Here are a few pictures from a couple of weeks ago when the girls started school at the Free Spirit. They are loving it: swimming togs for the school uniform and the day ends at 1 pm with a swim followed by an hour on the jumping castle. Their school uniform arrived last week and they look very smart in their blue and gold shirts.

The classroom is in the Free Spirit Resort function room with full access to bar facilities.

Although Yentle misses her friends in Toowoomba, she is making some good friends here.

Meanwhile, back at the house Alex and Nicole plug away at Katherine School of the Air:

Back on the island we begin week 3 of the term where we are provided with many wonderful opportunities for personal growth. Here's a shot of the beast that charged the car (the number 13 Troopie that we're buying of Great Southern) on our first venture to the beach last week. I was in the passenger seat and saw the creature arc up and begin to charge my side of the car while Mark and Steve had the car in neutral urging me to get it on film. I won't write in this family blog what I said to them.

Here's the beach. Saw a few horses. No crocs (I'm sure they saw us). They tell us that this beach is the best barramundi fishing in the world. We're going to give it a crack this week

As for teaching students at Tiwi College, it's all about quality not quantity. With the heaviest monsoon rains in 25 years, the roads have been cut and the students have been at the school for four days this year. Here's a shot of some of the studets on the first day at Nguiu airport.

That first week was big enough anyway. We had Kevin Rudd's apology followed by an historic meeting of the Tiwi Land Council at the school the following day.

Nicole drove the manual bus around Darwin for the first time last week. It was in Darwin in 1991 when she first learned to drive and last drove a manual car. That was the same year we first went to the Tiwi Islands.

On the family front, Barry and Maria celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last week and are now travelling to Ireland for a few weeks to visit Danielle, Jason, Charlotte and Olie. And I believe that Karl and Colleen are bying a computer! This is very exciting because they will soon have skype access. I understand from Lyndie that Owen graciously declined the offer to teach Dad how to use the computer, instead preferring to avoid the inevitable frustrations with such a task and maintain the healthy and loving relationship that he has with the folks. Very wise.

I understand that there is still no effective communication access at the school, although I did see the wireless satellite going up before we left the school on Friday. It may be another week till the next blog. Peace for now.

It is 5 am and I leave for week 2 on the island in about 40 minutes. Week one was a baptism of fire! We drove to Nguiu on Bathurst last Tuesday to meet and fly the students to Pickertaramoor. The school is not finished and we are in the middle of the monsoon rains. When we arrived at the school with the students the reality of the lack of resources hit home: no classrooms, no where to take them outdoors and no indoor facilities.

Despite the difficulties with the weather and lack of facilities, we have run classes and have worked hard to get to know each student.

Nicole and the kids are in Darwin at the Free Spirit Resort during the week. On Saturday we were due to fly home but the weather stranded us on the Island. When the storm clouds roll in the planes don't leave Darwin! This was frustrating, particularly for Nicole who had been at home flying solo for the week and who was expecting me back on Saturday. By midday Sunday the clouds had cleared enough to get out of Picker.

We don't have effective communication on the island so there is no chance to get on the net. Hopefully we will have satellite set up in a few weeks and will be able to update this blog more regularly.