Wednesday, Sep 28, 2011 at 07:58
Hi Wooly and Wayne
We have travelled all the areas that you wish to travel, including all through the APY Lands. I knew a few local Aboriginal people that were living in a couple of Communities and to be honest, I wanted to see their land. It was a great experience and Fiona and I and our
young boys travelled solo through the whole area a very long time ago. When I received the permits back, it was classed as a "Family Visit" and if not for the fact of knowing the locals them, I was told that we would never have been issues permits.
As Alan has stated, the APY Lands are very different from other area in the NT and WA controlled by the Ngaanyatjarra Council and it just as different as calling a French person that they are British, you will insult them greatly and to this very day, there is still great friction between family groups for various reasons.
I know today that there are small organised tourist groups that now have access through the APY Lands, but not sure on what areas that they travel through. I still have contacts living there and have even been asked a few years ago to take a family that I know to a funeral of someone that I knew, but was not able to get the time off of work for such a quick visit.
As big as the country is out there is still very small, as when we visited one family at a community, they knew that we were coming, yet we had not spoken or seen anyone else, they just keep a close eye out on anyone travelling through their lands.
Cheers
Stephen
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