ART MONEY HAS YET TO JUMP BERRIMAH WALL. Report
by KIERAN FINNANE.
The Alice Springs Festival, scheduled for September and already
registered on national events calendars, has just $10,000 in its
pocket.
Allocated in the latest round of arts grants from the Northern
Territory Government, that money will keep in employment for the next
three months festival director Di Mills and part-time administrative
assistant Rosie Dwyer.
A letter to Chief Minister Clare Martin, who is also Arts Minister,
requesting core funding for the organisation so that it can at least
establish an office and assure its director's job, has been
acknowledged but as yet no firm answer given.
However, in a statement to the Alice Springs News, Ms Martin's office
says the Alice Springs Festival and Red Dust Theatre, at this point
also unfunded, "are recognised as key regional initiatives with
potential for support through the Northern Territory Government".
"As such, they will be invited to take part in the program preparing
arts organisations to apply for major operational funding under the
implementation of the Arts Funding and Policy Review in 2003."Under the
program it is proposed that the Department will work in partnership
with invited organisations to prepare them to submit an application for
funding for 2004 that clearly responds to Government's priorities,
including the capacity to deliver in the regions."That would seem to
mean that both organisations are expected to hang fire until next year.
BOOST?This is despite the fact that the government has announced a
significant boost to arts funding for this year.
Where did all the money, a total of $2.4m, go?
The short answer is that the vast majority went to Darwin.
Among the organisations to benefit from the creation of new
administrative positions, on top of existing full-time positions, are
Tracks, who staged Fierce in Alice late last year, and the Darwin
Symphony Orchestra.
Their total operational funds now amount to $146,500 and $200,000
respectively.
The Darwin Festival will receive $191,500.
Other Darwin-based groups to receive substantial operational budgets
are Brown's Mart Community Arts ($150,000), Brown's Mart Trustees
($56,000), the Darwin Theatre Company ($191,500), Corrugated Iron Youth
Arts ($75,000) and 24HR Art: NT Centre for Contemporary Art ($ 93,000).
Compare these budgets to those of the Alice beneficiaries: $20,000 to
Watch This Space; $20,000 and $19,500 to Music Industry Development Inc
(MIDI) and the NT Writers Centre (NTWC) to employ part-time project
officers here.
It is worth observing here that MIDI and NTWC, of the Darwin-based arts
organisations, have lately been among the most proactive in Alice, but
are far from the richest: their total budgets are $89,000 and $61,500
respectively.
To complete the tally, Artback (NT Arts Touring Service), chaired by
Alice man Peter Yates, and Territory Craft, both of which deliver
substantial programs locally, received $231,500 and $252,500
respectively.
The government also invests $2.2m in operational funding for the Alice
Springs Cultural Precinct.
Ms Martin's office describes the precinct as "the artistic and cultural
hub of Alice Springs, which showcases and supports the Alice Springs
arts community through exhibition and performance spaces".
However, what Araluen is unable to provide is accommodation for our
numerous arts organisations, which, apart from Watch This Space,
continue to deliver highly valued cultural programs from home-based
offices, often with begged and borrowed resources to supplement their
small project grants.
The local arts community has been lobbying government for arts
accommodation in Alice, along the lines enjoyed in Darwin for years at
Browns Mart and the Frog Hollow Centre for the Arts, which houses not
only the government's arts NT, but also the Darwin Theatre Company,
ArtBack, Tracks, Ausdance, ANKAAA, NTWC, and the Darwin Visual Arts
Association.
To quote the arts NT website: "Facilities at Frog Hollow include
office, meeting, rehearsal, exhibition, studio and storage space."
On this point, it appears that progress is being made. According to Ms
Martin's office, "the Department is currently in negotiation to secure
a site as a multi arts space for the Alice Springs region. It is likely
that an announcement will be made in March 2003".
The statement continues: "We want a facility that can house both the
Alice Springs Festival and Red Dust Theatre as well as a number of
other arts organisations such as MIDI and NTWC, providing in-kind
office, workshop and rehearsal space."Provision of arts accommodation
at minimal cost will provide a significant basis for arts development
for Alice Springs based organisations similar to that of Frog Hollow
Centre for the Arts and Browns Mart Community Arts in Darwin."That's
welcome news but it begs the question, why house, for example, Red Dust
Theatre while denying them operational funds?
And why is it expected that key personnel can further develop exciting
new arts organisations, which in the case of the festival and Red Dust
have already put substantial runs on the board over the past two years,
without anything like adequate financial support?Procrastination for
yet another year is a risky procedure: not even artists can live on
inspiration alone.
Acting Executive Director of Arts, Museums and Library Services, Chris
Capper, says what Alice Springs requires is "steady development over a
period of time".
He sees governance as a key issue for relatively young organisations
such as the festival.Says Mr Capper: "Issues around financial support,
including local government and corporate support, can be worked through
over the next 12 months."
Wouldn't the festival committee do this more effectively if it were
able to employ a full-time professional in a reasonably equipped
office?
To be fair, the government's Regional Arts Development Officer, Sonja
MacLean deSilva, offers substantial in-kind support to the festival, as
did her predecessor, Lucy Stewart.
However, it's simply not possible to stage a quality annual event as
well as to develop a new umbrella arts organisation for Alice, as the
festival looks set to become, with such meagre resources.
Ms Mills says the response to the festival's application to the
Australia Council will not be known until July.
