Friday, July 07, 2006

I am at Bourke- Far West NSW [ In Australia if you want to indicate somewhere is remote then you say it at the back of Bourke] . the land is very flat and dry – semi arid. The first time I came out this way I first thought how tough the land was but as I spent time walking around and taking a closer look I started to realize how fragile and vulnerable it really is. Much of it is only just surviving- it can barely support western style farming.
Due to little rain many years a farmer can’t put a crop in and the mighty Darling River is barely a trickle because of water harvesting. and it is the most unhealthy shade of green dur to poisonous algae blooms....


This trip I have visited a number of towns I have not been to before and am feeling very sad. I grew up with violent, alcoholic parents and so from a young age have learnt to be very aware of the ‘vibe’. Is there tension in the air, how are things to-day….? it was like jumping back 30 years [ and not a pleasant surprise]
Some towns out here have a lot of tension in the air.. people seem tense, shops and houses have large security grills everywhere. It is real, it is happening in our country, some of our people and towns are not happy, there is nothing to do perhaps…. I don’t really know the problems but I can feel their existence and it leaves me feeling very sad….
once you could see the label "Lucky country" was quite true by and large for the people of our country...now it is a place for those that 'have' and those the 'have not' and if you are on the 'have not' side of the fence beware the govt is going to kick you in the gusts as much as it can [ and pity those that also come from a minority skin colour or religion] we are becoming a bunch of rednecks

I think all the people of this land are just like the land itself- they seem tough but are really fragile and vulnerable…what can we do to help…??

I am going to head back out of town tomorrow and into the bush – it feels good.
Towns are just not my place….

It is so big and flat- they sky is enormous and so rich a blue.
Once you cross the Great Dividing range all the trees change- they are a beautiful silver colour, with red growing tips and an underling golden colour at the corner of your eye. The earth is a rich almost vermillion hue…it is good to be on the land I am trying to do some Australian pieces and needed a colour top up to get into them [ lately all I can think is India which tends more to the purple/ golden range…] Australia is a tone up on the vivid scale.

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