SASS' DIARY: DAY TWENTY SEVEN ONWARDS

Day 27 onwards
Darwin – Sydney


[ 2005 : My journal ends midway through the word Darwin!]

SASS' DIARY: DAY TWENTY SIX

Day 26
Kakadu – Darwin

Early morning, 4:30 am, we woke, techno floating through the air .. camp rose and ate preparing for the carnival of death – face painting, costumes, banners .. we were ferried down to the lease gates arriving in darkness as workers trucks drove through – police paddy wagons beat us to the site, overtaking us as we drove (part of the trial camp action liasion)…
Costumed hordes overtook the area – radioactive suit, mutation fluoro green people, brides of death, scream masks … weddings were played out and a variation on “glory, glory, allelujah” sang by all – radioactive tubs were unloaded along the road and human sculpture erected , alongside barriers held up – the action culminated in a die in on a gravesite constructed by the lease gate – those in radioactive suits calling out “This area is contaminated .. radioactive site, keep back.” As the dying crawled into a pile on the grave mound – radioactive suits surrounded them in a circle holding hands, surrounded by the rest of the costumed members of the action – we all held a few minutes of silence and then people began to call out “remember Jabiluka .. Hiroshima .. Chernobyl..Nagasaki.. Nuclear workers.. Victims.” The call was then made, that for those who had decided to be arrested by entering the lease area – we would now move into that part of the action. An ERA worker read a short statement saying that we would be arrested if we trespassed … then people began to climb under the wire and into the lease area (in ones and twos) and the police dragged them off to wagons… At this point I became quite overwhelmed by emotions (sadness, despair, impotence) that I had been carrying all week (other members of the peace bus ended up in a similar state - possibly due to the fact that we were leaving the blockade and thus it was a culminating event whereas for other blockaders there was a sense of continuing struggle and thus perhaps containment of those ongoing emotions).

As the gate opened and one of the wagons left there was another die in – those who did not wish to be arrested were carried by the r-suits out of the paddywagons path – after the wagons had left rap/drums started ( again – music had also been going prior to the 1st die in ) – words being quite Jabiluka specific. A moving structure with drums, rad suits and Benny was constructed.

I was quite inspired by the colour, diversity, expression and creativity of this action. It was quite dynamic and vital. My reservations (later) were regarding the negative aspects of the theme – maybe it needs to be balanced by a positive vision of the future (not just death, destruction and mutation). Nonetheless, I was inspired to think about getting a similar action together in the street outside ERA, a carnivale – bands, doof, performance, stalls, food, the bus, banner painting, drumming, costumes .. and maybe also a “restricted area” performance take over of the ERA office foyer (Jacqui Katona was advocating arrestible actions elsewhere than at the lease site)

We stopped in Jabiru and zoomed off to Darwin sleeping on navy crown land (Buffalo Creek) by the beach despite a friendly warning by the police

SASS' DIARY: DAY TWENTY FOUR

Day Twenty Four
Kakadu
BOWALI INFORMATION CENTRE:
Southern ridges : Jawoyn country
Much of this country was created by Bula. As Bula and his wives travelled they created and named the features of the landscape. Eventually, Bula entered the ground where his ngan-mol (essence) lives peacefully today. However, if Bula is disturbed and his country is treated badly he can be dangerous, perhaps unleashing earthquakes and volcanoes.

As Bula can make people sick, Jawoyn have always known his country as buladjang or “sickness” country.

At Ubirr, there was a painting of a person with swollen joints – the tribe did not move rocks, walked in single file in their ancestors’ footsteps in certain “sickness” areas.

In 50’s and 60’s there were 13 small mines.

The old uranium mines of the South Alligator river valley, although small, were producing very high grade uranium ore. Hazardous radon decay products can build up in these old mines. Waste materials from many of them are “hotter” than the ore at Ranger.

“Buladjung” – sickness country, areas have been found to contain very high and high uranium rock types and unusually high levels of arsenic , mercury and lead.


from personal diary:
“Kakadu heat making me weak
I have no energy
But it is beautiful here
Beautiful to be welcomed
So colourfully yesterday
I keep quivering on the edge of tears,
Watching the action this morning,, reading Jabiluka press articles …
At the dying of the light…
Kakadu mozzies screeching, crickets, birds serenade the mildness of dusk.”

