pm....at last, time to relax. Or perhaps a respite only as a few problems brew and counselling by volunteers is required until late in the night. "The two rainbows were like Mother Nature welcoming us, the Two Hearts Tour, to the spiritual heart of Australia." "I looked at the light and wished for a happy ending for our road trip. I drew the light to me and imagined it growing. Suddenly the vision came true. I loved it and I was happy to be there with my friends.."
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Friday 29th August 6:00pm ... we are at the Coach Campground at Yulara Resort thanks to Vicki at Adventure Tours (yummo says Captain Reg!). As another tour bus pulls out for sunrise at the Rock, many of us are still tucked in our warm swags and bags in fixed tent city, although one adventurous choir member gets up to watch the sunrise from a hilltop with Reg. 9:00am....Gathering our water bottles, hats, sunscreen and cameras for our monumental first visit to Uluru to realise the final part of an awesome, miraculous, and very spiritual journey by Choir members, choir director and volunteers. This morning our doco crew go their separate way to leave us to take our happy snaps of each other with Captain Yummo as tour guide around the foothills of the Rock. Reg tells us about the significance of Aboriginal rock paintings and colourings, with red ochre for male and white for female images. We all feel incredibly relaxed. " I've seen many photos of Uluru but nothing can prepare you for seeing the grandeur of the size and the colour of it." "In the women's place I could see clearly the shape of a uterus on Uluru." "It makes me queasy to think of it as a brain." 11:00am...Yummo reparks the bus closer to where we have ambled to collect us for a trip to the "Brain" which is a rock edifice resembling an x-ray profile of an aboriginal male head and exposed brain. This is the location for our group shot with the Rock behind us, recorded on ten separate cameras (thanks Reg!). 12:00pm....a trip to the Visitors' Centre to see expansive range of artwork and read about bush tucker, and Tjukurpa which is the knowledge handed down through generations. A chance meeting between our nurse volunteer and Pastor Ezekiel and Millie of the Lutheran Church in Mutitjulu ensures our invitation into the Mutitjulu Community for a meeting tomorrow and the realisation of another dream. A choir member talks to Millie and discovers they have a shared experience of Stolen Generation children. 1:00pm.... back at camp for barbeque lunch and salad. Some of us need washing done, then there is the BLOG to catch up on, and off to an internet kiosk to hopefully get it online for all our friends and supporters back home to read. Reg kindly chaperones the choir director, a choir member, and a few volunteers to Mutitjulu community to meet Ezekiel and Millie to firm up arrangements for the last gig on Sunday morning at the Lutheran Church. They aim to meet Bob Randall from the Stolen Generation and producer, writer and subject of the film Kanyini. 5:00pm... A meeting of volunteers and choir members is held to address a few concerns about group dynamics. This ends with the nurse volunteer and choir director breaking some great news: not only have they met Bob Randall, the singer of "they stole my brown skin baby away" fame in Mutitjulu, who issued an invitation to visit him tomorrow, but we also have a gig at Voyages Resort Yulara, thanks to a Flying Doctor meeting our nurse va-va-vroom volunteer! 6:00pm...Elated we climb the closest hill to watch the sunset and sing to Reg's mother on her birthday. The Flying Doctor turns up for a chat with all. 7:00pm...another Yummo dinner down and we all retire early to bed as it buckets down rain, and a few tents start to leak....
