Visiting the West Katherine Region with the Katherine School of the Air
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Spike and Eddie visit Doojum with Lena, Sherrita and KB
One day we went out on patrol with a couple of teachers, Sue and Yve, from Katherine School of the Air.
We left Katherine at 7:30 am and drove out along the Victoria Highway almost as far as the Western Australian border. It took a long time! We turned off at the Keep River National park and drove along a dirt road to Doojum Community. Four children came out to greet us. Lena, the oldest, said " Did you know, Eddie, that our word for frilled neck lizard is 'Gultan'?". Well, I didn't know that so I was really pleased that she told me.
Lena and Sherrita
Lena, Sue and KB
Spike and I lazed about on the verandah while Sue and Yve did some school work with three of the children. The fourth child, Kalem, was only 2 years old, but he had a good time playing with some toys while the others worked.
Lena, Yve and KB.
When the kids had finished school for the afternoon Sherrita asked us if we wanted to go swimming. Of course we said yes and we all got in the school "troop carrier" and headed for the swimming hole. It was cool in the water and Lena showed us how she could climb up the tree and jump off a high branch..... too scary for us to try!
KB, Lena, Sherrita and Kalem.
After we had all cooled down we got back in the "Troop carrier" and Sherrita, Lena and KB showed us where the Butterfly place is. We parked by a great big Boab tree and then we walked along a path to a small cave. There were hundreds of blue-black butterflies everywhere! It was beautiful and cool in there.
Lena and KB in the Butterfly Cave.
On our way back KB showed us a long snake skin lying beside a rock. I was glad the snake wasn't there still.
At 5 o'clock we said good-bye to the kids and headed off to camp at one of the National Park camp grounds with the teachers. They were going back the next morning to do more school work with the kids and to show them what work they had to do for the next 5 weeks. We headed off back to the Victoria Highway to visit some more of the Baines Cluster kids.
What a great time we had - now on to Mistake Creek!