The in-between, just as crucial as the destinations or stops. Through slowness we are fully emersed in the place, people and stuff (architecture). It is through engaging with the broader Australian condition and all it comprises that we are learning the most and blowing many preconceptions to smithereens. Having an in-depth understanding of the value of how place influences in-habitation is crucial to 'good' architecture for people and place.

Wham! Bam! Slick tourist operations churn caravans into cash, shop attendants near the end of their three month stint talk easily with locals and tourists alike. Just out of town lies some of Australia’s most fascinating architectural heritage and one of Australia’s great multicultural stories.

The smallest town, yet some of the biggest thinking. Indigenous elders active teachers, people as usual wearing many hats, playing many roles. The stark white ghost gums seem unique to the place, a beautiful contrast to the blushing red earth.

Red dirt and dust, the piercing sun beams. Flies a menace. Water always a part of the conversation. Average annual rainfall is around 12 inches, average evaporation is 18 foot. Sitting upon the artesian basin though, “there are no water restrictions”. A baffling contradiction. 

Imagine fertile lands covered in dense Brigalow scrub, bottles trees and prickly pear; Low ranges ringing the horizon. The subtropical and sub-humid climate, with variable rainfall, provides relatively pleasant conditions year round. At the junction of two water courses, The Dawson River and Castle creek is a fertile junction abundant in nourishment from both the land and water, we were told by a local elder this was a special place to the Wulli Wulli people. Being the traditional owners of this land; their country covering an approximate 8300sq km area, they would have fished and hunted porcupine, living off the banks of the Dawson River and within nearby caves. Significant cultural and burial sites including caves with a four fingered hand print and bora grounds (a male initiation site) exist in the local area where many artifacts, such as grinding stones, rock axes, and flake and core stones continue to be unearthed, the local elders their custodians.

Sleepy Woodgate, yawn and you’re moving too fast, blink and you’ll miss it. However, If it’s not your destination you won’t have heard about it.

A part of the traditional land of the Kabi Kabi people, the local Dundaburra tribe is noted to have resided here for last 50,000 years. Indicated by the many middens along the Burrum river, their diet was varied with large amounts of shellfish. Local history states the Dundaburra would partake in the Bunya nut feasts on the Bunya mountains, some 220kms away (close to Toowoomba). In researching though, their presence is a miss.

K’gari, (Fraser Island) is the (is)land of the Butchulla people and is one entirely of sand. It is the world’s largest.

Although a sand island, great diversity exists. The west of the island, the ancient side with calm waters and sinking sand consists of dunes over 700,000 years old consisting of low growing heaths, sheltered tidal mud flats and mixed forest and woodland. HUGE ancient rainforests exist in sheltered valleys thriving on middle aged central dunes throughout the center reaching to what we guessed was over 50 meters tall and houses a terrible amount of mosquitoes. The East of the island is the wild yet ‘new’ side of the island with SE prevailing winds brining sand up the coast of Australia (all the way from Antarctica), constantly forming and re-shaping the East coast creating sand blows and sideways growing banksias. Pioneer plants are the start of all this diversity, taking hold on the newly formed dunes and sand blows, providing a foothold for larger more diverse plants to begin. Analysed through our sections, the eastern settlements; Dilli Village, Happy Valley, Eurong (&more) are nestled back amongst the 2nd and 3rd established sand dunes for protection.

We are less than a week now from beginning the Trip and wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped currently. Firstly, THANK YOU to everyone who came to our Newcastle launch last Friday night and especially to those who helped out to organise, set up and pack down such a BONZA event!