Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Damned if you do, damned if you don't........

A recent ABC News story about the alcohol issues faced in a couple of the Aboriginal Community's around Katherine and the positive influence the Baptist Church is having on the people there in changing attitudes and lives.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-26/alcohol-access-in-the-north-tanami/4393304?section=nt

Monday, December 3, 2012

Crocodile Attacks

It's not uncommon to see Croc News stories featuring on the front pages of the NT News and Katherine Times or on ABC here.  They seem to be forever trapping massive saltwater crocs in the rivers around here and relocating them. People in the NT are known to be very Croc Wise when it comes to such matters and it is generally the tourists who seem to get killed.  However in the last month there has been two Aboriginal kids taken here which is incredibly sad and unusual.


Boy feared dead after NT croc attack

Updated Sun Dec 2, 2012 1:26am ABC NEWS
 
Northern Territory Police are searching for a boy who has been taken by a crocodile near the town of Nhulunbuy, about 650 kilometres east of Darwin.
Officers say the 12-year-old boy was attacked while swimming on Saturday with a group of people at Port Bradshaw.
Police say the adults in the group tried to save the boy by spearing the animal, but the crocodile dragged the child out into deeper water.
Officers were at the scene of the attack on Saturday and were helping sea rangers search into the night for the boy and the crocodile.
"This is a tragic circumstance for the child's family and friends and highlights the dangers of swimming in waterways in the Top End," Superintendent Michael White said.
The attack comes little more than two weeks after a seven-year-old girl was killed by a crocodile at Gumarrirnbang outstation in the Top End.
Last month, human remains were found inside a crocodile shot in the area.
It prompted a warning from the NT Government on the threat crocodiles pose to swimmers in the Top End.

Sign on the waters edge when we went fishing.

Brutus from Jumping Crocodiles Boat Tour - Scary stuff!!


Friday, November 2, 2012

I brought a new car


I have had two people post this above Freud picture to my facebook page in less than a month. Not sure what that's about but I guess for some reason they thought of me. One of those people being my husband......go figure!! :)


Below is my new car that I had to buy over here after the last one died on route to Darwin last holidays.  A great start to the holidays!! Nothing like being stranded in the outback to make sure that next time, you're in a Toyota with the BEST air-con systems, and that small detail REALLY matters here. Yeah, so it's a Yaris and the impact will be massive if I hit a kangaroo or cattle beast on the Highway at 130 kms (yes, that is the speed limit), but I will be careful to drive only in the daytime. I use to stop and steer at dead kangaroos on the road until I realised just how much they featured as road kill here, then the novelty soon wore off. 


It's November already. Time has flown by so quickly. New Zealand is in daylight savings and so now we are 3 1/2 hours behind them. There is never daylight savings here and the day always rises at 6am and sets at 7pm all year around. I do kind of miss not being able to enjoy an evening walk on a beach without the fear of being eaten by a crocodile. I can't wait for some beach and BBQ time in NZ over the next school holidays :)

Friday, October 26, 2012

Reports of increased drunkenness in NT

That was the title of an ABC News story on Fri Oct 19 2012. The new government here is looking at building two "prison farms" (their words), in order to force mandatory alcohol rehabilitation on people who have alcohol abuse issues. Not sure what the process for referral would be (I'm guessing the government don't know at this stage either), but at some point each person will have to come before the Courts as it is to be mandated by them.

These "prison farms" don't actually exist as yet and they haven't even started to built them but it hasn't stopped the government from lifting the banned drinking register which I blogged about previously.  Alcohol abuse in the aboriginal population is such a HUGE issue here and as one police sergeant, who has lived his whole life in the NT told me, "It's all been tried before, twice over and nothing works."

This ABC News audio clip is worth listening to as it is talking about the issues here in Katherine and has the people talking from the communities around here that I largely see through the watch house here.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-19/reports-of-increased-drunkenness-in-nt/4323818?section=nt


After I wrote this blog, the NT government announced how the above will work once these prison farms are built:

Rehab push to get chronic drinkers off streets

Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:21pm AEDT
       
The Northern Territory Government says mandatory alcohol rehabilitation legislation planned for next year could see hundreds of chronic drinkers taken off the streets.
Attorney-General John Elferink has told Parliament that drinkers who are taken into protective custody three times in three months will be given a court order to stop drinking in public.

If they breach that order they will be put into mandatory rehabilitation facilities for three months.


