55 to Halls Creek .
Last camp on Tanami Rd, mostly corrugations and loose rock for 50km today. Very cold and dewy overnight. Ruby Plains Stn workers stopped on way to fencing job to check on us as we were packing up this morning.
A social worker from Mutitjulu (Uluru community) gave me 6L of Mt Franklin water. Said gov plans for aboriginal communities not realistic given levels of grinding poverty, cultural obligations to extended family, lack of proper paid employment – e.g. CDEP work for the dole basically slavery, native park rangers paid below subsistence at L2 public service rates while white rangers ( most with uni degrees) start at L4. She is quitting out of frustration and burnout. Camped in culvert on under construction part of Tanami Road just north of Ruby Plains homestead. Lots of Ruby Plains cattle on road today.
