My Own World

Flying in to Darwin airport at 5am I don't think I really knew what I was in for. Our group was greeted by an unusually perky woman (unusually perky for 5 in the morning, that is) and taken to a youth camp closer to the city. For an entire week, we were given the tools we needed to undertake the following week. "The culture shock might be a little much to handle at first" they told us (this was after they got us to eat ants), but driving in to the tiny Aboriginal town of Beswick, I've never felt more welcome, or at ease in my life. We travelled five long hours from Darwin to get there, and it was completely worth it. We were greeted by Mary*, one of the elders in the village. Pitching our tents in her yard, we quickly learnt where not to stand in the dark, to avoid the kangaroo bones and the snake skin. From hunting for honey ants, to sharing the Waterhouse River with crocodiles, I've never had a more rewarding experience in my life. Being shown around by the people who had lived there for years, we got the opportunity to see Australia for what it is, an incredible land. Living in the city, you will never see anything like the breathtaking red rock formations along the river, or the utter beauty of swimming underneath a waterfall as the fish swim alongside you. The children who lived in the community were so full of life and had so much to give, they spent their time playing instead of sitting in front of the television. We played, drew, blew bubbles and sang songs all day. If anything, the hardest thing was coming back. The culture shock of going into Beswick was nothing compared to coming back home. It was easy to feel bewildered while everyone ran around worrying about deadlines, when time was somewhat elastic to those who lived in Beswick. Given my chance, I would always go back. I've never had an experience quite like it, and I don't think one could without going there. Seeing Australia like I had never seen it before, and meeting the people there, that was true beauty, and I don't think I have seen it until then. Everyone should be able to go and experience it for themselves.