Leaving Goodooga

The whole of Goodooga was woken up at 7am on Saturday morning by 17 screaming girls struggling to sing My Island Home. I will never forget the moment we departed from Mindy’s house, Robert following us on his quad-bike down the main street, tears rolling down my face. I didn’t want to leave; I had created such close relationships with the all the kids, the families, and the whole community. I had fallen in love. A town with a population of 200 people really captured my heart; they were so welcoming, so friendly and warm. This week will be one to remember, the people we met, the places we went, and the things we learnt will never be forgotten.
By: Emily Chapple

Enjoying the bore bath in Goodooga at sunset

With the students of Goodooga Central School



Toasting Marshmellows at the back of the Gibb's residence

Emu egg blowing. One emu egg = 12 chicken eggs





Aunty Beth - Teaching bush medicine and tucker

The transition process back home..

By: Amelia Carrozzi

Once arriving back home and debriefing to my family about the extraordinary events that had unfolded in the previous week, I felt as though words weren't enough to describe what had happened in those seven days prior. On the bus trip home I was able to write down each days events as a form of reflecting and looking over my experience in Goodooga. It was a time in which I was able to discover different sides to my friends and the staff that joined of whom I see regularly and a strong sense of trust was displayed throughout the trip. I personally was able to uncover a further chapter into myself and discover what it means to me to be able to represent Loreto as a Loreto Kirribilli girl as well as the meaning behind Australia and what it means to be an Australian woman. Witnessing the strong sense of community and openness displayed by the Goodooga local people, I felt a sense of disconnection through my local community when returning home. Another strong impression on me included my mind set which clearly changed as I felt myself questioning peoples attitudes and views. I found myself recognizing and placing a higher value on the blessings in my life from being privileged enough to go to Loreto Kirribilli as well as having such a wide range of options for my future in terms of my career path or future studies. Overall this immersion was an opportunity that exercised our school values of freedom, sincerity, verity and felicity. We were able to embark on this journey with our hands open, willing to accept and embrace challenges that would be put forth.

The beginning of the visual story...



Taking a break on the Goodooga to Brewarrina road (do not attempt this in Sydney!)



Disco night - Goodooga School Hall

Clay pan between Goodooga and Brewarrina

Post Immersion Reflections

By: Gabriella McNamara
For seventeen of us year 11 girls and four staff members, our first week of the holidays was spent at the remote Aboriginal town of Goodooga. The experience was like nothing else, everything was so new and different and we gained so much knowledge, insight and friendship from it. The travel in the bus was an incredible time of bonding between students and teachers alike. We passed the many hours of travel singing together, spotting emus and kangaroos, enjoying the scenery outside the window, reading and sleeping on each other's shoulders. Spending the first night in Dubbo we experienced our first Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony. It was like an official induction into our immersion. From Dubbo we travelled to Goodooga where we would spend the rest of our week. Cassie's mum Mindy gave us a warm welcome and gave up her time to cook us lovely meals everyday. It was such a pleasant experience sitting and chatting with eachother around the bonfire. Mindy's house definitely became a place of comfort, warmth and friendship for all of us. Thanks to the incredible organising of Ms O'Keeffe and Cassie, our week was packed with wonderful people, places and experiences. We spent a day with the children from the local school painting tents and playing games and a day at the billabong with the community. We formed very strong bonds with the people of Goodooga on these days in particular. We visited a sheep farm and watched the shearers with the sheep. We also spent an evening in the Goodooga bore watching the sunset and the stars twinkling above us. A few of the other things we did was walk around the Goodooga cemetery, spend a day in Brewarina with Uncle Brad, the fishing traps and massacre sight and visit the small town of Lightening Ridge. On one of our last evenings there we also gained some knowledge from Auntie Beth on bush medicines and animals, and were exposed to much Aboriginal knowledge and stories. It was a unique experience like no other. Our nights in the library, doing reflection and prayer and talking about the day, was also a special time for us to think over the experiences we had, the things we learned and the people we met. Saying our goodbyes to the wonderful community we'd become so at home in and to the people who had become part of our family was really sad. Especially people like Robert, from the youth centre, Leah, Cassie and Mindy.

This truly was the most wonderful experience for all of us. I really believe that the power of this immersion and the impact it has had on all of us fortunate enough to go on it, will stay with us forever. It's by visiting remote places like this and listening to people from different walks of life that we are able to gain an understanding and ability to make change in our world.

