Bush Fires

Now that we are in the middle of the build up and things are beginning to heat up, we thought that it might be nice to share some of the final images we have taken of controlled bush fires.

Actually things have already heated up, our office temperature gauge read 100f outside before 9am a few days ago!

From the air the vast swathes of bush alight does look very impressive. But when the fires start to come close to built up areas it can become quite alarming!

Fortunately the fire and rescue service in the area are brilliant.

The controlled burning of the tinder dry scrub and trees is ongoing through- out the dry season and into the beginning of the build up.

We hope you enjoy the images below!

Blessings

The Stockleys.

What will they deliver next!

Christmas arrived early in the Stockley household a few weeks ago when Georgie received a pair of much prayed for pets.

Ever since we arrived in Nhulunbuy, Georgie has longed for a couple of Guinea pigs.

We have asked around town, placed notices on various boards in the community and even placed an order for two Guinea Pigs to be brought back from Darwin.

We have tried to buy them from pets shops in Cairns and then fly them home with us, but none of the shops we visited had any left.

It was a sad tale and we had a very sad daughter!

Things changed a few months ago when we were fortunate enough to be hosts for a couple from MAF in the Ritz (the flat next door).

They suggested that they put an"ask" around the MAF office in Cairns on our behalf.

Two weeks latter, via an aircraft ferry trip from Mareeba, the package arrived under instructions that no one should know what the box contained, apart from the pilot.

Charley collected the box from work and brought it home. He asked Georgie if she could help him bring in some items from his van, unaware that their was anything for her.

The photograph below shows her reaction when she guessed what was in the box having seen the water bottle carefully secured to the edge of the box.

Carefully and with a little help from Alexandra the pair of guinea pigs where carried safely to their new home.

They are in here somewhere.

Playing with her new pets. An activity that happens regularly now before and after school.

Never have a pair of guinea pigs been so indulged and loved.

Welcome to our family, Pip & Ginger.

Whose exploits will be continued later...

All our love

Charley, Rachel, William, Alexandra, Georgie & Freddie.

Just in time...

With humidity climbing and the onset of the wet season, a water tight roof is essential.

Today we had our first real downpour of rain, so one of our MAF families was pleased to know that just a few weeks ago their old rust ridden roof had been replaced with a nice shiny new corrugated, water tight iron roof.

Off with the old.

27 x 12 metres long roofing panels and about 2000 tek screws later and we're nearly there.

On with the new.

A quick coat of paint around the frames, job done!

Just one of the many projects that Charley has completed over the past few months.

More projects to follow in future additions.

All our Love & prayers

Charley, Rachel,

William, Alexandra, Georgie & Freddie.

Such a perfect day...

What a lovely day today has been.

My first trip out to one of the homelands MAF serves began by being weighed, every girls nightmare!

We were then escorted to our plane by Andy, our handsome pilot for the journey.

It was so nice to be able to spend some time catching up as last year we completed our orientation training with him, his wife and muffin, now known by the name of Theo and nine months old.

Safely off the ground the views were breath taking, flat plains of bush, scrub and eucalyptus trees.

Our first destination, Baniyala in sight.

One of the larger Homelands in Arnhem land. Baniyala is perched on the edge of a beautiful cove.

A welcome sight!

The local, relatively new store at Baniyala is stocked with a viriety of items including; fish hooks, flour, clothing, two man tents, family favourites such as tins of baked beans. The list goes on.

Homes around the community of Baniyala.

Following a brief trip to the community school, it was a quick hop, skip and jump into a "troopie" for a 50 minute journey to Rurranala, our final designation.

Rurranala is a small remote inland community with a few houses, a one room health clinic, office and a school. At the School about ten children are taught by a wonderful Yolngu woman.

Just a ten minute walk away from the community runs a river, a vital life sustaining source of food and water for the locals.

Walking back from the river one of the children pointed out a buffalo horn fixed to a tree.

His comment was "Cheeky Buffalo, came into our community"

All that is left of that cheeky roaming buffalo I think!

After a truly special day it was back into the plane, take in the views...

and then back on tarmac again, and the MAF hanger.

Thank you Andy!

Thank you to all those Yolngu people I met and their warm welcome.

More at www.maf-arnhemland.org

Charley, Rachel

William, Alexandra, Georgie & Freddie.

With a little help from my friends...

Some of you may remember that back in February of this year, our family and some friends spent the day dismantling an old MAF Donga in Yirrkala.

Unless we destroyed it before the cyclone season began, it may be uprooted and it could end up anywhere in the bush!

Now nearly four months later, the site has been cleared, cleaned up and landscaped.

The pictures that follow show just some of the stages of transformation this small plot of land has gone through over the months.

Also you will see two volunteers (Tom and Pete) who came up to Arnhem Land to spend two weeks helping out. As a result of their hard work and some extra help when needed, Charley has been able to complete the finishing touches on the new MAF houses in Yirrkala.

Praise the Lord for his perfect timing in providing this help.

We hope you enjoy the following pictures...

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It became a race against time to pull apart and burn the Donga before nightfall.

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Let's get this fire going!

Nearly gone!

With the site nearly complete attention turned to concreting a drive and path for the new house next to the site of the old Donga.

The side area of one of the house in Yirrkala being prepared for the

concrete path to be laid.

No sign left of there ever being a Donga on the site.

Our two volunteers get to work.

What a difference four months can make. The site where the old Donga originally stood, now along with the adjoining two MAF homes is fenced in and secured. All of the homes have also had their metal work painted in a lovely shade of, "cottage green".

Not a cottage in sight however!

In their spare time Tom and Pete also showed a flare for building as they helped construct a brilliant cubbie, as Georgie called it.

I think we may be able to fit more in, don't you Freddie?

Can I join you both?

Great we can all fit in .

Do you think the window is going to let any rain in?

We hope you enjoyed this look at just one of the projects Charley has been involved in planning and implementing.

As always we hope that you enjoyed our blog.

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All our love and prayers.

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Charley, Rachel, William, Alexandra,

Georgie & Freddie.