Day Ten

The drive from Coen to Hope Vale is long, which unfortunately for my thousands of blog readers means I had time to reflect!

We took the road through Lakefield National Park which was absolutely stunning. One of the things that has struck me about my trip around the Cape has been just how beautiful it is. I had sort of imagined flat, red dirt stretching as far as the eye can see … perhaps with a cactus or two (I’ve been watching too many American films!).

But the Cape is not like that at all. Yes, there is a large amount of red dirt but there’s also lush green trees, big mountains and water. Heaps more water than I had imagined! Anyway, red dirt is pretty. It’s a bit annoying and you tend to get covered in it, but it’s actually so lovely to look at in such a big space.

The people I’ve met along the way have also been amazing.

When I looked around communities, I didn’t think things were great – the number of diabetic amputees highlights the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, there are camp dogs everywhere, a few burnt-out cars and not all kids are in school. Once the slight shock subsided, I felt a bit flat as it just seemed like remote Indigenous communities have so many obstacles that a solution will be generations away, if at all.

But the Indigenous people we met in our travels were overwhelmingly positive about the future. This was so refreshing that it actually gave me a bit of a wake-up call. I should also be more positive because with Welfare Reform, change has started. So many things in the past have tried in failed, but Welfare Reform is actually getting cut-through. According to Vit, positive change in the Welfare Reform communities is very evident to those who have been around a while but there is a long way to go.

An executive at my bank always says: “compared to what?” and I couldn’t help this question running through my head as I took in community life and committed to taking a leaf out of the Indigenous book and being more positive!

I also couldn’t help but feel it put my 30 life crisis back in its box…such a first world problem.

Overall, my trip around the Cape has made me fall in love with Australia all over again. I’m so proud of our country and feel so lucky to live here. I reckon everyone should check out Cape York at least once, so as Lara says: where the bloody hell are you?!