Author: kzmcb

A traveler, writer, teacher, mother and wife.

sculpted kindness

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From Halls Creek in Western Australia to Becky’s squares, an extraordinary monument.

Bronze casting, by artist C.P. Somers

Straight from the plaque :

It shows”Russian Jack” (Real name Ivan Fredericks) a famous figure in the gold rush of 1885.

“Russian Jack” once carried a sick friend more than 300 kilometres in a bush-made wheelbarrow seeking medical aid over a track which existed in name only.

His feat symbolised the mateship and endurance of the pioneers of a region, then lacking all the amenities of civilisation.

I think many are metaphorically doing the same thing during these unusual times.

Kinda erosion

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Rounded boulders are common at Karlu Karlu

North of Alice Springs and South of Tennant Creek is Karlu Karlu, which means round boulders in the language of the first nation’s people of the area. They’re my entry to Becky’s squares.

Once anglicized as Devil’s marbles, most people are changing to the traditional name.

Despite their appearance of having been dropped or hurled there, the boulders have been formed by wind, heat and water erosion over millions of years.

It is believed that a large granite mass, of which they are a part, was formed by volcanic activity, 1700 million years ago. Fissures in the mass allowed the erosion and the rounding of the blocks occurred.

Stunning at sunrise and sunset, I’ve tried to select photos that are not culturally sensitive to the Arrernte people. If you come this way, do stay overnight for a small fee (it was $3.30pp) and do walks, enjoy the vibe, learn some stuff.