Our island home

For those of you who have seen the RAN series that was on ABC some years ago, it was filmed here on Yorke Island, based on two of the nurses who worked here and covered a lot of the typical issues faced by these TSI communities, alcohol, domestic violence, and all the good stuff too. The house where the nurse was filmed in her home is where we have been living the past couple of weeks. Its very comfortable and feels very homely even in this short time. The verandah out the front is a great place to sit and watch the sea through the palm trees and just relax.....Too good.

Our family seems to grow each day. yesterday afternoon we had 11 for afternoon tea. We seem to be the place to meet after school now. I like to chat with the island kids and hear their creole, watch their eyebrow talk! Did you know you can say a whole sentence without speaking, just by using your eyebrows, mine are not that flexible I have discovered!!! The kids all have hilarious personalities and I have become "Aunty" to most of them and "Mum" to the others. Family here is very much shared around and while I am not sure I would like 11 children everyday, I am enjoying the "big family" feel for a short stint! We all headed out to the jetty last night and kids had a ball in the calm turquoise waters. Rob and I threw a couple of lines in but there was nothing biting, it may have been the noise???

Tonight when we visited the jetty the barge was here doing its weekly delivery. Fresh fruit and vegies tomorrow! Yay. The cucumbers had changed to another lifeform when I was looking at them in the Ibis store today. Fruit and Veg are sooo expensive and have to travel here on a barge from TI or Cairns. So, as you can imagine, once they get here, their lifespan has been shortened considerably. I realise how lucky we are at home to have the freshness and variety that we take for granted. As well as the competition that keeps prices reasonable. Still, I have to be grateful for the food that is here. Yesterday, Rob saw one of the trawler operators required medical attention. After he had treated him, the man gave Robert a box of seafood as a thanks!! Gotta love that. So lunch today looked a bit like this, now you know why I can't complain...

Tonight on the jetty, we were met by Uncle Ned. The police / minister. He is such a delightful man and has been so welcoming to all of us. Tonight he told us that we would be staying until Monday so we could have another Sunday at church with him. I thought he must have had something to do with our travel plans as they are still not forthcoming but when I asked he just laughed. "No, its just what I am working on with God"  His laughter is infectious and love of his island and community is so obvious.

 I have been lucky enough to spend a bit of time over the last couple of days doing bits and pieces in the clinic with Rob. I feel like I am slowly getting my confidence with how things work here. It is nice to get back to basics with nursing and do some wound care and ECG tracings. Its amazing how things you havent done for a long time, do just come back to you. The equipment may have changed a bit, but the principles are the same. I am also starting to get to know some of the regulars too. The health workers know all the community members so well, that their knowledge is really vital especially when language can be tricky. I am looking forward to being more involved when we go to Darnley Island. We are supposed to be going Friday but as yet our flights have not been confirmed.....for now, its up to Uncle Ned and God. Yawo!