South African Adventure - week 1

My trip to South Africa honestly didn’t start out the greatest. It kind of came of out of the blue. An opportunity to do some work with a multi-country KPMG team from the US, India, UK, and South Africa (and now Australia) came up through a former co-worker and friend from Chicago who was already part of the project in South Africa. Within a few days I had talked to the engagement lead and was offered a role on the team – I just had to clear everything through Australia. I was a bit torn from the very beginning – I had only been back from Broome for 3 weeks, it would take me away from my honey, it seemed like a hard-core hours type of project, plus my health hadn’t been great over the last week or so. But it was a free trip to South Africa, which was Number Two on my travel list!!!! After some discussion, I decided I could make it work on Thursday, was notified of my flight on Friday night, and left on Sunday night. Not much notice!!

Chris was great enough to give me a ride to the airport – yet AGAIN – but he said the next time he sees me he’s going to attach a bungee cord to me so I can’t go too far away. At the airport I had a bit of trouble because the company only purchased a one-way ticket (a no-no when going to another country!) because we aren’t sure the exact date I’d be done. They let me on the flight, but gave me quite a scare that I may not be allowed into SA on arrival – either being turned away after an 11 hour flight or be required to pay a “fee”. At this point, I honestly wanted to walk out of the airport. Not my normal reaction for a trip - and it hasn't been the last time I've felt like that.

After all that, arrival in Johannesburg was actually a breeze. They barely looked at my US passport and didn't have customs that I could see. My driver picked me up from the airport bright and early at 6am after my overnight flight. One of the funniest moments of my trip so far was finding a pretty bra in the backseat of my driver’s car. He almost died of embarrassment. He was very glad I found it and not his wife!!! (He said his last passenger to the airport was repacking her suitcase in the car.) My first impression was that I couldn’t believe how hilly and green everything was. I know it seems stupid, but I didn’t expect “Africa” to look like that. I also couldn’t believe the hotel I was booked into, which is absolutely stunning. I'll be here until Friday when I can join the rest of the team in serviced apartments.

After a little nap I was showered and ready to go to the office by 10am. Too bad they weren’t ready for me until 4pm….slightly (very) annoying. But now the chaos has started. Now I’m based at my client site and it is quite hectic. I was able to catch up with my 2 Chicago girls on Tuesday night for a great dinner in Melrose Arch and then with a larger group from various projects on Thursday.

On Wednesday I had to attend a meeting out at one of the main platinum mine sites. I was a bit nervous to go, as there has been some unrest with workers’ strikes and police retaliation. But on the way there I got to see some shanty towns, which are a site unbelievable to most eyes. We drove up over this beautiful lush hill, and then there was a shanty town as far as the eye could see. I saw multiple versions of the same sadness and then of course near the mine site there are many places to live that the Westernised world would have a hard time calling a “house” – most of the ice shacks in my hometown were more liveable. Another concerning thing is because of where these shanty towns have been built, thousands of people run across the freeways on foot everyday and there are many accidents and fatalities.

Over my first weekend I was excited to do some sightseeing around Johannesburg, hoping it would raise my spirits and remind me why I actually chose to come here. However my plans quickly changed when 3 of us received an invitation to a private game farm with the family of one of our South African co-workers. It was such a fabulous weekend of seeing African wildlife (Giraffes! Ostriches! Worthogs! Impalas! Elands! Wildebeest!). It definitely deserves a more detailed blog post but I’m not sure I’ll get to it. For now, it’s the end of my first week and weekend in South Africa, and I have the typical “Sunday Night Panic” that I was so familiar with in Chicago. I miss Perth, my friends, my free time, my freedom in general - it is quite a dangerous place and not ok to be outside much. Feeling like a caged animal. And I mostly miss Chris (awwwwww). Now off to sleep, to dream of giraffes and beautiful sunsets.

Giraffe

Blue headed lizard on the tree

The real world rears its head

I wanted to post one last blog about Broome before I backtrack and talk about several trips I’ve taken over the year that I haven’t yet written about (I'm overwhelmingly behind!!). The last week of Jawun was hectic, followed by a week of lovely non-hectic time.

