Photos Of My Arnhem Land Garden
My garden’s starting to get quite good now. I eat out of it every day - mainly green leafy stuff, but some beans as well. Here’s some pics of some of the plants growing in it… … Read more »
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The Barge From Darwin To Arnhem Land
I’ve heard several people say that Maningrida’s “cut off” for at least six months of the year - because lots of Arnhem Land between here and where the tarred road starts, near Jabiru, is flooded and you can’t drive along the road.
But “cut off” is a rather melodramatic exaggeration. There are two flights between here and Darwin each day, except Saturday and Sunday - when there’s only one. And there’s a cargo barge that comes from (and goes back to) Darwin twice a week. … Read more »
Tax Bill
I got a letter from the tax office today - a notice of assessment. It said i owe them ten thousand dollars! :0
From the look of it, they taxed me on the money i earned working in Afghanistan… 
That was a bit of a worry, as i thought i wouldn’t have to pay tax on that in Australia, as i’d been working over there for more than 90 days. … Read more »
Alcohol Permits
We got official word from the Northern Territory alcohol commission (i think) today, about the situation under new alcohol ban laws, brought in as part of the federal government’s “intervention” in Aboriginal communities in the Territory. The letter was a bit ambiguous and the person who deals with alcohol permits at the council interpreted it in a different way to me.
It said existing permits will still be valid. She thought this meant that the existing permit system would still be in place (and therefore new ones could be issued) - whereas i didn’t see there was any indication that new permits would be issued. However, it wouldn’t seem to make any sense to allow people with existing permits to continue drinking - but not be able to issue new ones. … Read more »
Three Month Itch
The three month point, in any job i’ve ever done, is always a critical period. It’s when i’ve had enough and start seriously thinking about leaving! Well, i will have been here three months in a week or so - and the three month itch has set in already.
It’s partly the job and partly the place. The job’s mostly fairly boring - and mostly way too stressful. Almost all - or maybe all - of the stress comes from having to manage Community Development Employment Program workers. The CDEP is an Aboriginal “work for the dole” scheme that’s been going since the Whitlam years in the 70s. It was phased out in all of the rest of Australia last year, i think, and it’s supposed to be ending in the Northern Territory by the end of this year (maybe - nobody seems to know). … Read more »