SASS' DIARY: DAY TWENTY THREE

Day Twenty Three
Kakadu
Sat 25 July

Oppressive heat – dehydration – flies .. went to a segment of the camp general meeting – reworking their decision making process, moving from affinity groups to break off groups during meetings – a faster process probably more in tune with the dynamic structure of the camp and its numbers – also talked about liasing with Gundjami – rep report backs – interesting to peer in on this evolution . The camp energy seems to be in a weird space – quiet, frustrated, sad, confused – not able to physically block the mine though they are so near – feeling somewhat distanced from their purpose.
I hear a lot of the long term (and direct action focused) crew have fled to Darwin. Each morning outside ERA there is a “presence” action – I believe they were chanting, standing about, kicking balls. Yesterday after the women’s action there was a cricket and soccer match outside – the ERA water truck came out and sprayed all of the hot kids … the focus is on ‘creative” actions – but I wonder with the “presence” and ‘Sport” – What are we communicating? What is our point? “We’re still here”?

In the afternoon we received out induction – talked about politics with the camp, camp energy, hygiene, working groups, legal issues, NVDA … a girl also spoke about how the campaign is functioning outside the camp – Amnesty and the NT police powers / court functions, media and parliamentary mentions and involvement.

Late afternoon we drove to Ubirr – amazing rock paintings and gorgeous rock clusters and panoramic views over the floodplains, forest and other rocks. Inspiration for what we are fighting for.

Realised that more than anything I should be prioritising collecting information and educating myself here … I keep almost crying, it’s all rather sad…

PEACE BUS in GREENLEFT

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1998/321/321p5b.htm

SASS' DIARY : DAY TWENTY TWO

Day Twenty Two
Kakadu

Woken at 4:30 this morning, looking out of the tent to the starry still night sky.. We weren’t sure whether it was ok to go to the women’s action because we hadn’t been inducted we ended up going to offer support as observers. The action was mostly silent, low energy and felt sad (perhaps reflecting the feeling in camp – as direct arrestible actions have ceased for a while because Gunjami are disturbed by the violence / police reaction) - they stood, white clad, facing workmen coming in spelling out URANIUM FREE ZONE< letter written on ties on their stomachs – holding candles. Then tey did spontaneous group movement led by women in the corners, then Joanna Macy’s Om Dance (Chernobyl).. in the circle they then sang as a group, then individuals with guitar (and acapella). During the standing moment, there was some quiet chanting and a woman, Bindi, played the harp. There were a few photographers there – one from National Geographic (I have heard there’s been lots of positive press lately – addressing the blockade camp, uranium in general, the issue of “feral protesters” – on the ABC-NT, The Age, SMH, etc).

We had a group Peace Bus meeting in the afternoon which was somewhat good, if also frustrating – I’m sick of meeting! There are leadership and gender issues coming up – to do with dominant personalities and power dynamics within the group but its very much an unspoken thing in meetings – it’s all behind the scenes though I’ve said it should be discussed.

SASS' DIARY : DAY TWENTY ONE

Day Twenty One
Katherine – Kakadu
Thursday 23rd

Woke by the entrance to some caves near Katherine and trundled into town to do general two based admin. We did an action on the streets, mainly petition led to a mixed but, I am told, generally positive response (though the negative responses “go back to where you’re from, hippy” were quite markedly confrontational.)

On the road to the blockade camp, couldn’t quite believe we were really about to make it there finally, after all the traumas. Picked up a blockader hitching back to the site and passed a combie and a car travelling away – gave me the sense of returning to my tribe… Turning off the road where two people sat at the front gate with a welcome sign and radio… We drove down the dirt track to be welcomed by beautiful smiling faces, flags and banners, shouting welcome – it was so exciting, like arriving at a festival in its colour, creativity and layout – friends and acquaintances dotted the crowd. I was joyfully distracted trying to take it all in (reminding me of Reclaim the Streets). We dissipated into the site .. a women’s meeting about a “creative”, “nonarrestible” action planned for the next morning was in progress – I stayed briefly enough to reply to desires for Percy to act as a shuttle (indeed, there was a 2nd call for us almost immediately, it was a little overwhelming).

SASS' DIARY : DAY TWENTY

Day Twenty
Renner Springs – Katherine
Wednesday 22nd
A day of much movement on the road – towns were really only roadhouses – long flat dirt roads, nowhere really to do action s .. hot and somewhat frustrated these few days in the bus.