After we all finished up our projects, the “Broome group” flew back over to Kununurra to debrief with the entire Jawun mob who were spread between Kununurra, Halls Creek, and Warmun. A few of us got up early for a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles, the Ord River, Lake Argyle and the Argyle Diamond Mine. The Bungles (official name Purnululu National Park), is a World Heritage Site to the north of Halls Creek and is famous for its orange and gray striped sandstone domes. Although I wish I could’ve done some camping or hiking in the vast park, I was glad I at least got to see it from the air – which was quite a spectacular sight.

Purnuluu

Purnululu (Bungle Bungle)

The debrief with the whole group was a long day, but actually more interesting than I was expecting and I enjoyed hearing what everyone did for their projects and the experiences they had. After the debrief, our last bit of group fun was a BBQ Boat ride and drinks on the Ord River. The following day (Friday), it was time to say goodbye to everyone at the airport and make my way back to Broome for a relaxing few days.

On the Ord

Last day with Jawun

Chris came up from Perth to spend a long weekend in Broome. You may have noticed by now that I’ve met someone pretty cool who is, to my family’s dismay, Australian. I don’t usually mention this type of thing in my blog, so please don’t harass him on Facebook! We had a great time doing some of the touristy things I didn’t do while working there…..camel ride on Cable Beach, guided stargazing (awesome!), sampling various restaurants, lounging by the pool, outdoor cinema; and I also got to show him a few of my favourite Broome things. Chris also planned a whole day out for me that included a massage, a scenic flight over Broome, and a nice dinner. I was impressed :)

Scenic flight view of Gantheaume Point and Cable Beach

Camels on Cable Beach

On a camel

Now that I’ve been back in Perth for almost a week, I’m starting to feel less overwhelmed by the people, the cars, the constant motion. And just think, this is Perth, not exactly NYC or Chicago. It was great to get away from it all and it has been a little hard to come back to normal life. I have to get dressed up for work again and wear normal shoes instead of my casual attire and flip-flops that were fine for work in Broome. I also blew-dry my hair for the first time in months and thought my head was on fire. But it is also a good thing to come back to normal life, too (since my life is pretty cool). I have to keep reminding people that I was not on vacation while I was in Broome, with the exception of a week at the end (a very annoying comment I’ve heard multiple times). My tan doesn’t help my argument though. Bring on the next adventure!

Broome time

As I am coming to the end of my secondment with my partner organisation, I realise I haven’t really explained why/what I am doing here or talked about Broome or the Kimberley much. Time is really winding down now at the organisation – I only have a few days left in the office and have already presented my draft report to the CEO. After I finish off with his comments and finalise the report, then on Wednesday the Broome group will fly back to Kununurra for a larger group debrief (and a sidetrip that I’ve organised – a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles for 6 of us!).

The organisation that brought me here – Jawun (pronounced “Jah-win”) – specialises in corporate and Indigenous partnerships. They essentially act as the agent to bring corporate, philanthropic and Indigenous organisations together to build the capability of Indigenous people and organisations across Australia. My company (KPMG) and many others (such as NAB, Qantas, BCG, etc) send volunteers who have applied and been through an interview and selection process. Jawun has worked with the organisations to find their project or resource needs, and then matches up the people – trying to get the right skills in the right roles at the right organisations. KPMG and the other companies not only pay our full salaries while we’re here, but also all the travel and accommodation costs. In a way they are donating not just money, but instead their most valuable resource – their people. (I know that sounds so lame but it’s true! I am away from my “normal” job for which I get paid and could be charging clients for; so it is kind of a big deal for KPMG to let me go away.)

Broome itself is a cute little town with basically 2 little main streets of cafes, businesses, shops, and banks. The permanent population is approx 15,000 but this swells up to 45,000 during busy tourist season. Broome is 1,400 miles north of Perth and yes….that’s in the SAME state (Western Australia)!!! Sometimes the distance of this country takes my breath away. I consider myself pretty lucky that my office is in the town of Broome, whereas most of my colleagues are stuck out in the Industrial Park outside the town. The best part of the office is that it is really close to the airport (which is in the middle of the town) and planes literally look like they’re going to land in the window! The second best part was the cute little puppy that was being fostered in the office for my first week.