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Holiday to the Gold Coast

Well, we are back from our Gold Coast holiday where we had a blast. However, I need a holiday to recover from that holiday.  Walking around Theme Parks and standing in line for ages waiting for rides sure is tiring.  Anyway, I shouldn’t complain as the kids had a great time and seeing them happy makes it all soooo worth it.
However, on the way there driving from Katherine to Darwin to catch my plane, my car died!! Yes, I was stranded in the outback in 38 degree heat for an hour while I waited for roadside rescue to tow me back to Katherine.  Thank goodness I joined the AA here just a month earlier for precisely this reason.  Now my car has done its dash and is no longer worth fixing so I need to buy another in the coming week  SO DEPRESSING!!
Despite this the holiday was still well worth it. I just love the Gold Coast beaches. Not only can you surf and swim in them without being eaten by crocodiles but the weather is just wonderful, and there is so much to do and so many places to dine. We were only there for 7 nights but managed to fit quite a bit in during that time!!

Day 1 – Arrived at Brisbane airport in the middle of the afternoon. Travelled by shuttle for over an hour to arrive at Surfers Aquarius; a beach front Hotel with direct access to the beach. We were on the 23 floor and had amazing views. After arriving we went down to the beach for a quick breath of fresh sea air. The evening was spent dining out and grocery shopping at Woolworths. Kids had a swim in the indoor heated pool and a spa before bed.
Day 2 – Kids woke up at 4am as still on NZ time. Got a shuttle to Dreamworld at 9am, though it took an hour to get there as they have to stop a long the way to pick others up.  I think next trip I will hire a car instead, as I hated all the long transfers. We spent the whole day there and didn't get back to the hotel until 6pm. Kids again went for a swim and spa before bed.
Day 3 – Got the shuttle again to Movieworld at 9am where we spend the day. They have some great roller coasters there and I was brave enough to go on some of the thrill ones with my son. His father was not so brave. But one coaster we all went on together as a family and really enjoyed was the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster which starts off as your basic ghost train ride but then suddenly goes roller coaster in the dark so you don't know what turns and twists await you. Again we didn't get back to the hotel until 6pm. Then we just had a low key movie night with the kids at the hotel.
Day 4 – We all spent the morning at the beach. Then we catch the bus to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the afternoon where we stayed for the evening Yanguwah dinner and show. I highly recommend this show if you have kids, as they see Torres Strait Island dances and Aboriginal dancers and learn a little of the cultures plus they get to partake on stage with them.  Also the kids got to hold koalas, a large python, and baby crocs at the show. They thought it was all just AWESOME, as did I!
Day 5 – We decided to spend a day at home as the kids were so tired and the youngest had a cold and had an unsettled night. I took the older kids to the beach in the morning and then we all went to Infinity in the afternoon and had dinner out.  Infinity was pretty cool but as it was quite dark, it totally freaked my 7 year old out unfortunately and my husband spent the whole time carrying her. After the kids enjoyed a swim and a spa again before bed!
Day 6 – I stayed at the Hotel with our youngest daughter as she was with a cold and needed the rest. My husband took the older kids back to Dreamworld for the day, the favourite of the Theme Parks, mainly because my middle child could go on all the thrill rides except one there, where at Movieworld she was too short for most of those kind of rides.  Also Dreamworld is so much bigger than Movieworld and it has Whitewater World attached so the kids could go on the water rides also. But as it’s such a large theme park, you need to go back if you want to go on all the rides as one day there is not enough.  In the evening, I took the two older kids to Draculas Haunted House which is for 10 yr olds and up, where the anticipation of fright was much scarier than the actual horror experienced there. But again, we had a lot of fun!
Day 7 – We all went to Seaworld for the day. I really loved the pengiuns and the live seal and dolphin shows the most but my son’s favourite thing was the Candy Store there and the huge selection of lollies.
Day 8 – up at 2am to catch a 2.30am shuttle back to Brisbane airport to make a 6.30am flight back to NZ.  Yes, not good planning on my part there but yet another adventure for the kids.

So yeah, all in all, a pretty busy week with a lot of time spent on buses and shuttles! Now to buy a car!


View from hotel
 
 

At Dreamworld

Meeting the guys after the Live show

Us on the log ride at Dreamworld

Mystery Inc at Movieworld

Outside the awesome Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster at Movieworld

My son at Yanguwah - with Aboriginal Dancers

My brave daughters holding Pythons at Currumbin
Guess what my daughter is holding above? :)

Seaworld :)
Photo of real life Jaws taken by my son!


 

Sunday, September 30, 2012

WE HAVE RAIN!!

