"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent in the ideas of living."

Miriam Beard

Wrapping Up

The past week has been pretty busy. I was assigned a new assignment, working on an information sharing policy. It's basically the procedure staff will complete when they need to share information about a client with a different agency or organization. I'm really glad I've been able to take on this assignment because it's a great opportunity to explore and experience a different area of social work. To allow myself some time to get part of it done before I leave I stopped going to the Op Shop on Wednesdays and used the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays to work on the policy. While continuing at Ingle Farm and Magill I've been getting things together and getting ready to go home. It's a bit strange to think about going home, it seems way too short even though I would very much like to see friends and family. I'm looking forward to sharing and building more on my experiences after I return.

The Melbourne Experience

My trip to Melbourne was definitely an awesome time. I'm not sure how much a person can experience in a day and a half in a city like Melbourne, but I did as much as I could. The afternoon I arrived I took a bus from the airport to Federation Square which is home to Melbourne's visitor center. They were incredibly helpful even though I walked out with much more on my to do list than before. I started off walking along the southern edge of Melbourne, South Wharf as they call it. Melbourne is divided up into several districts which makes it fairly easy to know where you are. I rode the tourist shuttle that circles the city and provides a running commentary from the driver who tells about the history and significance of different sites around Melbourne.

The second day I started off early with the Queen Victoria Markets and then went on to the Immigration Museum, Aquarium, Polly Woodside Maritme Museum, wandering of the streets, and Eureka Sky Tower.

Melbourne was awesome, but I was really looking forward to the bus tour that took me back to Adelaide. I left Melbourne early Saturday morning and my favorite part of the weekend began.

The tour went along the Great Ocean Road which offers amazing views and is home to the 12 Apostles (although there are only 7 left), London Bridge, and Loch Ard Gorge. After we came to the end of the Great Ocean Road we turned inland and headed to the Grampians National Park.

12 Apostles

Loch Ard Gorge

Grampians National Park holds a lot of history. After hiking and climbing Hollow Mountain we stopped at Victoria's state Aboriginal cultural center. It was so cool to learn about the Aboriginal people of the Wimmera region and see the differences from the Aboriginal culture in Alice Springs. Over 120 different Aboriginal languages were spoken before migrants arrived in Australia. It's incredible to think that they spoke so many different languages, yet had much of the same beliefs.

Map showing areas where different Aboriginal languages were spoken 

Wimmera Country - Hollow Mountain, Grampians National Park

There are only two weeks left of my time in Australia. They'll be filled with hours spent at Ingle Farm and at Magill where I've taken on a new assignment. I've been asked to form a draft of an Information Sharing Policy. It's basically a procedure that staff must follow when sharing information about a client with another agency or organization. I'm looking forward to the new experience and everything I can learn from it.

Just One Month Left

It's hard to believe I only have a month left in Australia. Since my return from Alice Springs, I've gotten back into my regular schedule. I'm still involved in the breakfast club and recording the number of children and the age of the children that take advantage of our breakfast table set up in front of the main office. Last week I helped out with a disability creche. I helped watch six children with varying disabilities while their parents attended a support meeting. They meet once a fortnight (every two weeks) so I'm looking forward to keeping up with that as well.

At the op shop I'm still sorting through clothes and helping out with anything else they need. Currently we're preparing for a big garage sale and Christmas Hampers which is a lot like the Holiday Shoppe at Wartburg, but is more focused on clothing than toys.

With the next two weeks I'll be keeping busy. I'm looking forward to another disability creche. I do a home visit each Monday with another social work student placed at Ingle Farm. We go to help out a family with five kids for a few hours in the morning. We've planned to teach them more about both the U.S. and China where my fellow social work student is from. We're planning on making some sort of typical food from each of our countries and teaching them a bit of geography and give them an idea of main customs and such.

The first weekend of November I'm going to Melbourne to get an idea of the culture in Victoria. It will be a short trip, but by the time I get back to Adelaide I'll really be on the last leg of my trip and seeing as much as I can before it's over.

Transitions

Alice Springs and the Northern Territory are fascinating to say the least. As the plane was getting closer to the ground and nearer to Alice I could see the red tops of the MacDonnell Ranges that surround parts of the town. Even lower to the ground I saw a ring of black around the town where the bush fires had been contained. Stepping off the plane I inhaled air full of smoke and dust as it was a bit windy.

Upon my arrival my host brought me straight to the office and I jumped right into things. The first week was a little slow because most of the staff were taking part in training sessions. Most of the workers are Indigenous and I was excited to learn a lot from them. But how ignorant I was! Did I think they were just going to answer every single question I asked? Wrong. Aboriginal people tend to be very shy when first meeting someone. As they got used to me being there they became more talkative and shared stories with me. They were really interested about the tour I took as well. One woman I became pretty close with. One day she led a money management course about credit that I was able to sit in on. There were five Aboriginal men taking the course and after completing it they receive a certificate. Another day at the office I helped out with the emergency relief program. People can come into the office and ask for food, clothing, and other types of vouchers. The criteria needed to receive a voucher is fairly extensive. A person can only receive three vouchers in six months. The man I helped was able to receive his second food voucher in two months worth $20. The main problems among Aboriginal people are poverty and alcoholism. Once the addiction to alcohol sets in there's very little chance of breaking it. Indigenous children have grown up among it's devastating effects for years and there's a vicious cycle that is hardly being addressed. If most of the income is spent on alcohol there is very little left over food and other necessities. If Lutheran Community Care and other organizations alike can educate people and work to put a stop to the cycle life in Alice Springs could be a lot more enjoyable for many people.

