Tropical Island Paradise

There are many times when I realise that I am living on a tropical island paradise. These islands are very beautiful – no cats, no cane toads, no broad acre farming, no wide spread logging. In many ways the islands are as they were in 1788.

In the evenings out fishing on one of the many creeks the still water reflects everything.

The waterfall at Taracumbi on Melville Island runs clear and clean all year.

At the Nine Mile waterhole on the road to Milikapiti. This waterhole is clear and fresh during the wet, and becomes stagnant during the dry.

The yellowing grass at the Nine Mile waterhole, clouds and rain coming in. The end of the wet.

Long grass at Purrampurnali near Milikapiti at the end of the wet.

In the beginning

I have been working on the Tiwi Islands since Oct 2009. The Wet has started. I listen to the thunder roll over Nguiu and black clouds fill the sky.

Tiwi Islands are 20 minutes flight by light plane from Darwin in the Northern Territory. The Islands are about as far noth as one can go and still be in Australia.

The Tiwi Islands are Aboriginal land, managed by the Tiwi Land Council.