Kullarri NAIDOC Festival

Today was the start of NAIDOC Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee). Well actually it has moved on to a much larger community event now (from our Port Hedland days of 11 years ago), and now runs for 15 days! So today we joined the happy crowd taking the Reconciliation Walk through the central streets of Broome and out to the Town of Broome offices. Along the walk all the traffic was stopped. Lots of holiday makers and locals honked their horns to support the walk. It was great fun. There were also many dogs taking the walk including Midget! We also walked past the Broome Prison enroute to the civic hub of Broome. I was surprised to find all the Aboriginal inmates were proudly standing in a nice line out the front of the jail with a guard watching them. Fabulous speeches were made by Maryanne Martin, (I think she’s sister of Carol Martin, the state member), who helped start BRAMS (Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service) and its their 30th Anniversary this year. A very humble dynamo in this reach mulitcultural community. Another famous Broome local, Pat Dodson also gave a fabulous speech, as he always does! After enjoying the proceedings’ we stayed for morning tea then wandered back into town. Since our arrival, we’d done a great job of helping Ange procrastinate being at work. So this time we escorted her back to work, to make sure she actually turned up!

We arrived home to find our ladder finally arrive not long after! Steve celebrated by going fishing on the jetty with midget! Didnt catch a thing!