Two supermarkets open 9-3 on Sunday in Yuendumu, one with fish’n’chips. Not bad. Limited range but got basics.
Locals friendly, moderately curious about what we doing but not excited about strangers in the village. A middle aged white guy got chatting, was new Pentecostal pastor. Some insight into local Walpiri aboriginals
– Yuendumu is on Arrangu land but they can’t push warlike Walpiri out,
-Walpiri culture lacks empathy because their life conditions pre-white were too precarious to waste resources looking after people needing help – leave them to die on track and come back next year to pick up bones for burial
-My story of fellow burning spare tyre at crossroads near Harts Range in 2002 he re-interpreted as the aboriginal sending a “help needed here” message on my behalf (although he never approached me), not as I thought a ‘secret business’ warning to the next community. Anyway no help came.
The Pastor gave us rain water in exchange for yarns about life in the outback. He said that the kangaroos have never returned to the Tanami since the big drought in 2019.
Good 34 km downwind run to camp amongst galvanised burr.
The bitumen hasn’t run out yet.