By: Alexandra Wittenoom Louw
The immersion to Goodooga was certainly a unique and incredible experience that none of us girls will ever forget. The preparation dates were invaluable and we all immediately bonded with our Goodooga mums Jules and Cass. Finally the day arrived for our departure and we all somehow stuffed ourselves into the bus with pillows, sleeping bags and mountains of food which was to be almost completely depleted before our arrival in Goodooga. The squeals of delight when we saw emus, kangaroos, sheep and even a wild pig with piglets (much to the disgust of the teachers) never seemed to end on even the shortest of trips! Mindy and her family made us feel completely at home and never hungry! Since we've returned people have asked what we did up there and I've found it's so hard to answer them because we managed to fit so much into every single day! From painting a tent embassy with the local kids, having a bath in the hot springs, exploring Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge and fishing with Rob. It has honestly been one of the most amazing weeks ever and we all appreciate everything the teachers have done for us- Ms O'Keeffe, Ms Freeman, Ms Rogan and Miss O'Keefe!

Also a massive thanks goes to all the Loreto girls who bought food from our bake stalls and helped us raise so much money for Goodooga Central School!

By: Amelia Laurendet
Goodooga is a town near the Queensland border, 784 km North-West of Sydney, and for the 17 girls and 3 teachers who journeyed there these holidays, the 2-day bus trip was well worth it! While it certainly is an isolated town- what we saw, heard and tasted as a group, was far from ordinary- it was the most exciting, challenging and rewarding experience I have ever been apart of. I had no idea of the sheer impact this trip was going to have on me and I think I speak for others in saying this. As a group, we gained an understanding of the complexities and wonders of Aboriginal culture, meeting respected elders, aunties and uncles who were kind enough to share their knowledge with us. We made bonds and friendships with the students at Goodooga Central School which will remain in our memories forever. Sharing our own stories, the NAIDOC Week disco (and our dance moves too) were just a couple of the exciting experiences that we took part in together. Throughout the whole trip I felt a deep sense of connection within our group and within the community who so generously welcomed us. Whether it was at meal times, sitting around the fire, doing our sound offs, listening to the stories of the people we met, fishing with Rob, searching for witchetty grubs with the students or cooking Johnny cakes with Mindy- feeling such a strong sense of belonging is what will stay with me for a life time. I have learnt many things from this trip- in particular that knowledge is sharing- we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and it is our job to pass it on so that this knowledge can be shared with future generations. Overall, this was more than just an experience of learning about Aboriginal culture- it was an education about issues of the past and present as well as goals for the future which include acceptance and reconciliation for all Australians.

Culgoa River - Thursday

As a group I think that we could all agree on the fact that the Goodooga program gave us the opportunity to encounter new, exciting, challenging, enjoyable and enriching experiences. One experience that particularly impacted me was that of the excursion to the Culgoa River with the Goodooga Central School. Coming away from the experience I was truly humbled to have been able to share such a special experience with them. After arriving, we were ushered over to have some lunch. We were introduced to Johnny cakes- a damper like cake/bread that was cooked on the fire- and when spread with golden syrup- it was HEAVEN! It was just fascinating being able to view a traditional style of cooking when compared to the vast range of electrical appliances we use to cook with at home. Alongside the freshly made Johnny cakes were sausages and meat. We each ate a bun with a sausage and sauce, which was delicious. After that we each went off into separate groups and explored the river area with the students. Some people went to talk to the older girls; others went witchetty grub hunting, while others went fishing with Rob. Each activity allowed us to not only learn something about Aboriginal culture, but more profoundly- allowed us to build friendships and connections with the students by being able to talk with them and learn something from each other. My fishing trip was a great experience in particular for me. While I can safely say that I have no luck when it comes to fishing- it was really fun being able to practice and learn. Rob was telling us about how they catch yellow belly fish, however there are a large number of carp in the river system, which is disrupting the ecosystem. Cleverly, every time they caught a carp they took it away and dumped it so that it did not go back into the water and do further damage. In this case they were incorporating enjoyment and fun as well as sustainability into the one activity. I learnt a lot about how the introduction of exotic species can have a detrimental impact on the native marine life. What I particularly liked about the day was the way everyone was so relaxed- people were just going off and doing their own thing- and having great fun. What I have come to learn from this day is to put things into perspective.  So often we might be stressed or worried or simply over thinking something. However if we think of this Culgoa River Trip- we realise that the purpose of life is not to worry over minute issues but rather to celebrate creation, and share our stories and our time with one another so that we may enjoy life.

Amelia L.