Kalkarindji, NT - Day 12

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.

Feeling a bit of a mixed bag of emotions as we drive out through this beautiful part of country we’ve been lucky enough to spend time in. Could have had much more was the general consensus I believe.

A couple of us managed to get to the school earlier in the day to talk with a few of the teachers we met around town. It was great to get in some last minute questions floating around in our heads for our designs for the kids. 
In a remote town emptied of opportunity and filled with poverty, it was often hard to see how we could make a real impact. Countless conversations by the camp fire stimulated discussions about the limitations of architecture in addressing social issues. However, as we lifted the last shovel full of rock and sand into the concrete mixer we turned our gaze to the completed Big Shady across the road. It was full of families and the children were dancing. We accomplished something.