Without operational funds and with the festival scheduled for September
5 to 14, this will mean, once again, a very short lead-in time for the
final program to be put in place.
"We are working in extremely difficult and stressful circumstances,"
says Ms Mills."This is a multi-talented population, which delivers a
quality product intrinsic to this community. It's like nowhere else in
Australia and it deserves acknowledgment in terms of resources."
Craig Matthewson, key driver of Red Dust Theatre, has been told that
their latest project, to write and stage a play about the Strehlow
family, needs further development. The Arts Grants Board knocked it
back for funding.
Says Mr Matthewson, ironically a member of the Arts Grants Board: "It's
very difficult to further develop a project like this without core
funding.
"I've done the development of Red Dust for the last two years out of my
own pocket but I can't keep doing that.
"This is disappointing for Red Dust and for Central Australia
generally."
(In contrast to the allocation of operational funds, Alice Springs did
well out of the latest round of the project grants, recommended by the
Arts Grants Board, receiving 34 per cent of grants (47 per cent by
value).)
Ms Mills says the arts community is preparing to call a community forum
to discuss infrastructure and core funding issues. They would also like
to invite the Chief Minister to personally visit the artists and arts
organisations of the Centre.
"We want her to see for herself the conditions under which we are
working," says Ms Mills.
2003: THE OPPORTUNITIES.
ERWIN CHLANDA speaks with CRAIG CATCHLOVE, chairman of the Central
Australian Regional Development Committee.
"Alice Springs has the potential to be a perfect place to live, but
that is not our reputation around Australia Ð when they think of us
they think of hot, dry and dusty.
"We all know that's not true, so let's refocus that."
So says Craig Catchlove (pictured above, right), chair of the Central
Australian Regional Development Committee, an organisation a little
more than a year old, which provides advice to government, Territory
and federal, on regional development issues.
Its membership ranges from business people and public servants to
representatives from the Joint Defence Facility and Aboriginal
organisations.
There are four Regional Development Committees in the Territory, who
each provide a nominee for the Area Consultative Committee which
allocates federal regional development funds.
The Alice Springs News asked Mr Catchlove what the local committee sees
as the top priority issues for Alice Springs.
Changing our image, around the country and overseas, is one, and the
Desert Knowledge movement is an important way to do that. Other
priorities are:-
¥ the release of more residential land, which in turn should assist
in the provision of affordable accommodation to transient workers;
¥ getting a second airline into the Centre;
¥ sealing the Mereenie Loop Road, which he argues would boost
visitor numbers to the Western MacDonnells and Alice by 80,000 to
90,000 a year;
¥ and, responding positively to the Aboriginal urban drift, in
particular by increasing education, training and employment
opportunities.
Mr Catchlove describes Alice as "a tremendously dynamic town, with
cutting edge industries".
"I think that we can be basically described as an island, surrounded by
land instead of water but with the same essence of isolation and the
same need for innovation.
"We have so much on in this town, we have the potential to be a perfect
place to live.
"Our reputation is of course for extremes of climate, but the bottom
line is, we have so much blue sky, and so often excellent temperatures
to do things in.
"We have the ability to really sell the desert living concept to
Australians, which has never been done before.
"Setting ourselves and our image to be Desert Knowledge focussed will
be a huge part of that.
"We'll be known for our innovation, for our utilisation of appropriate
technologies, for our attitude to where we live.
"That will refocus our image of ourselves as well as the external
images of our town, and that in turn will mean a lot with respect to
the retention of people.
"Turnover of population in Alice Springs has always been a big issue.
"We're talking about how do we make people think of Alice as a long
term place to reside. That comes down to services, jobs, accommodation
within the town."Which brings us to the release of residential land.
The committee obviously welcomes the expected release of hundreds of
blocks in the Larapinta area, pending final resolution of negotiations
with native title holders.However, Mr Catchlove says it is not known
for sure whether the market will quickly soak this up, as is commonly
believed, or whether it will produce an over-supply.
Nobody knows, because the last time a residential land needs report was
done was in 1997."That was in the middle of a depression here in Alice
Springs, that was a bad year for tourism, a bad year all round.
"And even on the low growth figures that were being projected out of
that report, we were going to run out of land and accommodation around
2000, 2001.
"Now we have well outstripped the growth that was projected, and you
only have to look at the house and land prices to understand we are in
real deficit when it comes to accommodation and land in this town."The
committee has asked the Chief Minister to have another residential land
needs report carried out, indeed to make such a report a regular
occurrence, every three to four years, so that the town moves
"coherently into the future".
One impact that land shortage has had is on the availability of cheap
rental accommodation.
Among other consequences, this has meant that the tourism industry has
not been able to adequately access transient workers because there is
nowhere for them to stay.
Says Mr Catchlove: "If the only places they can stay are going to cost
them $300 to $400 a week and they're earning $400 to $500, they look at
the net result and say why would I bother?
"That's a big issue in this town."
While flats are scarce, jobs are not. For those who have the ability
and qualifications to work the reality is a zero per cent unemployment
rate.
"But we have huge hidden unemployment, hidden by CDEP, and that's
another one of our major issues," says Mr Catchlove."Education,
training, trying to right some of the wrongs that have been dealt to
Aboriginal people, especially from communities who come into Alice
Springs."Education outcomes are appalling, job readiness is a huge
issue.
"We are certainly seeing urban drift, as is the world over. It's being
dealt with by some of the Alice in Ten programs and our organisation is
there to see the areas that are not being picked up."Airline services
remain a critical issue.