Halfway through my stay in Alice Springs I went on a tour to mix things up a bit. It was awesome! The hiking was amazing along with the history of three major landmarks - Uluru (Ayer's Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas, Valley of the Winds), and King's Canyon.

Uluru at sunset 

Uluru at sunrise

Some of the stories that went along with these places were really unique. Uluru gets the most attention because of its size and the pull for many people to climb it. The Aboriginal community has asked people not to climb the rock, although many still do. It is seen as a piece of their culture that can be preserved longer without human interference. Natural erosion has been constant through time, but the wear and tear on the path to the top is almost seen as offensive. The day our tour was at Uluru the climb was closed due to strong winds. By 2020 the climb will be closed indefinitely.

Part of Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta was amazing and probably my favorite part of the tour. Here there is more Aboriginal history. After the ceremony of becoming a man at the age of fourteen, the boys would be sent out to spend a year living among the domes of Kata Tjuta for one year before returning to their home communities and having a front tooth knocked out whereby they were officially men. It's so difficult to describe places that hold so much history and stories. People have said there's a kind of energy about both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I definitely felt it walking through the domes, but not so much at Uluru.

The Garden of Eden in King's Canyon

King's Canyon was also fantastic. The main significance of the canyon is that it was a common route on the way to Uluru for many Aboriginals. The Garden of Eden is most important because it was one of the few sources of water on the trek to Uluru. From King's Canyon it's about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

So much of the Aboriginal culture is still present, yet their old ways of living are more and more being forgotten. They're currently making the transition to white Australian culture and it seems more trouble than it's worth. My time spent learning about Aboriginals has inspired me to learn more about Native Americans. I realized when someone asked me what it was like for them, I really couldn't give a solid and accurate answer. I've formed some unforgettable memories after spending time in the Northern Territory. Time passed quickly and before I knew it I was on my way back to Adelaide.

Alice Springs Adventure

Tomorrow I leave for Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. This trip is intended to gain an experience that someone traveling to Australia wouldn't normally find. I'll be interacting with mostly Aboriginal people and I'll learn heaps about their culture and way of living. While I'm up there I'll take a three day tour to Uluru, Valley of the Winds, and Kings Canyon. Some of these places, especially Uluru, are very important to Aboriginal people and I'm keen to have a look at their way of life. Will post pictures and stories upon return. Alice here I come!

Busy Day at Ingle Farm

I spent today at LCC's Ingle Farm location, the Family Zone. They have a sort of partnership with a primary (elementary) school and occupy a building on the school's campus. Here they provide many weekly services for families including English classes, day care, Busy Fingers, parent groups (parenting skills and techniques), post pregnancy support group, Move & Groove (sort of a toddler exercise/dance class, very cute), an Afghan women's group, new mums baby group, twin group, and playgroups. In addition to the weekly services Family Zone also holds classes about parenting - from discipline to cooking. Much of my time will be spent caring for children while their parent/s are in groups or classes. The Family Zone does some really great things here and I hope to be involved in a lot of it.

Today was pretty busy for an introductory day. I arrived at 7:30am to help serve breakfast to kids who hadn't gotten breakfast at home. We made 5 1/2 loaves worth of toast (some with butter, jam, and vegemite), 1 platter of cheese sandwiches, and 2 platters of pancakes. Everything was eaten and this breakfast program is so popular they are looking for ways to fund it for everyday, not just every Monday.

After serving breakfast and cleaning up I accompanied a social work graduate student doing a placement at Family Zone on a 2 hour home visit. The mother stays home with the 5 children and home schools the two eldest (9 and 6 years). While they were learning, the other social work student and I played with the 4 and 2 year old while the 5 month old mostly slept.

We returned back to Family Zone for lunch. After lunch I helped watch the children of mums who were taking part in Busy Fingers. This group of women are those who have been or are currently in an abusive relationship and it's a safe place for them to come and talk and get support from staff at Family Zone. After the group had finished I was packing up my bag and joined a discussion with a couple other staff. Almost at once I wished I had packed up a few minutes earlier because the story was so grave.

One of the women in the Busy Fingers group had a 5 month old baby who I had been watching and playing with much of the 2 hours Busy Fingers was in session. The woman had announced during the group that she was pregnant again - 9 weeks in fact. During her pregnancy with her now 5 month old, the woman's husband had threatened her numerous times and once told her he would kick the baby out of her if she didn't do what he demanded. To be in such a threatening situation again and so soon has to be incredibly terrible. The woman is seeing a professional counselor and weighing her options about the new pregnancy.

It's things like this that need prevention. I don't know much history about her and her husband or how long she's been attending the group, but hopefully Busy Fingers will help her feel supported and staff at Family Zone can listen and give advice when appropriate. Right before I left we said a prayer for her and her children.

Although the light shone on such a sad story today, I'm looking forward to more experience here and hopefully some uplifting news.