Dhambala Dreaming

We arrived on Elcho Island on the tail of 100km per hour gale force winds stirred up by a cyclone forming in the Gulf of Carpenteria. After a night in Galiwin'ku (the town on the island Nathan (who has come along for 10 days to help me settle in) and I moved into a small house right on the beach in a homeland called Dhambala (about 4 kms from Galiwin'ku).

Dhambala is home to one of the T.O.'s (Traditional Owners) of Elcho island and his family. They live in two houses and I'm in the third house, so I have been very lucky to find myself living in a small, tight-knit community. The T.O. and his family have made me feel very welcome. On the first night he showed me how to run the deisel generator which supplies power to our houses and we had a great chat about art and culture and Yolgnu (local Aboriginal people) and Balanda (white people) living and working together.

Below are some snapshots of the house I am calling home for the next 12 months and the beach at Dhambala which is about 4 metres from my back door when the tide is in. It is a magical spot.