Mr Catchlove says Qantas has ramped up services to about 90 per cent of
the capacity that existed before September, 2001, while the Ayers Rock
Resort airport actually has more capacity.
"But having said that, 43 per cent of passengers on these mostly full
aircraft are in transit, they are not staying here.
"Alice has turned into a national hub, and this is really affecting the
ability of our visitors to actually get here because all those seats
are being taken up by people in transit."This, combined with the
decrease in the number of discount seats in the market, is reducing
tourist numbers significantly.
"We need about 20 per cent more seats to eliminate airline capacity as
a factor limiting our growth," says Mr Catchlove.
The "magic word" still seems to be "Virgin", but "I have strong doubts
as to whether they will be here in the first half of this year".
Meanwhile, attacking the visitor number issue on a different front, Mr
Catchlove argues passionately for sealing the Mereenie Loop road.
"Quite frankly, anyone who has been on that road, knows it's a bloody
awful goat track most of the time.
"It falls to pieces very quickly, it's too long."It's not an
experiential road, it's an easily degraded dirt road, with potential to
be a major highway, linking the Ayers Rock Resort and Alice Springs.
"At the moment we lose a lot of people who go to the Ayers Rock Resort,
drive to Kings Canyon and go back to the resort.
"If we could get only half of those people, the potential is huge,
we're talking 80,000 to 90,000 extra people.
"We'd have one of the world's most renowned drives: Uluru, up through
Kings Canyon, through the spectacular Western MacDonnell ranges, a bit
of PalmValley, Gosse's Bluff, Glen Helen, back to Alice Springs.
"There'd be no reason in the world as to why 99 per cent of people
wouldn't be doing that.
"We would need dirt road experiences to replace it, but there's plenty
of potential there. So we need to identify [those experiences] and
start negotiations so that by the time the Mereenie Loop road is
sealed, the ball is ready to roll."
"TOWN LIKE ALICE" IN WENTEN'S EYES. Review by KIERAN FINNANE.
The Town Grew Up Dancing
The Life and Art of Wenten Rubuntja
By Wenten Rubuntja with Jenny Green
Jukurrpa Books
196pp
Like the man, the book about the life and art of Wenten Rubuntja is
unique.
Written for a general readership, The Town Grew Up Dancing takes the
exceptional stance of allowing this prominent Indigenous man to largely
tell his story in his own voice.
This means that large slabs of the text, transcribed from recorded
interviews, are in Arrernte (followed by translations) and in his
idiosyncratic Aboriginal English.
Combined with a generous photographic record and reproductions of his
fine artwork, the book provides a fascinating and impressive Indigenous
account of life in and around Alice Springs during times of great
change.
A central achievement is that the Indigenous players in our shared
history are vividly pictured. One of my favourite passages is Wenten's
account of church-going in his boyhood:
"We were at Mpwetyerre Ð you know, where that Casino is now. We
came to say ÔAmen' to Pastor Albrecht, old man Irnwerre. Then we
went along and said ÔAmen' to Father Moloney Ð we said
ÔAmen' to every priest. Old Father Moloney found us and baptised
us. We were bludging around for lollies É We went along to every
church and got baptised. We went to Father Dominic, to the Jehovah
Witnesses' church, to Father Smith, Father Gross and to Father Ted as
well Ð we went to all the churches É
"You know kids, they have no shame É We'd all go back and sit on
top of the hill, and look down and see, ÔOh, a big mob is going
over there to that priest. We'll go to that priest over there É'
"We used to go to the Afghans' church as well, on the edge of the river
where their churches were set up in tents É We said, ÔWe
been come up and pray Ð we want damper.'"
It's the lived experience, the other side of the often dry old coin of
colonial history.Of course, some of the lived experience is harsher:
"Never been properly educated É Come today and stop tomorrow,
and get thrashing next day and run away again Ôcos sister hitting
them too much you know? ÔGive me your hand.' Then after that on
two legs. That means I would be gone then for one week É I went
to school but I used to run away all the time É To eat birds. Go
round eating birds É"
Wenten says, however, that he did learn to read but not to write,
although he can sign his name. Despite this, and the oppressive
restrictions placed on Aboriginal people by the administration Ð
"you had to have a little ticket to walk around" in Alice Ð Wenten
is able to recall using "his young life" to work, fending for himself
and his family.
He recalls with pride working as a brick maker:
"We got maybe ten bob or twenty-five bob a hundred. That was penny
halfpenny time É We did a lot of work building up the town
É"
Wenten also found work as a drover "all over the place from Tempe Downs
right up to this side of Tennant Creek and Western Australia É"
and cutting timber, similarly all over the place.
"There was jobs all the time, waiting for Aboriginal people. It was
good days that day."
His account makes you think twice about current approaches to "job
readiness". In whose interest are they?Later at Amoonguna, built in the
late 1950s 14 kilometres south-east of Alice "to reduce to a minimum
the incentive in native residents to walk into the township at
unauthorised times", Wenten and his wife Cynthia worked in the kitchen,
Wenten as "a butcher supervisor".
"I used to make sausages and travel to places like Yuendumu to teach
others about butchering."
Meanwhile, he had also learnt to paint by watching his father's cousin,
Albert Namatjira.