Over here the temperature in the Top End is sub-tropical, meaning we don't have the usual 4 seasons, but rather we just have the 'wet' and the 'dry' seasons.  Right now we are heading into the Wet season and it lasts most of the NZ summer. The build up to the wet is quite awful, hot and sticky due to the increased humidity before the rain finally arrives. Once we have rain, then it's tropical storms with rain on and off, interspersed between the sunshine and hot sticky temperatures. Tropical storms actually look amazing when off in the distance and they make for beautiful photos.

Tonight in Katherine, we had our first rain storm for this beginning wet season and the first rain here since March. It's almost like you want to run outside and do a little dance like they often do on TV, but I managed to restraint myself.

As Katherine is not a Coastal town the heat is around 5 degrees hotter than in Darwin but the humidity is quite a bit less. We also aren't as vulnerable to cyclones in the same way Darwin is, but those cyclones can cause flash flooding in our rivers here and in turn flood the town.  Therefore, they actively have flood plans in place and practice disaster management here. Remember a flood here is not the same as in NZ as their rivers are full of crocs and snakes.

Currently, we still have sunshine every day but the temperature has begun rising each week. These last couple of weeks has seen Katherine having highs of between 37-40 degrees each day and even the night is warm at around 24-27 degrees.  So sleeping here now requires the air-con and a fan to be left on and me sleeping with only a sheet. Can't say I miss the cold damp winter of NZ however.


Tropical Storm taken from Katherine, NT.

Both of these photos are taken from Darwin.





Sunset from Katherine, NT.

Of course the 'dry' here occurs over the NZ winter and becomes the tourist season here as it's sunshine everyday, and no rain for months with temps in the low 30 degrees. Perfect holiday weather with the most beautiful sunsets I've seen.

It's the school holidays now in New Zealand and I am heading off to the Gold Coast for 7 nights where I will be meeting my husband and the kids who are flying over from NZ.  We are staying in a hotel directly overlooking the beach and plan to visit all the Theme Parks and attend a few shows. So as you can imagine we are all quite excited as this is the first family holiday to the Gold Coast. I am little worried, I might find it quite cold going from the climate here, where I don't own a jersey, to there. For my kids and husband it will be a welcomed surprise however.
Anyway, with daylight savings starting in NZ again tonight, I realise that we are now back to being 3 1/2 hours behind NZ again.  They don't do daylight savings here, so it's dark all year around at about 7pm and light around 6am. It's a shame really, as in the dry it would be nice to have some BBQ's in the evening or to go for walks while it's still light, without getting eaten alive or being pooed on by bats.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Coroner delivers scathing report

This death is the inquest I blogged about in June/July and it happened prior to the nurse working in the watch house at Alice Springs. Since the death there have been HEAPS of changes made and more will be made following this coroners report also. But the News clip shows you what the cells here look like for those interested.

The below link has the ABC TV News clip:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-17/coroner-delivers-scathing-report-on-death-in/4266572?section=nt


For the full inquest report you can read it here:

http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/courtsupp/coroner/documents/2012_findings/A00052012_Briscoe.pdf

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Doctors' call to legalise cannabis and ecstasy in the NT

Well, when I first read this below News headline and story, all I could think of was cannabis shops and cafes like in Amsterdam. I also thought, ‘oh well, I guess it will be an interesting way to increase tourism to the NT”. 

I'm not sure what a state of Australia with Cannabis and Ecstasy decriminalised would look like, but it sure does make my mind boggle. 

Does it mean doctors start prescribing it, so it’s regulated and controlled?? That in turn could put a lot of pressure on doctors to prescribe it and some doctors will get the reputation amongst users pretty quickly, much like those who prescribe benzos like lollies now. Then the pharmacies have to agree to stock the the drugs as there are few who will currently do the Methadone Programme, let alone Ecstasy and Cannabis.

Will young people go to the doctor and ask for Ecstasy when planning a night out, or will they still go to their friends for them? If they are using it for a party drug rather than being addicted to the drug, where will they gain access to it from?   Do I want my kids having access to these drugs at 16 years old?

Does decriminalising also mean you can grow or manufacture your own at home (like with homebrew), as long as you don’t sell it? 

Who knows how it would actually look, or if it would really work!  There are already mixed opinions on whether the Methadone Programme has actually helped with opiate addiction or whether such people ever get clean when they have easy continual access to it. Plus isn't addiction, as much about what caused the dependence, learning new ways of coping, and changing behaviours, as the actual drug itself.? At least that's the angle AA & NA take.