SASS' DIARY : DAY NINETEEN

Day Nineteen
Mt Isa – Renner Springs
Tuesday 21st

We woke in a carpark by the glory of Mt Isa’s looming industrial complex. After, breakfast the group split into two and while driving lessons were held on the bus we wandered the somewhat quiet streets of Mt Isa and talked to the locals – gave out broadsheets, some postcards, and stickered the town. Amity and I received pretty positive responses particularly from the aboriginal people.

We drove and drove – stopping at Barkly homestead, discussing a proposal to work out a mime / skit to present our journey to the blockade – bringing together simple (two person) representations of aspects of the journey integrated with a slow moving representation of our actions (we also have a banner, signatures to present from S & S).
We drove to Renner Springs and camped by the road.

SASS' DIARY : DAY EIGHTEEN

Longreach – Mt Isa
Monday 20th
Driving all night.. kids crashed all over the bus half sleeping .. a dead kangaroo…
We reached sunny Longreach breakfasted and stretched in the park as Nigel organised a visit to the local high school. Having received an ok we scooted off to wash the bus and landed ourselves in the coach bay out the front for recess. Kids were hesitant at first but once a few came out and started doing handprints more became interested (until in the end there were a few too many and prints ended up on our lights, windows, etc..)
Some of us wandered inside, a few of us manned an info stall – we got lots of interest and were able to share lots of info both verbal and textual.. It was a really good action, the best yet, I think. Polly had organised reporters to come to the school, but out wires were crossed and we were at a different school, sadly. But a reporter cam and photographed us after the event anyway…
We trundled down the road and the engine began to overheat, so we stopped, fed him water, only to have it happen again almost immediately. So, waiting for things to cool, we has a “What’s disturbing us and how it could be solved” – issues like personal decision making and initiative versus consensus decision making, communication issues, living together..
We puttered along, stopping to cook dinner, fighting off an insect invasion at a truck “don’t sleep and drive” stop. Then went off into the night driving.

SASS' DIARY : DAYS TWELVE - SEVENTEEN

Day Twelve – Seventeen

Yass – Canberra- Sydney –Bathurst –Orange-Dubbo-Bourke– Cunnamulla- Yowah

from personal diary:
“Yucky sick on the bus
Night moves us to Canberra
The vent blows cold
And a chorus of coughs are covered
By blankets and sleeping bags”

“Stuck in fucking Yowah
Not following my initial intuition
Which said “no, don’t go””


(2005 note: all blank pages! and the faulty beast of my memory only remembers fragments. I am missing some great stories: Sleeping in an unused church in Bathurst. Very cold. Singing on streets. The Christian community in Bourke? that feed and housed us all. Can someone fill in the blanks??)

SASS' DIARY : DAY ELEVEN

Day Eleven
Melbourne
Joyfully returning to out fixed and much missed Percy we bagn to paint and scrape to remove any remaining vestiges of the Oz Experience name – we decided to move the bus to repack and paint properly, only to find, much to our distress, the motor simply wasn’t turning over at all. We brought a truckie over but we just couldn’t jump start and we ended up being dragged around the parking lot until we started purring again. In a moment of hysteria, as we were being ejected from the carpark, we bid S &S paint helpers goodbye and headed off into the confusing streets of Melbourne. As we got lost in a maze headed for the freeway, we once again conked out at an intersection and had to mobile for help. Then, off far into the night, Tash drove, to Yass.

SASS' DIARY : DAYS FIVE - TEN

Days Six – Ten
Tuesday 7th – Sat 11th July
Students and Sustainability, Tasmania

Hitched with Polly from Devonport to Hobart with a guy from the RAAF and his son. Having worked in mining and logging he was remarkably open minded about what we were doing and about environmental issues in general… he dropped us right outside S & S lunch – all the colourful bods and yummy food! I went straight off to a most informative nuclear cycle workshop…
Polly, Loosie and I spent most of Wednesday at the Tasmanian Environment Centre – faxing, phoning and copying – then we did a small journey and walk up to Ferntree (where I got left, but immediately got a lift with a friendly local woman). …

Once Tash and Scott arrived we had a lengthy up to speed-ing meeting – which was good but as time went on people became testy with each other. We were still trying to work out systems such as accounting, what we were doing re; Councils and enviro groups, etc.

We twice announced Peace Bus stuff at plenaries : who we are, what’s been happening, fundraising, launches.. and had a resolution passed supporting us. All to positive response. We had morning and lunchtime stalls, gathered contacts, raised money and sold all the t-shirts we had in ten minutes!!