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Saturday 30 August
6:00am...rain is still pouring down on our fixed tents as Reg yells out "Hello Reg's family, please stay in bed as we are not going to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) after all. Most of us are glad for a sleep in... 8:30am...breakfast and discussions about how to work around the rain. Some of us are confident about it clearing in the afternoon, so we head towards the Resort for a bit of coffee (again, and again), shopping (yes), and for one choir member a quick dip in the Resort pool. 12:00pm...we drag ourselves away from the Resort to head back to camp and a quick lunch and rehearsal of "Sorry" at Ewing lookout.. 2:00pm...we travel to our favourite spot near Uluru for a few photos before heading into Mutitjulu with cakes and a billy of tea to share. We get some waves from people in the community, and chased by dogs who end up befriending us. 3:00pm....we are at Bob Randall's house, looking at his vegie garden where he is propagating fruit and vegetable plants for future planting in every garden at Mutitjulu. The plan is for the community to grow their own food to supplement overpriced and hard to find vegies and fruit. We see our first Quandong tree and the spectacular view from his backyard of Uluru! 5:00pm...we leave Bob's after meeting with him and his son-in-law Bill Redfern, shared cake and tea, performed "Sorry" and "One Day at A Time" for Bob, meet the dogs and watch an unforgettable film about the Stolen Generation called "Kanyini" which reduces a few of us to tears. Bob is also moved by the Choir's performance. A fantastic and spiritual exchange is enjoyed by all. 6:00pm...we see the sunset at the Women's meeting place on the Mutitjulu side of Uluru and witness a magical sight: sparkling water in a previously dry waterhole, glistening now with the results of heavy rain pooling and pouring all over the Rock. Some of us meditate and others drink in the magical beauty untouched nature. 8:00pm...Unfortunately Voyages Resort Yulara disallow the gig at their amphitheatre for Occupational Health and Safety reasons, so instead the choir put on a show at their campsite inviting the Flying Doctors as well as the local tour groups in the camp city. The fire is big, the dew heavy; the voices celebrate with the joy of sharing. The night ends in karaoke. Some stay up by the fire talking their truths into the night.
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Sunday 31st August
6:00am...Two choir members haven't slept. "Time is too short in this beautiful country for that", they say. We all get up early for breakfast before sunrise with the aim of making the lookout to watch the sun come up and have a photo shoot. 10:00am we enter Mutitjulu to attend the Lutheran Church service. It is held solely in Pitjantjatjara, and after some hymns and readings the choir take their place at the front of the church to sing "Sorry". This whole tour started three years ago because the choir members wanted to say "Sorry" to Aboriginal people because John Howard at the time was doing nothing. This offering of our original words and music was the emotional fulfilment of a very long-awaited communication. The Two Hearts Tour is complete. The pillows and sheets provided by St Vincent De Paul Ozanam Outreach in Darwin were donated to the Mutijulu community along with some of our clothes, and remaining food tins we received in Sydney through Oz Harvest. The congregation sang to us as we left on the bus to go the airport. What an amazing experience, and each day of the Tour was filled will many of these experiences. We were touched by the tremendous support we received by St Vincent De Paul Society (Darwin) and Virgin Blue who funded some of our airfares. We were also thankful for the support we received along the route from Annie Gastin of ABC Radio Darwin, the Salvation Army and Baptist Church (Alice Springs), Lutheran Churches (Alice Springs and Mutijulu), Outback Church (Tennant Creek), Australian Indigenous Mission (Elliott), Tracks of the Desert (Alice Springs), Alice Springs Plaza, Kingsford Smith Transport for their airport bus (Sydney), and the Alice Springs Hospital and Flying Doctor Service. Without this support we could not have achieved the Choir’s dream of travelling to Darwin and through to Uluru, with so many wonderful shared experiences along the route. We are forever grateful to Reg of Remote Tours for his patience and loving care during the two weeks of our journey south to Uluru, and to Lisa and Jamie for their expert recording of the Tour and our adventures with a video camera courtesy of The Screens in Sydney. We were thankful for toiletry bags donated by Rhonda, a NSW supporter. There were many cash donations made along the way, and those people are remembered in our hearts.
We hope you will all remain in contact us with us and take the opportunity to catch a gig or rehearsal in the future. We loved you all and so appreciated everything you did for the Choir and the Two Hearts Tour.
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SPONSORS
AND THANK YOUs... Territory Wildlife Park Darwin Camera Centre Asante
Sana Nitmiluk Tours Salvation Army Katherine Annie Gastin - ABC Radio Darwin Darwin
Chorale Choir |
Frank
Ifield Pastor Ezekial - Lutheran Church, Mutijulu Mutijulu
Community and Clinic Pastor
Rob Borgas - Lutheran
Church, Alice Springs
Vicki
at Adventure Tours Rhonda from the Blue Mountains who made the embroidered toiletry bags Xavier and the students who came to our Darwin Rehearsal an unknown donor at Mindel with $200! everyone who has generously supported our donation fund
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