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May 30th 2013

Published: June 1st 2013

Believe it or not a blog without photos.

30th. We visited the Kimberley School of the Air, what an incredibly interesting experience. We had a guided tour of the facility and the school system was explained to us. We then piled into a studio and watched and listened in to a lesson for year 2/3's. Gone are the radio's. The teacher and students are all connected via satillite and the internet and use a program to interact. Everyone is seeing exactly the same thing and the teacher has put together lessons in powerpoint which is broadcast as they move through the learning experience. One comment by the teacher is that by introducing this technology which is only available to the students and not using the radio a community link has been lost. People used to listen in to the lessons and follow how the kids were doing. Even the CWA held their meetings via the radio, maybe they still do.

The teacher had sent out theme dolls to each person in the class and they had to undertake to guide these 'people' and write about them in a travel diary which moves around with them.

I had best explain more fully. One set of dolls was a retired couple travelling around, another was an emergency service worker, a third a family with the man being dressed in surgical scrubs and a fourth a young back packer, there are 10 different sets. The kids have these for two weeks and in that time they have to undertake activities with and for the 'people' after that they cycle on to another student along with their diary and any possessions they have gathered. The kids talk about what they have been doing with and for their charges. The retired couple had been painting the house, doing some minor repairs and gardening. They had also joined the station family for a family picnic and a movie night. The emergency worker was undertaking secret investigations on behalf of the government. The young backpacker was taking on the role of the School of the Air tutor and she and her charge had made a swag for her. etc. What wonderful imaginations these kids had and they were so comfortable with the technology they used.

When they wanted to say something they clicked on an icon and a tick appeared next to their name. The teacher referred to this as having their hand up. Some things never change.

The next part of the lesson was about the concept of 'need vs want' based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The kids had this pegged in the first minute. Food was a need but chocolate was a want.

We paid $10 and purchased a book for the library and our name and where we live was pasted on the inside. The people at the KSOTA were a happy lot who really enjoyed what they did. Very impressive.

31st we did our final stocking up for the next part of the trip including visiting a butcher who vacuum packed our meat into meal size portions for free and I prepared the lamb shanks in spiced red lentils and put it into the ecopot to cook. GMan and I then spent a lazy day reading and doing little jobs every now and then.

Dave and Shirley arrived late in the afternoon and we did what little we could to help them set up until we could finally sit down and catch up. Had a lovely meal and talk before heading off to bed around 9pm, the latest we have been up since we left home.

Shirley was wearing a very interesting pair or shoes made by Shimano they are called "Evair". Not unlike a croc but a full shoe with a velcro fitting, they are fishing shoes (the internet research helped on all that detail, BCF are the where Shirley got hers). They are cheaper than crocs and more substantial.

31st. We all headed out to go to the CWA markets and ended up at Woolies. Amazingly there was a camping shop across the road so GMan and I headed off to look for shoes like Shirleys. The soles in our $3 croc rip offs from Cheap as Chips are wearing very thin, I think they will go to their maker after we have trundled through tunnel creek in them. We didn't manage to get Shimanos but did get some full shoes with velcro fittings called "Aussie Dawgs" and they were on special. Next the fuel station where we managed to fill up and off to the markets. The Checkout chick told us where they were being held.

The markets were a disappointment really. There was some lovely jewellery and photo prints the rest was really just junk.

Shirley and Dave headed off for a day of sight seeing and we settled in with our kindles. Late in the afternoon we all headed for the jetty where we watched another sunset and the water gushing in contributing to high tide. We all got barramundi and chips and went back to the caravan park for dinner.

23 years ago when we first came up this way we lasted less than a day in Broome and headed over to Derby instead. We loved it here then and we have not changed out minds. Derby is our sort of place.

We are heading off this morning to Wanjana Gorge where we will overnight. We expect to be out of telecommunications range until we get to Kununurra on 9th June and I will post another blog there. The next part of the trip is filled with lots of sights, so I may have to send several reports.

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