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The local Aboriginal community – village – family – have an open day / fete / sports carnival / concert. Its in Arnham Land and for the open day the usual permits are not required. We got distracted at humpty doo music shack and arrived just in time for lunch – and munched down a buffalo burger. We were too late for the bush tucker. Bugger!

The community is very small just a few streets, a football oval, youth centre, basketball court, school, grocery store, etc.  and we saw the kids paintings at the school and we saw the local artists studio and gallery, The fibre arts were amazing. Dilly bags and baskets woven from palms, reids and grasses etc.

In the afternoon (in the scorching heat) local AFL teams had a round robin with about 20 minute halves. One side of the field has a giant tree with a colony of fruit bats. The opposition team and suppupporters we underneath it. It was pretty noisy. We saw the final which was between the local team St John’s and another team.  It was a dramatic match. In the second half the St John’s were found playing with 19 players – after a breif head count – all their points were taken. With 8 minutes to go they needed 12 point – 3 kicks and they got them. The crowd were on their feet. But in the dying seconds the opposition got a behind and the come back was dashed. A good game though – and everyone thanked the ref. Who was running around in 30+ heat for 2 hours! what a champion – what a tache.

Everything seemed to slow down after the football and the locals went home and us tourist were either making tracks or sorting out their beds for the night. Jono and I wondered across to the wetlands – and watched the sun setting on the rocks. We found a giant mango tree and dragon flies zooming around everywhere.

On our way back to the troopy – we saw a band was setting up on the back of the truck and this lovely line of kids, sitting in front of the truck ready to watch the show. Later in the evening the band struck up. The first band were the Sunrise band. They have been playing for 20 years. The lead guitarist was a live wire – playing with his teeth and behind his head (and pretty good too).

The second band  we saw earlier. They were great. After a song or two an old lady got up and started dancing – follwed by an older fella and then everyone up. They were singing in local language and the music and harmonies sounded great. We got up and had a dance and we got talking to a local fella who told us what the songs were about. He was lovely. The band he said were the Gunbalanya’s version of the Back St Boys. They were called the Bunyani band and Bunyani means boy/man. There were 15 of them on the back of a semi-trailer -and did look the part. All dressed in jeans with white t-shirts or singlets. Towards the end an elder lady got up on the truck and spoke to the crowd. They were laughing and our mate told us she was the Clan leader – he calls her Mum. And she was telling everyone what a great day they’d had and now its time to go to bed. So the band played 2 more songs and everyone went to bed.

(Everyone except for old mate with the dodgem cars – he was playing Kidd Rock and co. for another hour so. Or so Jono told me – i was fast asleep.