See Broome at the top center of map

I helped take care of little George when foster mumwas in meetings,
even when he was super naughty he was super cute

The town has an interesting history – it was founded in the 1880s because of the pearling industry (but has of course been inhabited by Aboriginal people for 40,000+ years), there was a “pearling boom” in which many Japanese, Chinese, Malay, Koepangers, Filipino and Europeans flocked to make their fortunes. This unique multicultural population of pearl industry workers joined with the local Aboriginal people and Europeans to work on up to 400 Pearling Luggers that sailed out of Broome. It was a dangerous occupation which claimed many lives and there is a Japanese cemetery and a Chinese cemetery to prove it. The town still has an interesting mix of asian influence as well as a large indigenous population (and pearling is still important...there are about 10 very expensive shops. Broome was bombed several times during WWII and the town was ripped apart when the Japanese were sent to internment camps. From “Broome History”:

“Australia instantly joined America in declaring war on the Japanese and almost immediately, all pearling activity ceased in Broome. Men rushed to join the war effort and the industry’s labour pool vanished overnight as Japanese residents were interred in camps.

Since Broome’s livelihoods relied heavily on the skill and experience of Japanese divers this was an economic death knell for the pearling industry and the town. The residents of Broome were suddenly faced with rounding up and interring friends and employees simply because they were Japanese. Unlike other towns, Broome’s Japanese population made up a good portion of the towns inhabitants and many had been born and raised in Australia and had no ties to Japan. Although they complied with the internment policy, Broome, residents tried to make life as easy as possible for the Japanese.”

I don’t know why I’m so fascinated with this part of Broome history…and world history. I can’t imagine a world with concentration camps like in WWI or internment camps like in WWII. Yet we are still essentially doing the same things (many of us are just too naïve to see it or admit it) while this war rages on and racism is still happening. I am not on a political rant. I am just looking to the past and seeing our present for what it is.

Japanese Cemetery in Broome

Last weekend was great with the camping in Cape Leveque, then this week has been hectic for everyone trying to complete their projects to the very best of their abilities. Tuesday night we won 2nd place (again) at the Zee-Bar Quiz Night and Wednesday had a dinner with one of the CEOs. Thursday night a few of us girls went to the famous weekly "Wet T-Shirt Contest" at the Oasis (where all the backpackers stay) - no none of us participated but it is quite the tradition in Broome, and Thursday night is the biggest night of the week (and it was definitely hopping)! Friday night I went to a Youth Presentation for a Yawaru youth committee and heard a wonderful guest speaker. Today I was at the markets, spent some well-deserved time at the pool, and watched the West Coast Eagles (AFL) get beat.

General thoughts: I am feeling tired. Interestingly, I didn't know I would care SO much about producing an amazing piece of work and wanting to impress my organisation and CEO. I knew I would do a good job because that is who I am, but I honestly wasn't sure I would be so adamant about approaching it like any other paying client. My parents raised me right. :) As I approach the flight back to Kununurra to see the whole group, I realise that I've sort of forgotten about some of them. That seemed so long ago that we were all together. That may have sounded rude. In some ways I'm excited to see (some of) them, and in some ways I wish I could skip it and just have my vacation here in Broome, and then get back to my real life. I like "doing" things....I get sick of having to "talk" about things. Which is what a debrief is, "talking" about things I've already done, when I'm just ready to get on to the next amazing thing I have planned. Getting some closure is important though, plus how can we change the future if we don't take the time to talk and learn any lessons from past experiences? (See what I did there?)