"I wanted to learn. I used to watch him. I'd sit there and watch and
keep everything in my head Ð how he was mixing the paint up and
all. He gave me a little board, a little half board, and I went back to
the telegraph station and started painting there. I went and hid myself
behind a rock to paint. I was remembering how that old man was painting
Ð his handwork, his mixing and his ideas. After that I brought the
painting up and showed it to old Namatjira and he said, 'Eh, who taught
you? You've got good ideas.'"
In the 1960s Wenten was a drinker and would trade his paintings for
money to buy grog that he'd share. He is frank in his description of
this time: "I used to live in the pub É I was mad about drink. I
was mad about beer garden. Take-away flagon. Down the creek and do the
job in the creek, painting job. Nothing but drinking, drinking,
drinking."
He stopped one night in the Stuart Arms in 1976, when his "ideas
collapsed".
"My mind was exhausted. Only had ngkwarle. I had three flagons with
taxi É When I sat down, I saw the ground turning Ð coloured
and spinning Ð like something had turned it around. Then I smashed
this ngkwarle Ð I broke the three bottles É Then I been just
give up. Just finish. Then land rights start É Then I been work
for country."
Wenten's long involvement in "work for country" is revealing. Despite
being quite difficult to understand in English, over and over again he
managed to successfully nail ideas and feelings in forums around the
country, gathering support for the land rights cause.
Many sources cited in the book pay tribute to his ability to include
others, to lead.
David Ross, Wenten's nephew and current Director of the Central Land
Council, notes how unusual this ability was 20 years ago:
"It was very unusual at that time to be such an up-front, outspoken
person who also had the skill and ability to be able to bring people
along with him. It wasn't just him leading the charge Ð but
bringing people along with him and being able to command respect in the
Aboriginal community and in the non-Aboriginal community.
"We have a lot of younger people a hell of a lot better educated than
people back in those days, you know, 20 years ago, but I think these
old fellas certainly had the ability and the skill to get their message
across, and also the theatrics that went with it."
But the fight was also a different fight then, and its form, its
culture, its boundaries hadn't yet been sharply delineated.
Wenten painted, according to Dick Kimber, "the first overtly political
painting from [this] area", using the acrylic Ôdot' style, in
contrast to his watercolour landscape paintings.
He went on to be one of the artists involved in painting the Barunga
Statement, which called for a treaty recognising Aboriginal people's
prior ownership of the land, and together with Galarrwuy Yunupingu,
presented it to Prime Minister Bob Hawke in Parliament House, Canberra
in 1991.
The discussion of Wenten's art, although brief, is enlightening.
It reveals that a "reading" of his acrylic paintings is not necessarily
as fixed as one might assume.
It suggests their symmetrical structure, often based on a central motif
surrounded by two or four other motifs, is related to the structural
principle underlying the relationship of Arrernte people to their land
and to each other.
"Wenten employs this metaphor essentially to represent the centre Ð
which is always a place of cultural significance and provides the point
of view from which to read the painting Ð and the periphery."
The centre, then, may represent a significant place in the Alice
Springs region or, in another reading, it may represent Darwin or
Canberra.
"All are places of power Ð Canberra is seen as a whitefella sacred
site in a parallel fashion to the importance of Anthwerrke (Emily Gap)
to Arrernte people."
Wenten may also offer alternative interpretations of paintings
depending on where he is sitting and what direction he is facing.
"As such the image itself is but one of the elements Ð which
include dance, song, topography, story, history Ð that relate to a
particular place or story."
His watercolour scenes are generally of specific places Ð "We've
got to show country where we live and country with the song" Ð but
offer an archetypal view.
"The mountain ranges are more rugged, the river red gums more sinuous,
and the placement of waterholes and watercourses more idyllic than in
real life."
There are other important, at times more diffuse discussions in the
book and there is not room here for reference to all of them. Suffice
it to say that the reader comes away with a better understanding of a
particular Arrernte world view.
This is chiefly through Wenten Rubuntja's articulations, but is also
assisted by the linking narrative and contextual research, written by
two non-Indigenous collaborators, linguist and artist Jenny Green (the
key recorder and translator, and whose diligence produced the wealth of
visual material in the book) and historian Tim Rowse.
The movement between the two approaches Ð autobiography and
biography Ð is sometimes a little awkward, but it is hard to know
how it could have been done otherwise, while retaining the book's
commitment to Wenten's voice.
The book closes with Wenten's inspiring views of reconciliation, the
forgiving generosity of which led Ray Martin, at the launch of The Town
Grew Up Dancing, to compare him to Nelson Mandela. (Ray and Wenten were
both founding members of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, Ray
being the chair.)
Wenten: "When English people found our country and [found] Aboriginal
people, they put their cities and culture all over our country. But
beneath this, all the time, Aboriginal culture and laws stay alive
É At first we stirred each other up, then we learnt we had to
live together É So it goes on the same for us whether it is one
hundred years or two hundred or three hundred Ð there's the
Australian community, the Australian Government, Australian culture,
and then there is Aboriginal culture, our leaders, and our Law, and we
are together in the one country. We are all Australian citizens now."
A slice of life. COLUMN by ANN CLOKE.
There hasn't been a lot of "Good News" of late, nationally or
globally, so I thought it would be constructive to pen some parochial
positives as we wait for dramas to unfold, to remind us of what we love
about living in Alice Springs, and what makes the town truly special.
I've collected some bits and pieces to share, beginning with a
Centralian daybreak plus a bag of sunshine together with a sliver of
our clear blue skies.
