02/04 /2001
  Katherine - AUSTRALIA
  S 14°28     E 132°16
  + 55

We are now in the 'North Territory' the vastest and less populated region in Australia - 1% of the population and 20% of the country. Here, geography alternates between tropical forests and vast red desert plains.

Suffocating from the torrid heat (34° C) and humidity (90% in some places), the Car@van and its Team explore the city of Darwin. On Christmas Eve 1974, it was completely destroyed by Cyclone Tracy, with 280 km/h winds. Only 400 houses remained intact. Today, Darwin is a 26 years old modern city !

After a breakfast with bacon and eggs, we are ready to meet the Australian authorities. Before, we're interviewed by Paul, journalist for 'The Australian', a prestigious daily newspaper. Then, we meet one of our sponsors, the Australian Tourist Commission. Look at the video.

During the afternoon, we rent two cars - a Mitsubishi and a Toyota 4x4 - the Car@van's new means of transport. We'd like to see the sunset, bathing for in the warm ocean, but it's severely advised not to enter in the water : 1° there are some saltwater crocodiles and recently, some swimmers disappeared mysteriously. 2° there are also the deadly box jellyfishes...

Sunday,  the tension increases: the Car@van will have the results of Voting Form n°10 in only 24 hours. Where did you send us, virtual traveler ? East, South or West ?

In the morning, we begin our descent towards the crossroads of the huge Australian highways. We all dream to visit the magnificent Kakadu National Park - protected by UNESCO. But we're running out of time, because of the Game !

The soils seem now redder, and we are surrounded termites skyscrapers: we finally arrive in Katherine. This town suffers from one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the country. We pass some white and Aborigine zombies, wandering in the streets. We spend the night in the Palm Court Backpacker, maybe new nomads will come with us tomorrow.

Now look at the video.

Video 1. Our trip in Australia is sponsored by the Australian Tourist Commission. They provide us some help for the transports and the discovery of nature and local cultures.

As soon as we arrived, we met Claire, who works for the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. She provides us the authorizations to cross and to film some parks and towns.

Some places are sacred indeed for Aborigines  and it's forbidden to film or to enter in with no specific authorization.

Video 2. Yesterday in Darwin was shown the preview of an Aboriginal movie 'Yolngu Boy' the first Aboriginal production since 25 years !

The film tells the story about 3 guys sniffing petrol. The actors, the crew and some Australian VIP are in the city.

We are lucky: some of the actors are staying in the same hotel where we are. Maya and Vale want to meet them immediately. When we come in their room, the strong smell of beer is omnipresent. 

In the room, some children play with sugar cubes, women are sat on the floor, while men remain silent. It's total confusion, and we feel ill at ease. Only two of them can speak English, but it's very hard to communicate. Sometimes, someone comes in the room, gives us a black look and then leaves. Is it our camera ?

In the end, we finally learn only two things: 4 years were necessary to make the movie, and they live in Gove, an eastern peninsula of Darwin, at 3 days-drive from here.

" After 2 months of virtual travel, I finally touched reality!"

Choum, a French from Paris, father of a little Marine, met us after a 48 hours-travel from France. His plane was 24 hours late !

 

18,8 millions people live in Australia, of whom 350 000 Aborigines. This native people, strange and fascinating, has been living here for at least 5000 years. Known for his spirituality and its art, this people is today endangered.

At the time of the European settlement, there were more than 250 languages, and more than 700 dialects, coming from a mother-tongue declined when the Aborigines spread on the territory. 30 different languages are still spoken by them.

At the end of the last century, many Aboriginal communities were semi nomadic. But since the white people's arrival, they slowly began to  lose their social parameters and their identity. Their life expectancy is less than 20 years than the whites and half of them are out of work.

But the perceived simplicity of these people hides in fact a sophisticated spirituality and cultural life. The Aborigines believe in Dreamtime, the creation of Time, when the Earth was born, its laws and inhabitants.

Every person is believed to have two souls, one mortal, the other immortal. When someone dies, the soul goes back to live in the sacred places of the ancestors, as the body fades into oblivion.

Through millenniums, they learned to communicate with the spirits from beyond. Their mind may seem poor, but in fact, it's free, opened to the communication with the ancestors. The links between material and spiritual are the totems. We all have one, such as tree, snake, fish, place, etc...

The traditions are orally transmitted, with myths and legends, songs and prayers.

 

The Car@van will leave towards the heart of the Red Continent...

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