We slept in fitfully this morning until the kids pestered us for food. The intention today was always to take it very easy and relax. Let's face it, we've done so much driving to get here, and there is so much more to get back up to Three Ways.
Eventually we organised ourselves, and went to visit the school of the air. It is difficult not to be overwhelmed by the effort that has gone into educating children this way, and to see the dedication of the people involved with fund raising and teaching.
We talked to the kids about their needs, and the needs of the kids in remote location out here, and they donated their ice cream money towards buying a book for the library. We were very proud of them for their sacrifice, and I hope that the kids in regional Australia get some satisfaction and joy out of the small contribution that we made.The visitors centre is a wealth of information and we were thoroughly entertained by the movie, and other interactive displays that they had.
From the School of the Air, we went across town to the RFDS. They have a new museum and theatrette that they have just opened up, with some really good displays, a flight simulator, a full size replica of the PC12 aircraft to mid body to show how the patient is carried and what other equipment is on board, many variants of the early Traeger Radios and a medical supply box from the 50's which had some rather questionable remedies in it. The Movie that they showed was also extremely informative and inspiring with some of the first hand testimonial of the RFDS good work.
We took a quick trip into town for a walk through the Todd Street Mall so I could go and have a didge' lesson, but we were too late and arrived half way through the class. The kids were busting out of their skin to go throw their boomerangs, and after much harassment, I finally agreed to take them to an oval so that they could have a throw. Rowan took off and was having a ball, and Ashley did a cracker throw that came 3/4 of the way back. His second throw flopped a bit, and the 3rd throw went straight into the ground and 2 pieces of boomerang bounced back into the air. Lisa and I exchanged nervous glances of "Oh no, this can't be good" and the waterworks started. The tears lasted for almost 2 hours, and there was a very sad young man in our midst. Some fatherly advice coaxed him back into good spirits, but Oom Darryl will need to be prepared for Ashley to ask for assistance to make his own boomerang. (Apparently I am not worthy and Oom Darryl is good with wood working.)
The kids have run into the friends that they made whilst they were in Broome, and we had a very pleasant afternoon mostly. I sat down to a long and in depth discussion with my friend Jack Daniels, and played my guitar till I flayed the skin off my fingertips. The kids were showered early and we made our plans for the monster pork dinner of the gods.
Finally I had Lisa bring me a knife to butterfly our butterfly fillet, as there was no way this 2 inch thick pork was ever going to be ready.
Finally I had this thing cooked and ready to return to the caravan. Rowan had been zooming around on his scooter because he was too bored to stay in the caravan. I was just finishing saying goodbye to the nice people I was chatting to when I heard thunk, thud and blood curdling screams. Rowan had ridden his scooter into a bench seat, stacking it face first into the corner of the bench. He has skinned his chin and bitten a nice neat 5mm hole through his tongue that was still bleeding when he went to bed. My jacket will need another wash to get the bloodstains out. It just wouldn't be right to not have the first aid kit out.
In the end, he is a trooper and he ate most of his dinner, even offering to eat the rest of his sister's pork for her.
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