A carton crammed with exceptional quality of life; a comfort zone; a
recent history of the Centre; a camel ride.
A multi-cultural society; an impromptu Friday night meal at a favourite
eating house with friends; a poster of the Old Ghan coming through
Heavitree Gap; a 53.5 metre long road-train; paddy-melons growing
road-side in amongst the wildflowers.
A box of our good clean fresh air; a segment of the Larapinta Trail; a
walk through Olive Pink Botanic Gardens; Sturt desert peas, grevilleas,
wattles and banksia in bloom.
An exhibition of art and craft works by talented locals; some lines of
bush poetry; an electrical storm lighting up the ridge of our
magnificent MacDonnell Ranges; photos of ancient rock paintings.
A packet of freshly picked dates; a wallaby; a thorny devil; a couple
of garnets; a bar of Ruby Gorge soap; a bottle of clays, ochres, red,
black, white, yellow and charcoal; a jar of tomato jam bought at the
Old Timers' Fete.A handful of sand from the river-bed; a bucketful of
muddy water saved from the last time the Todd ran a banker; a little
flask containing that incredible "after the rain" smell; a panoramic
shot from Anzac Hill.A piece of a mall walk at our first Sunday market;
a profile of the Post Office, a great meeting place; a small slab (a
slabette perhaps?) of sandstone from the local quarry; cattle at dusk
out at Curtin Springs; a flautist's sounds reverberating around Glen
Helen Gorge.A helicopter ride over Kings Canyon; a walk through the
Valley of the Winds; a Jukurrpa 2003 Diary (now on special); a beanie
left over from last year's festival; a selection of Centralian
musicians' contemporary sounds; a couple of Territory flags and a sense
of pride.
A Friends of Araluen catalogue; a copy of the latest visitors' guide
and a choice of superb restaurants; a 10 minute drive to work and a
shaded car-park; a flowering jacaranda; a huge moon rising; a sense of
space; a sunset over Uluru.
The latest Territorian lottery ticket; a couple of galahs; an Alice
Springs Cinema movie guide; a smiling David with medals won at tennis
in the 2002 Masters' Games; his golf score-card (in semi-retirement, he
is aiming to spend time on our magnificent course); a proud old red
river gum.
A long range weather forecast; a handful of paperbark; an Alice Springs
Yacht Club polo shirt (unfortunately a hike in insurance premiums last
year meant we didn't have a presence in the Sydney to Hobart); a
coach-load of visitors; an intricately etched didgeridoo.
A ceramic piece bought at the Corkwood Festival; the smell of a
wood-fire and barbequed sausages; a publican's welcoming smile and a
cold beer on a hot day; a sporting afternoon at one of our many venues
and a box of applause.
A (losing) betting slip from the Turf Club; the memory of a blackjack
win (ages ago!); a hand-painted silk scarf from Santa Teresa; a season
ticket to our spectacular Desert Park; a bottle of Ross River Homestead
wine (bought before the facility was closed down) and a photo of David
and I, with dear friends, taken at the last party.
P.S. As an after-thought, I thought I should add plans of the CBD
before and after road-works, central traffic islands and roundabouts;
another proposal for installation of security cameras and up-dates on
extra lighting around the mall; a fantastic article from the English
Sun (November 2002) promoting the joys of the Outback, (sadly the
journo touched Alice only to board the flight back to Sydney); some
political paraphernalia and a few broken promises.
Copies each of the NT's new anti-smoking legislation and mandatory pool
fencing laws; concerns about alcohol related crimes; a profile of an
alleged rapist; columns of Positions Vacant on offer; a statement from
Virgin Airlines CEO.
An identikit drawing of an alleged home-invader; a proposal for a new
task force to enforce a youth curfew; the burnt-out shell of a stolen
Hi-Lux; a copy of a drug-house notice; a truck-load of rubbish
collected at random.
A collection of thirsty clients around opening time at the local bottle
shop; a suitcase full of anti-social behaviour; and, a couple of
sensationalised headlines.
But then, The Territory's a bit like that, and, on balance, when
weighed up against everything that's happening world-wide, The Alice is
still a special place to live. This has been quite a therapeutic
exercise. Welcome back, and I know you'll continue to enjoy it all as
much as we do.
He resolved to live without resolution. COLUMN by STEVE FISHER.
I was planning to wish you a Happy New Year and make a little peppy
speech about dusting off the cobwebs for the excitement of the future
yet to come.
But it's already February. My cobwebs were brushed away weeks ago but
have now regrown. In fact, the cobwebs have developed their own
secondary webs that are busily attaching themselves to my nooks and
crannies like a kind of arachnid Klingon.
Maybe there is a natural therapy that I can use to get rid of them.
Something to channel energies or maybe a kind of colonic irrigation but
designed to flush out the post-Christmas blues.
Anyway, whatever you were doing since the last time that this newspaper
appeared in your mailbox, I hope that you had a pleasant time. My
holiday break had some serious highlights. One was standing by a bus
stop in Perth waiting for the delayed 5.16pm. I noticed a sign on a
brick wall.
It was on a religious building. I couldn't tell you the denomination.
But I am a sucker for those kind of simple phrases that are supposed to
be rules for life. I was one of the several trillion people who bought
The Little Book of Calm, thinking that it would be a cheap and easy way
to become tranquil. And then became more tense and anxious because I
was guilty about not reading it every day.
