Bathurst Island Mission Experience
Bathurst Island is one of the Tiwi Islands located 80 kilometres north of Darwin in the Arafura Sea. For twelve days students, who elected to take up the challenge and head into the unknown, embark on an amazing experience to become immersed in the culture of the wonderful Tiwi people and share in their traditions.
Bathurst 2011
One of the main components that makes Monivae College such a special and unique school, is the opportunity for mission experience that is available to students, parents and staff of the community.
Our group, Kedar Giles, Rebecca Grenfell, Melanie Lieshman, Emily Hicks, Lauren Stanhope, Hayley Isles, Sophie Thornton, Bronwen Arnold, Mrs. Karen Ashby and Fr. Mark McGuinness msc, began our trip with an early start and a long journey from Hamilton to Darwin on Wednesday the 21st of September. We were welcomed by the local MSC. priests and once we were settled in, we spent the next day enjoying the sights such as St John's College, Darwin museum, Mindil Beach markets, and the beautiful sunset.On Friday we had another early morning to catch the Arafura Pearl to Bathurst Island. We arrived at 9:30 a.m., where we were greeted by Fr. Peter Haun MSC, the local priest, who we were to stay with during our time on the island. We had just enough time to drop off our bags before heading to Murrupurtiyanuwu Catholic Primary School, to help run sports and activities for their Feast Day dedicated to Saint Therese. It wasn't long until we all felt welcome there.Our spare time on the island was spent settling in, getting used to the 35 degree heat and exploring the town of Wurrumiyanga, formerly Nguiu. Over the weekend we attended mass at the aged care facility and had milkshakes at the famous Frangipani Café. Sunday found
us at the local waterhole with the elder ‘strong' women of the community and their grandchildren. We were shown the methods they used to collect materials for basket weaving including the natural dyes.
At the start of the new week, Melanie, Kedar and Emily went fshing with Mrs. Ashby and Fr. Peter Huan, catching several fsh for our dinner that night. The rest of the group headed to the Primary School and the Preschool for the morning, and spent the afternoon spray painting games onto the concrete at the Preschool.The local children were immediately very welcoming; we helped out in their classrooms and the playground. We began to form special bonds with them.
For the remainder of the week we assisted at the high school, Xavier College where we were reunited with past students Louise and Mara Murphy and Edwina Portaminni, joining in their art and P.E lessons. At the Primary School we stencilled as many games as we could ft on the pavement and helped out in the classrooms. We spent our spare time experiencing all the island had to offer.
Highlights of the trip included: being able to attend both a traditional catholic funeral and wedding ceremony, visiting the local art centre Njaruwanajirra a Tiwi name meaning ‘helping one another', walking along the beautiful beaches and meeting more friendly locals.
We made many friends that we will never forget.