Archive for Aboriginals
A Day’s Fishing With Frans Van Aardt And Family
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Bathurst Island Residents & Fishing Fanatics
Frans & Angelique Van Aardt
Well my friends, today I would like you all to meet and learn just a little about a good friend I have made since arriving here at the Tiwi Islands. Frans is the Shire electrician here , while his lovely wife and fishing buddy Angelique handles the cleaning of the building contractors quarters for Territory Alliance. They have two beautiful little daughters, Ashley 10 and Demi 7 who never miss a fishing trip with mum and dad. A day’s fishing with Fran’s Van Aardt & family is a great and fun day out, they always manage to find the fish which is a huge bonus.
Frans and Angelique are both South Africans who moved to Australia almost 5 years ago now, they first settled in Geelong Victoria. Where Frans landed a job with a company who traveled to the Tiwi Islands to carry out contract work, he fell in love with the place I am told and he decided to move here with the family.
The first couple of years, the two girls were taught by School Of The Air and then some tutoring also with the help of Skype and Angeliques home teaching. They have an excellent school here now and they both attend this, an experience they can tell their children I’ll bet.
Ashley with her dad & mum fishing
Demi with just one of many she caught
The kids both managed to out fish me on the day,and I was amazed at the fact they both rigged up their lines and baited them also by themselves. I have been on a few trips out fishing with Frans Van Aardt and family since this trip . The fishing around the islands is fantastic and the family go fishing most every weekend when the weather is acceptable, I will be bringing you many more stories of fishing trips with Frans & family.
After this day out fishing in the straight between the two islands, we all had a ball bottom fishing for golden snapper and ended up with a large quantity, that we then distributed among the Tiwi aboriginals community when we returned. They appreciate it very much when you give them fish, and the older women could not stop thanking us. I actually enjoyed giving them fish just as much as I did catching them, Frans also told me he has been adopted by quite a few of the aboriginal families here on the islands and says he is just sharing with family.
I have been in the process of getting to know people on the Island and settling in with the administration at the Shire Council . I am so thankful to Frans and his friendship as I am still finding my way around & now understand why Frans & Angelique love the place so much & plan to stay until the children need to further their education at college. Well my friends,obviously I will be bringing you many more adventures as they unfold.
Before I finish up with this post I want to let you all know about some other good friends I have online who are about to set out on an around Australia adventure of a lifetime. David & Lisa Wood will be setting out with their 5 sons in a Bus they have prepared for the 12 month plus journey and they want us all to enjoy the trip with them by following their journey here >> http://www.facebook.com/NewLifeOnTheRoad or by following the regular posts of the journey on their newly created purpose blog >> Here
Well friends & readers I want to finish up here by saying just how grateful I am for the life I live and the wonderful friends I have met in my travels , and those I am yet to meet. After a day’s fishing with Frans Van Aardt and family I feel truly blessed with yet another group of life long friends, thank you both Frans & Angelique.
tight lines
Allen Sentance Fisherman
The Wonderful Tiwi Islands
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The Wonderful Tiwi Islands
The "Arafura Pearl" Ferry
Well friends since I posted the last time, I have been given the opportunity to live & work on the Tiwi Islands. I was very pleased to be accepted as a member of the Islands housing council, and at the same time be able to pass on my trade of Plumbing to young Tiwi Aboriginals. I am still getting established here and settling into the house the Council has given me. The Wonderful Tiwi Islands has every thing I need to enjoy my stay here, from fishing to photography & yes I have great access to the Internet as well !!
For those who are wondering just where the Tiwi Islands are located, I can tell you they are 100km of the northern coast of Australia and directly above Darwin, the capitol of Australia’s Northern Territory. It is set in the tropics and now entering the wet season very soon. It is a tourist destination and can be accessed by a 20 minute charter flight from Darwin or as I chose to travel, a 2hr Ferry ride on the beautiful “Arafua Pearl ” ferry that travels 3 days a week from Darwin while the weather holds up.
Many tourists come on the ferry in the morning from the mainland, spend the day here sight seeing and visiting the Tiwi Aboriginals craft & art centres, then return in the afternoon to Darwin. It is a long day , yet a memorable one indeed. The Tiwi Islands consist of two main islands, one called Bathurst & the other the much larger one called Mellivle Island. They call them the Tiwi Islands as the beautiful Tiwi Aboriginals are the indigenous residents here & have been for centuries. Already I have made many aboriginal friends, and expect I will make many more before I leave here.
Boatshed & Foreshore of Bathurst Island
I will bring you all plenty of stories,photo’s & fishing tales while I am here on the Island. I am still searching for my first prize 1mtr barramundi catch & am expecting to catch him during my stay here. The islands are very large and consist of hundreds of small inlets,creeks & waterways , so plenty of fishing will be happening I can assure you all. Already I have been taken on some great boating & fishing trips & managed to see some beautiful places, so stay posted and I will do my best to share the beauty of , The Wonderful Tiwi Islands
A Plaque For The Tiwi People
Good Bye now to you all and see you for our next blog post here on Fishermans Blog .
Tight Lines
Allen Sentance
Fisherman
