Today was another early rise with everyone up and packed by 4am ready to load up the vehicles.

“We began our 14-hour journey to Balgo from Broome at 6:00am. Our first stop of the drive was at a roadhouse where we were able to buy some toasties, hot chips, drinks and more. Following this we drove a further 2 hours before we made our second stop of the trip. Followed by a couple more 15–30-minute stops before we arrived in a town called Halls Creek where we fuelled up and were able to get snacks and watch a bit of the local football being played there. Continuing on from that we drove a further 4-5 hours of bumpy road and back seat stints. After all of we arrived at Balgo and unpacked. Throughout the drive we were able to see many cattle and amazing sights/skies even Nicole Kidman’s family estate. The last stint over unsealed roads at night were the most challenging for drivers and passengers alike.”

Reuben and Will.

On our third day in Balgo we started out in the classrooms helping the students and developing their skills in literacy and also having play time during this session us and the kids did things such as building Lego and playing board games. Outside at recess we played footy, basketball and Tag with the students. Brother Rick kindly took us to go to the art centre in which many bought art or pledged to buy them. Returning to the school we ran activities for the students such as Tag, Basketball, Footy and other games like ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf’ and ‘Duck, duck, goose’ which was a favourite with the kids. During this almost all the children came to hug us as the school bell had rung to signal that the school day was finished. We had lunch and then we played some footy and basketball. Following this Br Rick and some members of the community guided us out on country and explored surrounding area such as the beautiful lookout spot. Magda’s sister Cathy told us about the landscape and how it was the place in which Luurnpa, the King fisher bird, carried the first people to the country. We then found a nice spot to watch the sunset where we made a fire to cook some delicious Roo tail, sausages and damper which was made by Magda, who has guided us over the week when out on country, while doing this we were taught how to prepare these foods to be eaten. Magda then invited us to sing a song with her and the other community members. We then turned off the lights and enjoyed the night sky without light pollution which made the stars and all other objects in the sky much more visible and made for some great photo opportunities.

Ollie McDonald and Oliver McDonnell

Time in Balgo works differently. At stages of today it felt like we had just arrived, then looking back on events from the morning felt like they had occurred days prior. 

"Today was a very busy day for us boys, we began the morning by heading off to the Balgo St Theresa Church where we were looking at the Indigenous paintings in the church and discussed what they depict. After that, we headed back to the school and started setting up for our Lasallian day activities, the disco, and assembly. We began with the Assembly on St John the Baptist where we all had a reading and got blessed by an elder and some of the primary school children. Following that we had Mangarri which consisted of BBQ snags that a few students prepared earlier with Matt Risos. When they returned to class for a short while we set up our activities that were designed around the Lasallian pillars of Community, Service, and Faith. With 20-minute rotations each year level including kindergarteners and some high schoolers mixed in with group there was lots of energy and happy noise from the children. For the last activity of the day, we hosted a disco where we played musical statues and had a dance circle that the kids enjoyed greatly. After that, we had a short award ceremony where we used the gifts we brought such as footballs, footy merchandise, umpire uniforms, and some other fun accessories as prizes for kids with good attendance for the week and values awards. To end the school day we handed out zooper-doopers and sold some cupcakes that some of the primary school and kindergarten students had prepared earlier in their classes. Vice Principal Tom and Magda’s son George lead a yarning circle where we were given an opportunity to ask any questions we had about our experiences. In the late afternoon, we headed out on the oval with Mr Stephen to play footy with the kids in the community where we had plenty of fun with the sunset acting as a final siren. During the day a large freight vehicle had come in meaning the shop was stocked up so we were able to order chicken and chips to close out our final dinner together."

Max and Flynn.