Cape Leveque Camping

This week has been quite hectic and fun! Upon writing this I have literally fallen asleep in front of my computer like a narcoleptic, as I have just returned from camping up in Cape Leveque. But hopefully I can give you the rundown. A week ago (last Sunday) I spent kayaking in the Indian Ocean for a few hours and swimming around on the rocks. Over the course of the week, I worked (of course), but also finally saw some live music at the Roey (a famous-ish live music venue/ bar here in Broome). We were lucky enough to see Steve Pigram of the Pigram Brothers who are a pretty well-known Aboriginal band (country / folk music). I also had dinner at one of my co-worker’s houses and we had a great discussion on how the James Price Point debate has really torn the towne of Broome apart and pitted even family members against each other. JPP is the proposed location of the Woodside LNG (liquefied natural gas) processing facility north of Broome. Possibly more on that later, I'm a bit afraid to write anything in fear of having my tires slashed if I seem to lean one way or the other!

Then on Friday we finally set off for the remote area of Cape Leveque, which is at the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula, to camp for the weekend. Six of our group of 8 went, and we were allowed to use my organisations’ 4x4, a “Troopie” or troop carrier. It saved us a ton of money on a 4x4 rental. We had all our swags and tents tied to the roof-rack, then 4 of us sitting on the bench seats in back (around the outside) with all the rest of our bags and gear. The road to Cape Leveque is only paved about half the way (the northern half from Beagle Bay to the top), and the rest is quite a bumpy gravel / pindan / sand road. Sitting in the back of the troopie on a bumpy road in sweltering heat was fun for about 20 minutes…too bad it was a 2.5 hour trip (240km north of Broome)!! But it is all just part of the outback adventure!!

Road trip in the troopie....of course I put the beer next to me for safekeeping

Despite 4 of the 6 tents (borrowed from an organisation) being without tent poles, we still had a great time. Lesson learned: always check for tent poles. Saturday was spent at the beach and generally relaxing for the most part. In the evening, 4 of us decided to go on a sunset cruise. We had the boat to ourselves and the captain was a laid back guy who just seemed to be out to enjoy the day as well. We saw 3 amazing whales - 2 males competing for the attention of the female (take notes, boys!!!). They were all breaching like crazy and it was a thrilling sight to behold, especially so close. We were within 60 meters – I’ve never been so close to whales before; it was breathtaking. We also saw a dolphin and a hammerhead shark, which turned directly for the boat in a “Jaws”-like moment and caused some squealing from both the female and male members of our party. We also threw a few lines out for fish and within a minute had both lines full of tuna – I had the first catch of the day (of 2) and reeled in a big mackerel tuna….my arms were actually tired! I have to note here that the other 2 people had stayed back to go fishing – without avail – and here we were just randomly catching tuna without even trying! Andrew had been fishing for the previous 3 days and still hasn’t even had a bite hahahah :)  Isn’t that life.

This is what happens when you don't have tent poles

Humpbacks playing around

Amazing

Our Hammerhead named Jaws.....or Hammie

Sunset over Cape Leveque

Expert fisherwoman

Once back in Broome, there was quite a bit of smoke and we were detoured a few miles from our hotel to allow for some bushfire fighting. The fire was right up to the road and it was a reminder that this paradise of the Kimberley does have a real problem with bushfires and bushfire management.

General feelings: Had a great, but tiring weekend. I can’t believe I only have 7 more working days at my organisation. Time has really flown by and I’m feeling all sorts of things: I want to do a great job on my project but feeling there’s not enough time for what they want, sad that I haven’t had more interaction with the community and Aboriginal people in general (except for a few at work and 2 CEOs of course, not too shabby), that I haven’t seen enough of Broome yet. Excited to spend some time here outside of work with a certain someone. Feeling like I might actually miss some of these yahoos that I’ve been working with (both on the Jawun side and the organisation side). Also feeling a bit lonely. I think I’m homesick for Perth of all places. I was gone for the entire month of July, then back for 3 weeks, then left again for 6, which wasn’t really enough time to catch up with everyone properly (and do my job)….I’m not complaining at all!! But haven’t been settled anywhere for awhile now and I’m not sure where I’m feeling homesick for anymore. Weird feeling. Is this how it’s going to be now for me? Feeling not sure where my “home” is (well, it will always be Crandon to be honest). We were talking about sleeping in your own bed and I haven't really felt that since Chicago. Well this is quite the adventure and who cares which bed I call home?

