Stuart and I have been quite the social butterflies these past few weeks. We had dinner and a games night at David (MAF Pilot also based on Milingimbi) and his wife Kimberly's (yes, apparently it is mostly Kimberly's who are silly enough to follow their pilot partners out here!) place. It was an awesome night and we even were treated to home cooked pizza! I don't think pizza has ever tasted so good, EVER! We nerded up a storm and I played my first dungeon's and dragon's game. Funnily enough that is an experience I never guessed I would have out here, Milingimbi you are full of surprises! We also went fishing with them and it was so amazing sitting at the beach near sunset, waiting for the fish to nibble (even though none did). I still haven't seen my first wild crocodile yet, but the crocodile tour Stuart and I plan on taking soon should fix that right up!
I have been lucky enough to escape Milingimbi about four times on exciting little pop up trips to Gove, oh sweet sweet freedom! I must admit, it is a pretty awesome feeling knowing that if the moment strikes and the flight permits it, I can just up and jump on a plane to pretty much anywhere. It has been the saving grace for this newly regained sanity of mine. Even though all my Gove trips with Stuart to date have consisted of motion sickness, running errands (shopping, passport photo, post collection etc.) and early mornings, they have equally felt amazing and given me premise to escape the little 'box dungeon' for a little while. On one trip I had a girlies day with Kristy (Tim's girlfriend based at Gove, Tim is a twin pilot based there) and Donna (another pilot), complete with Miss Congeniality and delicious homemade banana cake! Tim, Kristy, Stu, Donna and I went out to a pub for tea and a cheeky drink. Living in a 'dry' community is great but there is nothing like a good old sip of adult 'special sauce'. Not to mention it was AMAZING to have a meal that we didn't have to prepare and cook ourselves for once. My culinary skills are nothing short of ordinary, although they are improving (well, so Stuart says...although he may just be being nice!). I can't decide if those aspects of Gove are my favourite, or that I have access to iced coffee there... while I am not usually a coffee nut, it became a guilty pleasure of sorts and unfortunately I am not on board with 'instant coffee' just yet, most like as an aspect of my 'princess nature' (as Stuart puts it!). Not sure how you can be labeled a princess when you live so remote... I have a strong feeling I may just lose that title by the time I get back home.
While the little Gove trips have been exciting and refreshing, Stuart's plane decided to start overcharging while we were flying back to Milingimbi, releasing a delightful smell of rotten eggs throughout the plane the whole way back. Gosh that smell was SO COMFORTING! ... well maybe not! Turns out the mechanic didn't put the alternator back together properly, so it was overcharging the battery and the battery responded by spewing battery acid everywhere! Needless to say Stuart was unable to fly for a few days while it was waiting to be fixed and I had the most panicked flight back home, waiting patiently to fall out of the sky. Stuart assures me this couldn't happen, but being a passenger who isn't exactly learned on pilot knowledge it is say to say I was calmly crapping myself.
Another delicious 'oh, crap!' moment occurred when I nearly hit a camp dog while driving the Patrol to pick Stu up from the airport. Now, please don't get the wrong idea, despite the rumors I like to believe my driving skills are completely sound. And, while my eyesight is questionable, I am confident in my ability to see a big black dog in the middle of the road. However this particular dog wasn't wandering in the middle of the road, he was walking alongside the road. He saw my car and must have hallucinated that it was a large cat, or he was a bit of a daredevil as he ran a mere meter in front of the car! I shouted some colourful words, braked lightly but firmly, swerved off the road, into a ditch and almost ploughed through someone's front fence. In a Western society I am aware you should never swerve to avoid an animal, however this is not a Western society. This is Milingimbi and you can actually be kicked off the island for injuring an aboriginal's family pet (including a daredevil dog prone to possible feline hallucinations that runs in front of cars). Even though they are left to roam the island and take care of themselves, their owners still want you gone if you accidentally injure/kill them. Never fear though, the dog escaped the incident without harm and cheerfully trotted away while I cursed from my ditch.
On a side note, the Patrol this occurred in is a manual, YES! A manual! Take that, everyone who doubted my ability to efficiently work a manual vehicle! I have been driving automatics for most of my driving experience and I have to say, manuals are so much more fun to drive!!! Stu took me out for some lessons a week after me arriving and there is nothing more fun than four wheel driving on red dirt and across bumps out in the bush. What a blast we had! I can't tell if Stu's expression was a frightened one or an excited one but I was having a ball! While on the topic of our luxurious vehicle (a bit of an exaggeration), the hatch window at the back of the Patrol smashed.... yet another quirky characteristic to add to the Patrol (or the Poo-Troll as Stu calls it!). However despite what you are thinking, it was Stu who was driving when it smashed ( I know, I was shocked it wasn't me too!). In his defence, the hatch window was secured to the car with a door hinge so when he went over a bump and it rattled against the car and broke, it wasn't really avoidable.
It has definitely been an interesting few weeks and I am learning more and more about myself and this incredible place as each day passes. Not entirely sure what I am in store for, but it is really exciting to live in a place where everyday is an adventure.
'Til next post!
Kimmy Xx
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