What I don't really get, is why trial it in the NT when we haven't managed to control our huge alcohol issue yet and where ecstasy is not even an issue (other than with tourists). Why not trial it in Victoria or NSW instead?

Whatever happens, I can already see the drug companies rubbing their hands together. We'll be replacing one criminal for a different sort of one, I guess.

This is the news article from the NT News:

By: NICOLE MILLS   |  September 13th, 2012
 
THE Territory could become the first jurisdiction to legalise cannabis after a renewed push from a peak health body.
 
Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Peter Beaumont called for the decriminalisation of cannabis and ecstasy to be trialled in the NT.

"We definitely have to do something different to limit the damage caused to people because of these drugs," he said. "There's a lot of evidence that (decriminalisation) could help."
His comments came after thinktank Australia21 released a report recommending governments supplied drugs to users.

The report says Australia would be better placed to help people with drug problems if they got rid of the illegal trade.

It also recommended diverting money from law enforcement to social treatments and safe injecting rooms.

But Dr Beaumont said the plan relied on health resources that the Territory did not have.
"The model depends on decriminalising ecstasy and cannabis and having an alternative method of supply," he said.
"And having a system for people to come off these drugs. There just aren't the resources available in the Territory to do that."

He called on governments to do a "closed controlled trial".
"If it's proven to be beneficial, then roll it out," he said.

Dr Beaumont said cannabis had been linked to depression and suicide and those risks would also have to be considered.



And this is some of the reasoning behind it from the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association who back it also:



 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Gabarnmung Rock Shelter

'Spirits in the Stone' is a must watch documentary, as it's based here and explores some of the thousands of ancient Aboriginal cultural and rock art sites that have been recently discovered in the last few years in north Australia's remote Arnhem Land. In particular, it's a special focus on an ancient sandstone art gallery called Gabarnmung ('hole in the rock').  This site was only discovered in 2006 by chance, after a heilcopher noticed it when surveying the area.

Margaret Katherine at Gabarnmung

 

Gabarnmung of course, is just outside of Katherine, where I live, and so the video shows some of what makes this area so beautiful and so special.  It also shows the Jawoyn people and proves their existence 40,000 years before the Great Pyramid was raised making them the eldest culture in existence. The shelter is said to be over 45,000 years old and is now a protected and sarced site, so you won't see it by any other means. Only a handful of non-aboriginal people have ever been invited to see it. I recommend watching the video on this page to be able to view it.  Of course, both Nitmiluk and Kakadu National Parks have alot of other rock art sites also that are open to tourists.
 
Anyway the reason for this blog was that last week, Kenny Rodgers, the country singer, was here in Katherine visiting the site after Oprah Winfrey told him to visit while in the Northern Territory.  She of course visited it in 2010 and featured the documentary on her show and website.  Kenny visited the Nitmiluk Gorge and Jawoyn rock art sites, both major tourist attractions here, as well as Gabarnmung.  Apparently he turned down planned tours arranged for him in Darwin to do so.

Kenny Rodgers at Gabarnmung Caves - Katherine Times 22/08/2012

 
Click on this link to see video footage from when Oprah visited the area.
 
The Jawoyn people are the people of Katherine and the Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) area, in the same way Rangitāne are the people of the Manawatu/Wairarapa region of NZ.  So it's quite a big deal for me to think I am living among the worlds oldest known culture, it's people and lands.  Most of the land is still only accessible by helicopter today.  Something which I plan to do in my time here.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Ten Canoes & Samson & Delilah

I have watched a few really good aboriginal films recently (not including Rabbit-Proof Fence that I blogged about earlier).  They are Ten CanoesSamson & Delilah.  Both are set in the Northern Territory in native language with English subtitles. I actually watched them on you-tube on my days off after having them recommended.

Ten Canoes (2006) is a story within a story and is set pre-European.  We are told a story of an older man, Minygululu, who had three wives, and realizes that his younger brother Dayindi may try to steal away the youngest wife. So he tells another story of times past to try to teach his younger brother better ways.

It really gives you an idea of how each 'mob' (aka tribe) had there own set of values, rules and language. It shows how payback was an accepted part of culture for most mobs.  I think it also shows how woman were (and still are) possessions. When I talked about the movie to one of the Sergeants where I work, he thought it was a true reflection though he also had mixed feelings about it, as he has sadly arrested a number of the male actors for serious domestic violence over the years. Below is the tralier.