You can have your crab and eat it too

To be honest, Monday through Thursday just felt a bit like regular workdays….work, grocery shopping, make dinner and lunches, etc. I'm used to working in client offices all the time so this doesn't feel that different to me. Quite a different story for some of my Jawun colleagues who are not accustomed to project work or being away from all their comfortable chairs, coffee cups, and offices. Wednesday evening we had a little fun at Zee-Bar for dinner and a few Matso's ginger beers, and ended up partaking a little quiz nite action. Thursday evening we had a BBQ for our supervisor, Rose, since she was leaving Broome the following day. Now we're on our own!!! (To be honest it's easier now because we have an extra car between the 8 of us!)

Friday morning, I was up at 4am in order to meet a few secondees and Nolan, a local Bardi man who took us out mudcrabbing!!! What an adventure! Broome is one of those places that you definitely need a local to show you all the right spots. Crabbing consists of waiting for the tide to be out, finding a crab hole amongst all the mangroves (which can be somewhat hidden until you know what to look for). Then you check if there is a crab in the hole by poking around with a long metal pole with a hook at the end. If there is a crab hiding, then comes the process of trying to get it out. We used a machete in order to cut the mangrove roots and mud from around the hole to make it bigger and more accessible. Then it’s pretty much a brute-ish job of reaching in and trying to figure out which way the crab is positioned…..no way I was doing this. These things are mad as hell and fighting for their lives with their very strong pinchers! They also dig in the mud with their legs and hold on to the roots to try to prevent you from dragging them out. They really make you work for it. The crabs are pretty huge and heavy (up to 8 lbs), and they are brutal with each other (will kill and eat each other if in contact). Another fun fact – the females have about 1 million little babies!! The Aboriginals don't kill the females (unless they are at the end of their life); in fact we put several back in the water that were female or too small.

The local Aboriginal people (the Bardi in particular) have been mudcrabbing for centuries and have it down to an art. Nolan took all the crabs home to prepare them, and then picked us up for a beach sunset feast later that night after we all somehow slogged through the workday. This was quite a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with an impressive leader whose time is very precious – quite an experience.

Today one of my “Broomies” and I went into town for the markets (nothing too special except for the food) and a stop to walk around on Cable Beach. Then all three of us got take-away fish n chips and some wine, and went to watch the famous “Staircase to the Moon” from the vantage point of the golf course. This only happens during a full moon at low tide, for about 8 months of the year. The full moon rising over the flats reflect a “staircase” looking allusion. I wasn’t sure how impressed I would be, but it was pretty cool. Not to mention someone playing music from their car had the mood just right. They played “Over the Rainbow” by that Hawiian guy with the long name and “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. For me it was a special quiet moment of reflection on just where I am and how I got here. And maybe even a little of where I want to go.....but that's getting pretty deep for this blog. Til next time :)

He got pulled out of his hole and was pretty damn pissed about it.

Nolan, our guide and pro-crabber.

The "after" shot: yum yum it was worth it!!

Kimberley Adventures in Four-Wheel Drive

The last week has been very fun and very full on. Day 2 was a long, fun and hot day – the entire group of 25 went on a 4 wheel drive course, well really it was more of a “essentials of Kimberley driving” course. I dusted up on my manual driving ability (now using the left hand to shift!) and even gave a lesson to two others ("don't ride the clutch!!!"). I learned how to use snatch straps to pull vehicles out, how to change a tire, how to drive on various types of sand and gravel, etc. Funny how my country girl upbringing, along with snow driving, has served me well. Our instructor was a very interesting and smart man from the country near Alice Springs. He knew everything there is to know about differentials, shafts, all sorts of crazy smart mechanical talk…..yet he was barely literate and didn’t learn to read anything at all until his 30s when his wife taught him. He asked a few of us in the car that we must have been good in school to get our kinds of jobs and it ended up being quite an enlightening conversation.

Day 3 we spent a long day in the classroom, quite a change up from 4 wheel driving fun the day prior. We spent the evening getting ready for camping (groceries, equipment checks, packing). And then we were off early on Day 4!! Our caravan included 8 white four-wheel drives, quite a sight to behold.

