Thursday 16th August –Ravenshoe to Normanton
This was our first long, straight drive and at around 600 kilometres it was enough to keep a chiropractor in business. We had no mobile phone signal throughout and whilst succumbing to the myth taught to every overseas traveler –“You need to check under the toilet seat for redbacks when you use an outback dunnie” –I discovered a frog occupying the loo in the ladies toilet. See the video here.
Throughout the entire journey we saw hundreds upon hundreds of ant hills posing like bronze statues in the scrub. There were also clusters of large spider webs visible from the track.
As a testament to the vastness of the Australian outback, as we were travelling along Route 1 –the primary artery of the nation, servicing gigantic road trains and the bulk of interstate travel –it became a single track with a thin layer of tarmac and red earth on either side for passing vehicles.
For the first time in our stay we entered an alcohol restricted area. Many areas populated with aboriginal Australians have restricted sales of alcohol because indigenous Australians are biologically more susceptible to alcoholism. Social order in many indigenous communities has broken down due to addiction. As a result, a state of emergency has been declared in some areas and special teams of army personnel, social workers and medical staff are intervening to help the locals tackle the “rivers of grog” that are destroying rural life.
Aboriginal Australians have historically had a spiritual connection with the land they occupy and this has been evident at the many cultural markers we have seen on our journey. Unfortunately, John Howard’s intervention policy has the scope to suspend land title for five years which would take back indigenous land rights into federal government hands.
Although the interventions threaten to inflame the deeply emtoive issue of land ownership, Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major said last night on Enough Rope that she supports immediate action to stop abuse in remote communities, however imperfect the current policy may be.
As it was, Normanton had a rather unique licensed premises, the Purple Pub. A large neon creation, the pub gives off a strange ultra violet aura in what is otherwise a sleepy cross-roads for travellers.
Photos and video to follow.
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