Ten Canoes


While I think Ten Canoes is an excellent film that really reflects culture, the next movie I watched Samson and Delilah (2009), is set in the present time. The movie doesn't have a lot of talking but when it does, it's again in native language, with English subtitles. The movie shows the living conditions of a typical remote community nowadays and features the issue of solvent abuse in teenagers. It also shows some of the 'sorry business' which happens when someone dies in Aboriginal Lore. I find it really interesting the influence Missionaries have had on the name changes of aboriginal people since Ten Canoes. The below is the trailer for the movie.


Samson and Delilah

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Northern Territory Intervention


I have just realised after looking over some of my previous posts I haven't actually mentioned the Northern Territory Intervention which is probably one of the most significant things to happen over here in the last 10 years.

Most of us in New Zealand may remember hearing about the child sexual abuse in Aboriginal Communities back in 2006 as it made the News quite a bit in NZ and people were horrified by the research that came out at the time.  Basically in 2006, after investigative journalists reported on ABCTV Lateline Program that sexual abuse of Aboriginal children in NT communities was widespread, the Northern Territory Federal Government commissioned research here into the problem. That research report was known as the 'Little Children are Sacred' report and you can read the full report by clicking on it.

Within two weeks after the report was released in 2007 the Federal Government staged a massive intervention in the Northern Territory called the 'Northern Territory Emergence Response (NTER)' or 'The Intervention' as it's known by the locals. The legislation Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007 was passed by both major parties (Labour and Liberal) and the $587 million package included:

* Subjecting Aboriginal children to mandatory health checks. It saw doctors and the army rolled into all Communities in the first few weeks after the Law was introduced. A GP gives his enlightening account two years later, here.

* Deployment of additional police to affected communities.

* New restrictions on the sale & consumption of alcohol and kava

* Pornography filters on publicly funded computers. Pornography ban throughout the NT.

* Removal of customary law and cultural practice considerations from bail applications and sentencing within criminal proceedings (outlawing of 'payback' and other practices. NT now has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world).

* Removal of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 

* Quarantining of a proportion of welfare benefits to all recipients in the designated Communities and of all benefits of those who neglect their children. 50% of payments go on a 'Basics Card' for food, (can not buy alcohol/cigarettes). This was initially just for Aboriginal people on welfare but after much protest it was extended to all those on welfare payments in the NT.

* The abolition of the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) 

* Expected Aboriginal people to lease property to the government in return for basic services

* Aboriginal children to go to school for at least 4 hours a day (in order to learn English in Western schools)

* Commonwealth funding for provision of community services

These signs feature on the main highways and outside communities around the NT



Used to buy groceries with - works like an eftpos card
The Law was introduced in such a hurry and with no consultation with Aboriginal Communities, to address something which is not a new issue (as the research points out) in a Federal election year. Not only is it a 'race-based' Law, that basically says all Aboriginal people are guilty and need fixing, it also seems to take away more from them than it gives them.  The Australian Human Rights Commission has also opposed the Law, particularly the removal of The Racial Discrimination Act which it introduced. It ended up being reinstated in the NT in 2010 as a result. There also is still a lot of debate as to whether the Law has made any real difference over the last past 5 years for the purpose of which it was created for, that being to deal with the abuse of children in Aboriginal Communities.


6 months after the intervention began:

- no new charges had been laid in connection with child sexual abuse,

- no new community-based services to ensure the safety of children had been established,

- $88 million had been spent on bureaucrats to control Aboriginal welfare payments.

One year after the intervention began:

- convictions for child sex abuse were just a few cases higher than before the intervention,


- school attendance remained static,

- sales of junk food and tobacco had rebounded strongly and returned to historic levels.

As intervention measures last, people find alternative ways to access prohibited items.

Now, after 5 years since the intervention:

The rate of suicide among Aboriginal girls has "greatly increased" since the intervention was launched.  Girls accounted for 40% of all Aboriginal suicides of children under 17 years, a rate which is "the most in the Western world".

Prior to the intervention the suicide rate was "significantly lower" and in 1980 it was zero.

NT Intervention creep is a term used to describe Aboriginal people who flee from their smaller communities, which are covered by the intervention, into the larger cities such as Darwin or Alice Springs, driving up the number of homeless people.