Friday we doofed under the full moon. Saturday a girl crew of bussers rode with Dave’s van on a slightly confused path to Devonport and met up with a few other individual journeyers. Andrew and Scotty dashed in at the last minute, much to our consternation after our last ferry misadventure.

On the ferry we were having our “what are we going to do tomorrow and at the launches” meeting when the S&S crew came and asked us to sing Kakadu songs with them, which we did and which was lovely. Then the suggestion was to move as a group to the bar/dance floor and sing it for the other ferry occupants. This was not successful. Bar staff wouldn’t turn off the music video so that we could be heard. We sat in a circle on the dance floor, occasionally breaking into song and dance accompanying the videos and asking/arguing with various staff until it became clear that it wasn’t happening and we left.


from personal diary:
“A Hobart path with Loosie:

Full moon shining
Down
undulating slopes of snow capped
mountain tops
rise
above the half grown trees
scattered
tramping down the curving path
in the cold
cars pass us
we laugh
hating to run.”

SASS' DIARY : DAY FIVE

Day Five- Melbourne
Monday 6th July

Tash and Scotty took Percy off to find an alternator and be fixed while the rest of our crew met at Soulfood again to start writing faxes to Students and Sustainability and our absent crew members in Sydney and Tassie – to let them know our story. We went over to Friends of the Earth to link up with their Jabiluka Action Group (some of whom were hostile towards us because they had problems with Yellowcake donating money to Oms not Bombs rather than them – though they did get some of the money) and were tarring us with the same brush, saying “we’re getting ripped off” because we were utilising their resources. And did our faxing, phoning and photocopying until about 2pm, liasing with Scotty and Tash on the mobile we were told that Percy would probably be ready to go on the ferry. So the peace Bus crew at FOE packed up and trammed off to Port Melbounre to book into our (delayed) ferry crossing.
waiting round as 6pm drew nigh, we started calling the mobile to check where Tash, Scotty and percy were.. the mobile was diverting to the message bank, much to our increasing frustration… we were huddled together, stressing out – Where were they? Where was the bus and our stuff? We repeatedly requested that the ferry leave the cargo bay doors open because the bus is coming.. Not able to get through to Tash and Scotty and having received no message from them we were sure that they were. We were herded onto the ferry, much to our distress, and the whole thing headed out to sea.

SASS' DIARY : DAY FOUR

Day Four – Melbourne
Sunday 5th July

Met a Soulfoods to discuss where we were at with Percy’s rapid demise and our plan of attach… then café hopped off to the Vege Bar to eat more good food and continue meeting until we were quite mentally exhausted.

SASS' DIARY : DAY THREE

Day Three – Albury
Saturday 4th July

Small trucks and army coaches gave us the spark we needed to travel off down the road a few hours to Albury… coming to an abrupt halt at a major intersection we calmly moved to calamity control, directing traffic and scouting for sparkies. Off again, Percy berthed at the local MAN franchise as we visited $2, op shops, health and supermarkets.
We trundled off to Melbourne, joyous to land as it darkened at a truck stop outside Melbourne.

Sass' diary

Day One
Thursday 2nd July 1998

Projected time of departure 8am
Actual time of departure 3:30pm
But we got together many of the extra bits that we needed – inverters, stereos and such…
now we are sitting at a Goulburn servo after the newly christened Percy Peace’s alternator failed to charge and we ended up powerless half in the driveway. woops! This is our first crisis (all batteries – bus, mobile and video failed together.. hmmm) – hopefully we get it out of our system now.

We slept outside the Goulburn Auto Electrician’s to wake up to cold and frost (so silent in the night when I awoke, legs cold, to hear not even the sounds of slumberous breathing from my bus mates) outside the tip top bakery shed – “the white stuff”. So, finding that our alternator wasn’t working and that our $1000 ‘service’ had indeed fucked us over, we had our batteries charged and off we went – trying to make it to Melbourne for our 6pm ferry. Because our alternator wasn’t charging we couldn’t use our indicator, lights or start our engine.

We were chugging along until I saw a truck driver .. passing by.. motion to us, pointing down. Andrew checked our rear view mirrors and saw black smoke coming from the engine. we freaked! chugging into Gundagi (Dog on the tucker box) to stop again – once more immobile at the servo! Back on the phone chastising our Sydney mechanics, delaying ferry bookings, making contact with new mechanics nearby…
and making camp, by the tucker box, as sun sets – twirling fire, swapping tricks, cooking pumpkin soup, stereo and juicer plugged into the electricity box .. discussions about reclaim the night : inclusion and separatism, safety, violence and television…