Blog

It’s a strange feeling, walking away from something you may never see again. As we sat at the airport reflecting upon the time we had spent in Kalkaringi, emotions were mixed, ultimately unsure of the lasting impact we had made, yet proud of the work we had done.

Our last day in Kalkaringi was here. We woke up and packed up all our things ready to say our last goodbyes to the community. Some of us went straight to the site where we removed the formwork to unveil BBQ 2. The patterns came out neatly and it signified the end of the construction process.

Today we woke up with mixed up feelings. It is our last official working day at Kalkaringi, the energy is definitely not the same as Day 1, but there’s eagerness and anxiety to finish up what we had started a week ago. This day became a real challenge to the team: we had to finish the furniture and the shadings for Big Shady 2.

Warmth radiated from the gorge as it found the morning sun. A wade in the cool waters of the river was needed to wake from a well earned rest.

Double R, Yamba, and Phil invited us this evening to join them at Neave Gorge, a site 45 minutes out of Kalkaringi, land of which Double R was the Traditional Owner. Having limited opportunities to swim since our arrival in Kalk, the call for floating in a freshwater gorge was the ultimate temptation, meaning an extensive to-do list on site was addressed and we were able to experience such an exceptional evening.

Waking up to the sun rising at the base of Mount Possum marked the beginning of another productive day in Kalkaringi. Arriving on site we were greeted by three horses walking through town.

What a day, Big Shady number one is UP! I’m covered in concrete dust and pretty tired, but it is exhilarating to build something. It changes the park, and adds to the shade of the tree. There is a clear connection between the built and the natural.

Another day began with a lot of expectation. After our efforts of prefabricating the pieces, it was time to begin putting up the first Shady. A truck owned by Gurindji Corporation was used to transport the tall SHS steel columns. With all hands on deck, we began moving the taller columns into the footing holes. The challenge did not end there however, as we had to keep them up while the shorter columns were put in place. Once all columns were in their footing holes, temporary cross bracing was drilled into the columns to ensure their security in place. Following this, more C purlins were used as temporary scaffolding to create a ledge for the form plywood to be attached.

Today was a really productive day. We planned on finishing early today so that we could make it to the club and meet more people from the community before it closed.

We wake up aloft a significant hill, which anomalies the flat landscape we surround.

We spend our first morning gathering supplies from Katherine and stop to watch the ANZAC Day parade through town before our long journey south.

Darwin was hot and humid, Litchfield was beautiful, but Kalkaringi remains a mystery.

Busted our guts today trying to finish off with pouring a small slab for the new pavilion! Our combined shovelling effort with the local construction team, Gurindji Corp, got us over the line in the end.

As the construction processes of both the art centre and the pavilion is approaching an end, the shipping container we used to store tools and materials is steadily becoming empty.

The day started off slower than usual, with only half the team heading off to the arts centre to continue work. Some stayed back to work on designs for the seating of Big Shady, while others enjoyed a leisurely swim by the water hole.

This morning we had 3 days left in our programme; David had written a to-do list.  Just after sunrise on site we gathered as David, James, Vic and Dan ran through a structured team approach to the build. We then separated into two groups to attack what seemed like a mountain of work; one group on Big Shady, another on the arts centre.

We had the most beautiful lunch with the Artists and their families today. We learnt about the cooking of Kangaroo tail, helping to wrap in foil and bury in hot coals beneath the fire. Together we enjoyed the little yarns with meal of sandwiches and bits of chopped tail with baked sweet potato. Out of it all it was a chance for our groups to intertwine and learn stories from each other. It’s nice to feel their excitement to share their culture with the younger generations.

It was supposed to be a little cooler today, but if anything it feels hotter. The heat dictates everything here. The design for the Art Centre addition is heavily perforated to allow for cross ventilation. We start early to avoid the sun at its strongest. Water is constantly being handed about. The roof isn't finished as it would be foolish to spend the afternoon exposed on hot corrugated iron. Heat takes ownership of the day.

Arriving to site this morning, the town was noticeably quieter. Today was the Anzac Day public holiday, marked by a dawn service on the memorial hill behind the arts centre. It was an interesting sight to see the row of cars on the ridge beside the memorial, lined in a row like ants along the usually unobstructed hills.

My hands are covered with powdery steel dust smeared with sweat and dirt. But lingering stronger, a fragrant bush medicine plant that Penny from the Art Centre showed us. This is just one of the many opportunities we’ve been lucky enough to learn from the culture of Kalkarindji.

Up at the crack of dawn to the sound of mooing cows who share our paddock, we were quick to head to site to get started before the heat of the day.

Today we were introduced to the community, meeting Phil from Gurindjicorp and Penny from the art centre. It was inspiring for us to hear first hand, from the people in the community, that our work here in Kalkarindji is an important piece of a much bigger picture.

On Thursday, having all arrived in the NT, we met to camp at Edith Falls, 40 minutes out of Katherine and about half way to this year's build at Kalkarindji. We all got up at the crack of dawn, packed, and headed up the hill to the 'upper pool'. The watering hole was stunning, and there was not a croc in sight. Feeling as though we could've easily spent the day or more dipping in and out of the water, we soaked up our 30 minutes of bliss.

Day 9 was an exciting day on site at the Wadeye Media pavilion. It was a Tuesday, the day after the Queen’s Birthday. Whilst being irrelevant for nearly everybody everywhere (well, the footy was a thrilling see-sawing affair with quite a few magpie totems in the crowd), the Bower team celebrated, as it meant we could finally get our hands on some smooth concrete mixed in the barrel of a truck, rather than a gritty brew inside a rusty old wheelbarrow.

Nearing the end of the Bower 17 build phase, the Pavilion was taking shape and almost at a point of completion. The last of the formwork was assembled and positioned ready for the following day’s pour. The A/V equipment was also securely mounted within the Media Box and all cabling was organized to provide a clear area for internal storage.

After a night camping among the sand dunes at Wadeye Beach, the moon hung low on the horizon as we drove in to town for another days work.  It was straight back into the finalizing of various tasks from the previous afternoon - completing the formwork for more bench seats around the screen, while work continued on the fixing and replacing of the roof purlins in the old pavilion roof structure.

The day begun in a flurry of dust and sweat. An early start saw the weary eyed travellers on site at 7:30am but ready to battle.

It was a busy day on site; two concrete pours, and the arrival of Stewart and Astrid from ARUP, and Lyndon Ormond-Parker. The pavilion is starting to take shape into the media cultural hub of Wadeye and there is lots of keen community interest.

Concrete concrete concrete concrete concrete concrete concrete concrete…. the concrete arrived! Yay!

The Wadeye Media Box really started to take shape today with the installation of the frame for the screen, an electricity pole to connect the Box to the streets power line, and the formwork being set out for the seating around the screen. Also the pavilion was neatened up by removing some old insulation that was decaying and hanging down (see picture).

The first day began meeting Mark Crocombe at the Kanamkek-Yile Ngala Museum, a history centre containing Wadeye’s story of a shared cultural ethos between Rainbow, a culturally significant figure within the Thamarrurr region, and Father Docherty, a prominent catholic missionary.