Intervention creep comes at a price—Darwin City Council is able to confiscate and destroy their belongings and fine them. In Alice Springs, Aboriginal locals blame people escaping the intervention for a significant increase of lawlessness, drunkenness and violence, and putting more stress on the already overcrowded town camps.


http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/northern-territory-intervention.html


So it's unclear if the 'Intervention' has achieved much in the way of any meaningful change and opinion around here is mixed. Most of the Health Professionals and the Police I have spoken to seem to think that its made no real difference and they still see high numbers of violence, child abuse and drunkenness, despite the Government often reporting otherwise.  Most of those kids subjected to mandatory health checks when the intervention first begun are still waiting 5 years later for the hearing or dental treatment that GP's referred them for. Evidenced by the fact, 90-95% of Aboriginal inmates at Darwin Correctional Centre have hearing loss.  Also as I have already blogged previously, with the Mandatory Reporting of under-aged sex now required by health professionals, it has also created other issues of untreated STI's, teenage pregnancies with no pre-natal care and increased levels of fetal alcohol syndrome babies being born.  Despite all this, there is even talk about extending the Intervention even further (probably evidence in itself that it's not working in its current form), though it's hard to know if all the talk is not just because we are again in a Federal election year.

One thing is clear, the government here don't seem to consult Aboriginal People in rushing these Laws through.  Also clear, NZ is light years ahead with our indigenous grievances, indigenous education, indigenous health, and other legislation, despite us trying to manage our own on-going child abuse shame.



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Surgeon brands RDH emergency ward a 'war zone'

Posted August 08, 2012
ABC NEWS

A surgeon at Royal Darwin Hospital says the emergency ward is like a "war zone" because of alcohol-related problems.

Phil Carson is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the hospital and says the Government's Banned Drinkers Register has done little to ease the workload for doctors or prevent alcohol-fuelled violence and injuries.

More than 2,500 people are banned from buying takeaway alcohol in the Territory.

But Professor Carson says the register does not focus on unsafe drinking practises amongst the majority of the population, and that continues to put a strain on the emergency department.

"It is like a war zone," he said.

"The beds are filled with people as a result of interpersonal violence, road accidents, and alcohol-related illness.

"It is a major part of our emergency workload in the Northern Territory."

Professor Carson says the Territory Government has done many things well in its campaign against problem drinkers. But he says alcohol-related issues remain.

"We think some of this Banned Drinkers Register is perhaps misdirected," he said.

"It is actually aiming at those few who are falling off at the end, who are very obviously public nuisance drunks.

"But it is actually not stopping the problem of unsafe drinking in a significant proportion of the population."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-08/royal-darwin-hospital-emergency-department-war-zone-alcohol/4185302?section=nt

Monday, July 30, 2012

There and back

Well, it's been about a month since I last wrote a blog and I have done quite a bit in that time.  Firstly, I went home to Palmerston North for the school holidays. It's amazing how well you use your time when you know it's limited.  Not only did I spend some quality time with the kids, I caught up with family and friends, went to the movies (which are soooo expensive for a family now, no wonder why people pirate movies), got a haircut, went to my GP, sorted through the kids’ clothes drawers, etc etc.

The weather in Palmy wasn't half bad either. I was expecting to freeze going home in the winter when it's around 30 degrees here but in fact here were sunny winter days the whole time I was there. I don't think  people believe me when I say everyday here in Katherine is sunny and warm. That means NO RAIN and amazing sunshine and sunset’s everyday. You can plan a weekend fishing or an outdoor event knowing full well the weather will be perfect.

Anyway, we visited Weta Cave in Wellington with the kids on my way back. It wasn't as big as I thought it would have been but enjoyable none the less. Took lots of photos on my new phone too.

So now I'm back here working. The watch house is fairly quiet currently as apparently in the dry all the indigenous people go back out to their Communities and don't travel as much because it's too cold (7-11 degrees at night..... so not NZ cold but cold none the less). In the wet, they come into town or else if they don't, they will likely get flooded and stranded out bush.  Also because it's not cold at night in the wet therefore they can just 'long-grass' around town.

One of the woman I use to work with (a nurse) in Palmerston North did the Ghan train trip from Adelaide to Darwin with a friend and they stopped in Katherine for the morning on the day I got back from NZ so it was lovely to spend the morning with her, hearing all the local happenings at my old work.

It seems no matter how long I am here I still have moments of culture shock in the most unlikely of places. Don't get me wrong it's not just the indigenous population, the 'aussie bloke' has had the same effect. Our neighbour, an older man in his 70's had been making a table (ugly it was too) outside on the front lawn. So when I came home later in the day I found him outside sawing away wearing nothing but his undies (of the speedo variety) that were a bit loose around the waist so there was also plumbers crack on display. Now I would usually always say hello to the neighbours, but on this occasion I found myself hoping he wouldn't see me as I didn't want to embarrass him (or myself). Yes, I am a nurse and have seen many a 'plumbers’ crack', but never my neighbours, and I didn't wish to start now.