We headed south on the Great Northern Highway from Kununurra and called into Warnum and Halls Creek. The first night was spent near a beautiful water hole and the second night on our guide’s family land closer to Hall’s Creek. “Going bush” means going out in the wilderness without the creature comforts, and we were definitely in the bush.

All 25 of us are spread out amongst various towns in the Kimberleys, and at various organisations in those towns. Jawun partners with Indigenous owned companies in communities that have the same values that Jawun promotes. One of the mob from Westfarmers is working with me at the organisation in Broome, which is an Aboriginal owned investment trust. Our supervisor for the next month came all the way to Halls Creek to pick the two secondees up and drive us across the Kimberleys to Broome. We stopped in to see an Aboriginal family on a station (ranch) to talk about some business ideas, and also jumped into a beautiful water hole to cool off. We made sure to pick up a stone, rub it all over ourselves especially underarms, and throw it into the water before jumping in. This is the Aboriginal way of letting the spirits know that you are coming into the water, sort of an introduction if you will. The spirits then know you are coming in and will protect you. If you haven’t been there in a long time, you should do the ritual again in case the spirit has forgotten your scent. This is a sacred place to the local mob, and we had approval from the elder woman. We camped an additional night at Windjana Gorge in the Leopold Ranges, which was spectacular. The big group camping was good fun, but having only 3 of us at this point was a real treat.

The next morning on the way to Tunnel Creek, we shredded a tire and my knowledge was put to the test!! The two boys made me do most of the work. Lazy bums. But I’m pretty confident in my ability to change a tire now! We finally got to Tunnel Creek and spent an hour wading around in waist deep water and exploring the tunnels and caves. Quite amazing really.

We finally hit up the famous Gibb River Road, which is a pass that is inaccessible during the “wet”. We are currently nearing the end of the dry, so it is getting hotter and more humid, the tourists are disappearing, and in a few months the wet will officially start and make some of this country inaccessible.

After a bumpy ride on the Gibb River Road, a quick stop for lunch in Derby and a look around the port, we arrived in Broome on Sunday evening feeling hot, sweaty, dirty, and wet (from wading around the tunnels with our shoes and clothes on). The rest of the Broome secondees were arriving by plane a few hours after we arrived, and it was nice to get the rooms sorted and have a very long shower!!

Monday morning was straight to work at the organisations we are all assigned to. A few of us caught the sunset at the famous Cable Beach and went for a little swim. However I was afraid of all the jellyfish I was seeing everywhere. Turns out these particular ones don’t sting so it would be fine - Can’t make any promises on the crocs though, sure hope I don’t get eaten!!!

Kununurra - Day 1

I was thinking about starting an actual *live* blog for this trip. Usually when I blog of my travels, I write down tons of notes, thoughts, comments, and funny things, and then when I get back I compile them into sensical stories or themes. That’s why it takes so long for me to post a blog when I get back (plus putting up some photos as well). I suppose that is what I’ve always thought writing a book would be like.

Well the journey I’m on this time is not just a trip or a holiday. This is an experience I’m likely not to forget. I’m going to be feeling happy, sad, excited, frustrated, annoyed, angry, hopeful, and despondent. I think I will try to write and actually post what I am feeling, what I did that day, things that bothered/astounded me etc. It doesn’t have to be long and I won’t get to it every night (as I’ll be camping in the bush etc). Also don't judge me, as feelings are just feelings and you have the benefit of not experiencing it for yourself.

Today I flew from Perth to Kununurra via Broome. When I arrived in Kununurra I was happily shocked at how swank our accom will be for the next 3 days. We had dinner as a group tonight. There are 25 of us total, with 8 to go to Broome, some to Warnum, Halls Creek, and some staying in Kununurra. I didn’t get to meet everyone at dinner and it was a bit overwhelming because there are so many. The group going to Broome should be fun and seem to be keen to see as much as possible too.

The "A" marks the spot where I am right now - still in Western Australia, but barely (almost to the border of the Northern Territory). More to come soon.