Wednesday 11 June 2025

At breakfast we were given some good advice from an old cocky

I started today by facing my demons. Ever since I flew from what was then called Ayres Rock to Alice Springs in 1970 (another story) and was sick as a dog, I made a pact with god that if she got me to my destination safely I would never fly on a small plane again. Regrettably I have not kept my pact, but then again she hasn’t always looked out for me either. In Africa we flew on 14 seater Caravan planes and I hated every moment of it. Today Cherrie and I boarded a Cessna 210

to get us to Murwangi (previously known as Old Arafura Swamp). I didn’t want to do it, but I was given no choice. I begged to go on the 14 seater with the others, but it was not to be. Something to do with weight perhaps. Or girth. Cherrie was, of course, thrilled as she loves small planes. I downed a travel sickness tablet (cunningly sought from NZ, from where the best motion aids come from) called SeaLegs, which are apparently good for air legs too. We were introduced to our pilot Julia, who may have had her 13th birthday, and I requested a stockpile of sick bags. SeaLegs worked! I actually enjoyed the flight. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but blimey, I did.

Cherrie sat on the smoking side

We saw many wonderous things, including the rainbow serpent

It was a one hour flight and we landed on a short, dirt airstrip which was graded just a week ago, following the recent major rains. The luxury camp is just that, on the edge of the largest wooded swamp in Australia. It was here that the film 10 Canoes was shot.

The best bit about the next day and a half here is that it is a Greg free time. We have been handed over to the jovial Mark and look forward to learning more about the Yolngu culture.