 

The biggest disappointment currently is I am in Australia for the Olympic Games and just can’t get excited or teary eyed for the Australian National Anthem. I have to suffer listening to the News and TV being full of Australian's competing. The only way I have of knowing how New Zealand is going is by checking the stuff.co.nz page and the facebook NZ Olympic Teams page for up-dates. Funny how there was NO MENTION of Aussie being beaten by the NZ Black Stix in their first match on TV over here though.  I LOVED reading that. That win alone is worth a Gold Medal.

GO NEW ZEALAND, bring home some Gold :)



Friday, June 29, 2012

Our New Pet

Well, my flatmate came home a week ago and said, "I've brought you a present."  Now for some reason when people say 'present' I think chocolate. However this was no chocolate.  He had in fact brought home a snake!!  I happened to mention once in passing that I still had not seen a snake in the wild since coming to the Northern Territory.  I didn't expect for him to bring a live one home as a present. "Where are we going to put it?" I said. "This aren't no puppy or kitten we can leave to run around inside." So a huge plastic storage container suddenly got holes drilled into it and, presdo, we have a temporary enclosure. Since then, the enclosure has had many additions including rocks and sand and a black plastic tube for him to hide in. Unfortunately, the real enclosure and 'cool' stuff has to be ordered online and sent, as 'would you believe it' ........no pet shops in Katherine. Grrrrrrrrr

So now we have a Childrens Python.  Named not because he eats children (though it makes for a good tale to tell the kids), nor because they make good childrens pets but rather, named after John George Children. They are also nonvenomous, in case you were thinking I was mad (or madder)!!

Anyway, we have actually all grown very fond of him and have now even named him.  Winston Python (Winny for short), named after, you guessed it, Winston Peters.  We (well I actually), thought Winston Peters is always shedding his skin yet coming back as the same old reptile, so it seemed rather fitting really.  He (the python, not the man), is currently about a metre long and as they live for 30 years, he will likely outlive NZ's Winston Peters.

We of course, don't have snakes in New Zealand so this is all a learning experience and quite exciting! 

Anyway, I took these photos a couple of nights ago with my phone, hence the quality is not great.  If you are a facebook friend of mine then you will be able to see the actual video of me outside playing with him..

Peeking out of his plastic tube. Notice him poking his tongue out at everyone!
 Just like Winston Peters a?
That tongue again, used to sniff out his prey!


Us trying to feed him a skink. Seems he did eat it after we went bed.


Excuse the quality of this photo but it's not easy holding a moving snake in one hand and the phone camera in the other. See in the shadow, his tongue is out AGAIN!



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Is this Africa or Australia?

Now when you think of the Northern Territory, you tend to think lots of lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and birds. However, it seems there are many other animals living wild in the Northern Territory.  Remember this State has only 220,000 people in total living here so there are huge areas of wilderness and untouched land.

My friend and I laugh at the fact there was a feral lioness spotted loose in Darwin. Not only because this isn't Africa, but because the radio news reports said, they were checking with all the registered owners of lions in the Territory and the Army confirmed it wasn't their lion on the loose. Then they said, if you have lost a lion to contact them!!  Yes, can you believe it?  The Army has a lion, and it seems some people also have them as pets. What does the Army need a lion for? The mind boggles!! And what do you do when your cute lion cub becomes a large lion and wants to eat you?  Hmmmmmm!!

It seems any pet is the go in the Northern Territory.  Apparently, Tipperary Station - which is about 200km from Darwin was turned into an exotic wildlife sanctuary by its owner, millionaire Warren Anderson.  But in 2003 when he got sick of his sanctuary he sold his interest in the station and tried to sell the animals including rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, zebras and deer. People seem to suspect many of the animals he couldn't sell, he just released. Who knows?  But it does make you wonder especially when in 2009, a person shot a Pygmy Hippopotamus by mistake. The poor guy was pig hunting and thought he shot a pig so when he realised what it was he high tailed it out of there thinking it's parents can't be far behind. Then lets not forget the monkey seen by a bus load of people in 2010 in Darwin.

Hippos in the swamps, Lions & Monkeys in the desert (or City, in this case). Yet the Territorians don't seem to think it's all that weird. Could you imagine pig hunting in NZ and shooting a hippo, or driving up the Desert Road and having to stop for a lion crossing the road? Or stopping at the lights in town to see a monkey walk pass?  Unbelieveable stuff........but not for here it seems!!