Do you know The Little Book of Calm? It's like a pocket-sized reference
for people seeking guidance on ways to become calmer and who haven't
yet discovered darts. As the author says in the introduction, he wrote
it to be "an on-hand comfort to you".
Only one piece of advice appears per page, which makes it a waste of
paper and bad for the environment (another source of tension for me).
If you open it too much, the spine breaks and all the pages fall out
like so much therapeutic confetti, which is stressful too.
But, it did help me in some ways. For example, one page says "Write
down your worry; it is marvellous how quickly many worries dissolve
when you write them down on a piece of paper". So I started doing that
in the Alice Springs News and for while it worked, but now I have a
deadline for the newspaper every week, which is another source of
anxiety.
Anyway, let's get back to that notice by the bus stop. It was printed
in white type on a dark background in the distinctive style of these
kinds of notices. It even had that little lettering at the bottom that
makes you lean right forward to read it only to bump your head as you
discover the name of a local printer. The phrase in bold letters was,
"Don't waste the person you are by trying too hard to be the person you
are not". Very nice, I thought and kept churning it around in my head
like a washing machine during the many hours that I spent on public
transport over the festive period. All this revolving had the effect of
completely changing the significance of these words of wisdom. They
started as a catchy 17-word guide for the perplexed. By the last day of
2002, they were the ultimate anti-New Year's Resolution.
Let me explain. In the days before New Year's Eve, I asked myself what
l should try to achieve in 2003, in order to become the person that I
am not. A degree in zoology (available over the internet)? Proficiency
in Arrernte? An electric guitar version of "Don't put your daughter on
the stage, Mrs. Worthington"?
Genuine warmth towards other members of the human race? The Jennifer
Aniston high-protein diet?
But, according to the notice, why should I bother to waste the person
that I am by trying for a little self-improvement. So I have entered
2003 resolution-free. And I believe I am happier and healthier for it,
thanks to the printer of that poster by the bus stop in Perth.
This is the point of this column. Are people in Alice serious about
resolutions? I think not. The Territorian version of the Little Book of
Calm would have no writing on the pages. Just an introduction that said
"No worries mate". Local advice on self-improvement would be "Why
bother with a New Year's resolution that only lasts three weeks?
Don't even have one in the first place." And as for the cobwebs, unless
they have a hairy spider in them with unconventional colouring, what's
the fuss?
afishoutofwater@bigpond.com
CRUISING EUROPE: AT HOME ABROAD. Report by ERWIN CHLANDA.
Just got back from your rellie rally and getting a bit jaded with it
all? Well, here's an idea that will break the routine but not your
bank. PART ONE of a series by ERWIN CHLANDA.
The trouble with travelling in Europe is that hotel accommodation and
restaurant food costs about twice as much as in Australia.
This makes "going OS" a once in a lifetime experience for most Aussies.
On the other hand supermarket prices there are much the same as in Oz
and alcohol is a lot cheaper.
To avoid the former and benefit from the latter we've travelled parts
of the old continent in a campervan for the second time in two years
and Ð compared to a more conventional trip Ð saved a packet.
This mode of travel not only minimises accommodation and eating
expenses.
It eliminates public transport costs, and has a whole bunch of other
advantages thrown in.
You unpack and pack your suitcases only once.
Don't worry about travelling light.
The German built Hymer B644 we took for a test drive has huge storage
spaces, including a massive two cubic metre rear luggage area,
accessible from either side, and under floor storage for awkward cargo
such as skis.
We brought all bar the kitchen sink yet used less than half the
available luggage space.
It's very nice not to have to meet train or bus time tables, to hump
baggage, nor to contend with taxi drivers taking you on a Cook's tour
when you destination is just around the corner.
Your contact time with the locals, whose manners Ð especially in
France Ð can range from delightfully charming to abysmally arrogant
Ð becomes a matter of your choice, not of necessity.
If they drive you mad you just retreat into your own space, with all
facilities at the ready.
And your home is also your transport, once you've overcome your
apprehension of manoeuvring a seven metre, four tonne behemoth in what
at first seems a life and death contest with Italian kamikaze drivers
or through a rush hour in Paris.
Size does matter: do all the right things, of course, but apart from
that enjoy the respect a big machine earns you from the most aggressive
born again Fangio, or the pushiest pilot of a pint size Peugeot.
Our Hymer was a six place model but we found it was ideally suited for
four.
Six would have been a crowd, especially in winter when you're likely to
spend more time indoors.
You can make your machine fully self contained with respect to water,
food, power and heating for at least 48 hours.
That will save you a lot of money because you'll have ample opportunity
to spend the night, altogether free of charge, in one of the numerous
motorway rest areas or roadhouse car parks.
Thousands of truckies are doing it each night, as well as a growing
number of campervan travellers, a lot more than we observed two years
ago.
Or you can simply overnight in a street parking space in any of
Europe's fascinating cities.
The rules are simple: if you're parked legally and keep your waste
water tank drain closed, what you do inside your van is your own
business, even in a city.
In Florence we ÒcampedÓ in a residential area and the
next night on a look-out over the beautiful renaissance city, in the
company of several other motor home travellers.
In Pisa we found a spot just outside the wall surrounding the
magnificent cathedral, baptistry and the leaning tower.
These overnighting opportunities, of course, give motor homes a huge
advantage over towed caravans whose parking for sleeping other than in
dedicated areas is usually prohibited.
In this way we cruised southern Germany, all of Austria, northern Italy
and eastern France without paying a cent for sleeping.
Germany, Austria and France have well equipped motorway rest areas,
with toilets and wash basins, taking the pressure off the on-board
facilities.
In France there are even playgrounds for kids in the rest areas.
Italy is different. On the motorways we used, around 1000 km, there
were no toilet facilities at all, tempting us to dub the place the
world capital of constipation.
Of course, the Hymer has a dunny but we preferred to keep the cleaning
chores to a minimum.
In Germany the Autobahnen (motor ways) are free. In Austria you pay $12
for 10 days unlimited travel.
Italy charges tolls, for example, $14 just for one trip on the 156 km
between Genoa and Turin.
The French take the heaviest toll, especially for a big vehicle, for
example, $71 for the 415 km between Geneva and Paris. But the Swiss
take the cake: it takes less than three hours to traverse their country
from France to Austria yet they insist on charging you a minimum of $31
highway toll.
And that's not all. Switzerland isn't in the European Union.
After crossing into Austria, Italy and France while barely noticing
borders (and using a single currency, the Euro), upon entry into the
land of numbered bank accounts you're confronted with armed border
guards demanding to see your passports.
The guards' main function seems to be the collection of the highway
toll which Ð at least in our case Ð they did in a rude and
officious manner.
That reception made us drop very quickly any plans for a Swiss skiing
stint.
Instead we enjoyed five days on the slopes across the border in
Austria's spectacular Arlberg region.
For stays of a few days in one location you're well advised to check
into a caravan park and benefit from ready access to facilities,
including 220 volt power.
It's a good idea to plan these stays in advance (use the internet) to
save cruising around looking for them. Van parks stays cost much the
same as in Australia, around $40 a day for four people on a powered
site. We stayed at the Les 2 Glaciers caravan park in Chamonix, France
(talk to Bernard Trappier, he's a good bloke), and the park in Bludenz,
Austria, has a super bakery just outside its gate.
Austria's mountainous west is populated by friendly and professionally
helpful people, has some of the world's best skiing infrastructure
Ð and delicious food (when we ventured out of our own kitchen).
As I mentioned, the Hymer has a storage space right across the bottom
of the vehicle ideally suited for skis and snow boards.
However, we chose to hire gear Ð there are dozens of rental
businesses around Bludenz Ð getting boots, skis and snow boards
professionally fitted, for a cost of around $35 a day per person, less
if you take them for a few days. When visitor numbers are low shops are
quite happy to give huge discounts, up to 30 per cent, and waiting time
at lifts is minimal.
Take advantage of those daily or weekly fluctuations in visitation.
We drove up the Arlberg Pass in Austria Ð the Hymer handled the
dizzying hairpin turns like a dream Ð one Sunday and couldn't even
get a parking spot in Lech, chockers with skiiers from Germany.
The next day the place was empty.
[Prices in this story are in Australian Dollars at the Euro rate of
0.5769.]NEXT: At the foot of Europe's highest mountain, Mt Blanc Ð
and driving a seven metre behemoth isn't all that hard!
LETTERS TO TE EDITOR: Swiss bank ad "no respect".
Sir,- The Banque Cantonale de Fribourg in French-speaking Switzerland
plays around with symbols of local and international tourism.
"As far as your dreams" the campaign's headline goes. For more than one
year the bank tries to attract customers through more or less well done
image compositions.
So far the most ugly one came out this Monday 13th of January: a small
town in the area of Fribourg sits on Ayers Rock. Quite a respectless
use of images of a holy mountain.
Christoph SchŸtz
Fribourg, Switzerland
christoph.schuetz@unifr.ch
Alice duped?
Sir,- According to a recent article in the NT News (Jan 29), police
have confirmed that the Pine Gap facility has a key role in the
proposed Gulf War and America's "War on Terror" and that it is
therefore a potential terrorist target.
This was repeatedly denied during the Pine Gap Protest last October
just prior to the Bali Bombings.Local people in Alice Springs are
continually told that Pine Gap brings economic benefits to our region
but does not engender any risks. Clearly we are being duped.
Ofra Fried
Alice Springs
Centre needs doctors more than Pine Gap
Sir,- With respect to "Is Peter Tait real?" (Alice News, Dec 18) Ð
yes, he is.
Not one year has passed since 1945 that the United States Government
has not bombed or invaded another nation.There have been countless wars
since Pine Gap was erected (to answer Govnor's question). Not on out
soil; we just sold them our armaments.
I would like to add that Doctor Tait has a doctor's armaments that are
precious to remote Australia, worth much more to us than Pine Gap.
William Pointon
Alice Springs
Yulara blues
Sir,- I left Ayers Rock at considerable financial cost to myself and
family. I would like to suggest that employees who venture into the
Northern Territory interior obtain some legal protection to help them
survive its special disadvantages.
There ought to be an enforced rotation package introduced for employees
in distant and isolated places in the NT. It is common in other
countries. Isolated mines in Papua New Guinea, for instance, insist
their employees leave for more civilised surroundings regularly at
company cost.