So yeah, who knows what you might find over and above your snakes, lizards and crocodiles here.  I mean really, who needs to go do an African safari, just come to the Northern Territory.

Mentally impaired held in NT prison without conviction

Lateline 
By Suzanne Smith
June 26, 2012


Medical experts are appealing to the Northern Territory Government to address a law that sees mentally impaired people kept in jail indefinitely, without being convicted.

Alice Springs has an acute lack of mental health facilities, so high-needs clients end up in jail.

Four men are currently being held in the Alice Springs jail without being convicted of a crime and with no release date because they were deemed "unfit to plead".

It is a practice that has been described as tantamount to torture.


WHILE IT SAYS 'MENTALLY IMPAIRED' IN THE REPORT, IT SEEMS THEY ARE REFERRING RATHER TO PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL OR CONGITIVE IMPAIRMENT. NOT SAYING THAT MAKES IT BETTER IN ANYWAY, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY TO WHAT WE WOULD USE IN NZ.

FOR THE FULL TV NEWS CLIP, WHICH I RECOMMEND WATCHING VISIT:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-25/mentally-impaired-being-held-in-nt-prisons-without-conviction/4091940?WT.svl=news1

Friday, June 22, 2012

Inquest Continues - WE HAVE NURSES NOW


THE REASON I AM POSTING ABOUT THIS INQUEST IS IT REALLY IS WHERE MY JOB CAME FROM, AND THE OUTCOME WILL DETERMINE WEATHER THE SERVICE IS EXTENDED.

THIS LINK IS AN AUDIO NEWS PIECE ON YESTERDAY THAT IS WORTH LISTENING TO:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-21/assistant-commissioner-at-death-in-custody-inquest/4084374?section=nt


Police procedure shake-up after death in custody

By Allyson Horn
June 21, 2012 15:04:21

Alice Springs police Commander Michael Murphy said nurses have been introduced to the watch-house since the death of Mr Briscoe.

He said nurses work at the facility four nights a week to help identify when prisoners need medical help.

Commander Murphy also told the inquest of watch-house staffing changes.

There will now be a senior officer stationed there at all times.

On the night Mr Briscoe died, there were just two junior officers on duty.

Police say they have asked the Territory Government to fund the permanent stationing of nurses in all Territory watch-houses.

They say nurses are needed every hour of every day to ensure prisoner welfare.

The inquest continues.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-21/death-in-custody-police-procedures-change/4084526?section=nt




Friday, June 15, 2012

Aboriginal death in custody inquest begins

THIS DEATH HAPPENED PRIOR TO A NURSE WORKING AT THE WATCH HOUSE.  SUCH DEATHS ARE LARGELY THE REASON MY POSITION AND THAT OF THE OTHER WATCH HOUSE NURSES CAME TO BE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.  I WILL BE POSTING UP-DATES AS THEY HAPPEN BUT THIS VIDEO NEWS STORY GIVES YOU SOME BACKGROUND..........

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3523779.htm




Day 1

By Allyson Horn
Updated June 12, 2012 18:34:03

An inquest into the death of an Aboriginal man in police custody in Alice Springs has heard he may have died from suffocation.

Kwementyaye Briscoe, 28, died after being taken into protective custody in January this year for being drunk.
Mr Briscoe's family say witnesses saw police officers assaulting him in the central Australian town's watch-house before he died.
The family asked Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson for an independent investigation into his death but the request was denied.
Family and friends of the dead man packed the Alice Springs Coroner's Court for the first day of the inquest.
Some cried as the court saw security footage taken in the police watch house on the night of Mr Briscoe's death.
The footage showed Mr Briscoe was bleeding from the head but the court was told he did not receive any medical treatment.
The court heard Mr Briscoe was placed face down on a mattress in a police cell and left in an awkward position with his neck twisted against a concrete block.
The court also heard Mr Briscoe was not checked in his cell for more than two hours, which is against police procedure.
When he was checked, he was found to be unconscious and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Counsel assisting the Coroner told the court it would hear pathology evidence suggesting Mr Briscoe died from suffocation.
Today the court heard from the officer in charge of the investigation into the death, Acting Superintendent Scott Pollock.
He told the court Mr Briscoe showed signs of physical and emotional distress after being bought into custody and that Mr Briscoe should have received medical assessment.
An affidavit from a senior Northern Territory Police official was also tendered, in which the official apologises to Mr Briscoe's family for not providing adequate care.
The Coroner will hear evidence from at least 25 witnesses.

The hearing continues.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-12/briscoe-death-in-custrody-inquest-begins/4066476?section=nt