If the Territory government finds this politically unacceptable then
relocation packages, after a minimum period of service, should be
available. The cost of removing goods and furniture to other parts of
Australia is so costly that it prevents employees from leaving when
conditions at their place of employment become intolerable.Isolation
and routine are the lot of many who come to the Territory. At Ayers
Rock, for instance, the resignation of staff has become a rout, a
symptom of bad management. Most of the junior staff at Yulara come and
go but middle management tend to remain for longer periods. This is
partly because they bring to the township their wives and families and
the cost of removing them and their belongings elsewhere is so high
that it acts as a deterrent when things go sour.And very sour have
things become. At the top are those whose service in Yulara goes on and
on and on. They cannot find other work that pays as well for talents
that would get greater scrutiny in cities.
So they stay in their isolated prison and get bored, become stressed
and depressed, grow into bullies, and suffer from mental illnesses.
Their reigns have caused turmoil for years. Yet they remain in place,
mateship no doubt, playing a considerable role in preserving the status
quo.It is decent men and women, employees of the company who are
victims of intolerable behaviour by the most senior management.
The locals suffer too as monopolistic practices have forced small
businesses off the township while company ownership is enforced on
everything in sight. This is outlawed in the rest of Australia.
The Aborigines are also victims, barred from attending Christmas
parties and discriminated against in the company-owned markets and
stores. A responsible management does not behave in this way. But men
and women who are victims of too many years of isolation and routine,
do. Their judgement is impaired, their decisions suspect.If companies
won't attend to their responsibilities, governments should. Relocation
expenses, guaranteed by law after a minimum period of service, are the
answer. Then mates can do what they like.
Steve Good
Boonah, Qld
SPORT: POIGNANT POINTER FROM BLUES. Report by
PAUL FITZSIMONS.
The colosseums of all 16 AFL Clubs have been vacated this week as all
and sundry from the emperors to the youngest gladiator mount a tour of
duty to the far flung regions of this continent.
And the reason for such a massive campaign is simple. The clubs of the
AFL need to meet the people in order to promote the game and ensure its
premier position as The Australian Game.
After all in a fortnight's time our cricketers will be on the world
stage in South Africa at the World Cup, and later in the season Rugby's
World Cup will bring Australians unprecedented exposure to the "game
they play in heaven".For the esteemed Carlton Club, who appeared to
have been mortally wounded but a few months ago, the challenge is to
tour the Northern Territory.
This, possibly the toughest yet potentially most rewarding of sorties
to the bush, has a truly Territorian feel about it. The Blues are
programmed to be right in the forefront of day to day life in Central
Australia, and a cross section of desert communities, through to
Darwin, the Tiwis and the tropics.
These heroes of the football field have no picket fences separating
them from their fans this week.
Deliberately they have been scheduled to mix it in the street, to be at
open house barbecues, and to train as a lead up to their "All Stars"
game, at the beck and call of the fans.
For Carlton the tour will be invaluable. It will give the club "with a
challenge" a real chance to meld as one while on the road, to reignite
the faith of the believers, and spread the Blues fever to the
uninitiated.
In returning to the hallowed Optus Oval both the club and the AFL will
have much to celebrate given the campaign goes to plan.
For Territorians the visit could well be the turning point in many
lives.
For some a desire to play at the elite level will be imprinted in the
mind.
For others, this initial contact with AFL will mean life long
allegiance to the six point game and the Blues machine.
And across the board the cross cultural ties to be developed will be
remembered as a positive.
In the aftermath Carlton will march into the 2003 season with much to
prove, with the weekly scoreboard telling the tale. Likewise here in
Central Australia the football challenge is in our hands.Like Carlton,
the CAFL are at a crossroads and have been thrown a life line by the
AFL through our parent body, the AFLNT.
During the off season the CAFL has undergone an administrative
restructure, with a new look board appointed.Three appointees have come
from the clubs. The face of football at Traeger Park for over 30 years,
Cal Dean, brings with him experience. Marc Loader, who's been known to
have a kick in recent years, is also equipped with accounting skills.
And from an earlier era comes Richard Hayes who has played, coached and
administered at Souths and knows the game and the people who make the
CAFL.The league appointees are headed up by Mildie Raveani. Mildie has
served in the Territory for years going back to when Ansett's had
Golden Wings in Darwin, and then in Territory airline management. Since
those halcyon days Mildie has stayed on in Alice and has moved over to
the Plaza Hotel management. His interpersonal skills and managerial
experience are known and respected, and his network within the business
community place him well to sit on the Board.
With him will be James "Jim" McEwan. James is young, qualified in
matters legal, and a devotee of the game.
Bringing the recent history of the CAFL with him lock, stock and barrel
will be Life Member Steve Menzies.
And completing those at the table will be Mike Bowden, former player
and ardent supporter of Australian Rules.One of the first duties of the
CAFL Board will be to appoint the new General Manager of the League.
This position has been publicised nationally and attracted plenty of
interest. It is a unique opportunity for an aspiring manager as the
position combines the duties of League management and junior
development.Interestingly the Central Australian juniors head the
country in numbers, largely due to the success of the Auskick programme
in Alice.
This year Auskick will proceed to yet another level, catering for
footballers in their mid teen age years.
This move will do much to retain the cohort of young players coming
through the ranks as it has been the group of teenagers, around the age
of 15, who have been prone to withdraw their interest in playing the
game.
The tour by Carlton this week really carries a message for everyone
involved in Australian Rules. The game is one formulated by the people
and for the people. Unless the clubs, their players and supporters get
right behind the promotion of the game, as have Carlton this week,
Aussie Rules will not fulfil its potential.
By unifying in the celebration of the game, the people of Central
Australia can ensure that Australian Rules has a vibrant and effective
place in our community.
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