Outback Exodus

by Dawn Millen

  The cooking fires are steaming, but are still hot enough to get the dry wood going and soon the dinner is cooking away again and people are milling about with muddy feet and big grins on their faces. We have enjoyed the storm, even if the place is muddy now, but no damage has been done and it means that there will be more water in the creeks as we find them and that will help along the way. Every container with a lid that will hold water has been pressed into service to take the rain water and it is being loaded onto the vehicles. Water is so very precious in the outback that we try and save every drop we can in case we end up at a campsite without water.

  Dinner over a sing song is underway and the camp settles for an evening’s entertainment. The old songs ring through the night sky and the group is a happy place to be. I sit there wrapped in the warmth of the camaraderie and dream of times gone by.

  James is looking tired now, despite a rest during the afternoon and it is soon time to take him back to the medical tent to settle in for the night. He is brimming over with the events of the day and is quite chatty as I help him get ready for the night and tuck him in his bed. He requests pain killers, telling me he is a bit sore and feels that they will help get the pain down enough for him to sleep well. He still wants to get out and about tomorrow so wants a good night’s sleep. I give him his pain killers and he is soon snuggled down in the bed and drifting off to sleep with a gentle smile on his face.

  “Goodnight Jenn, and thanks for all your help.” James says with a sleepy yawn.

  Goodnight sweetie, it is my pleasure to help you.” I tell James as I turn off the torch and settle the flap down as I leave. I stand at the entrance and listen as his breathing settles into the rhythm of sleep then turn and walk back to the largest of the fires and the gathered campers there.

  I look at the glow of the fire and at the red eyes of the cooking fires banked down with white ash to keep them hot until the morning. Their glow is eerie in the darkness and feels almost as if eyes are watching me as I walk. I begin to feel a little spooked and notice the absence of the night sounds that usually are still present even during the sing a longs around the camp fire. This brings to mind the earthquake and I wonder. No frogs are calling down at the billabong and the bats are silent tonight and I cannot hear the crickets in the trees around us. Something is going to happen, I am just not sure what. The dogs are quiet, but they have been fed and are settled in their usual posts around the fire engine. The cab door is open for puppy to come and go and as I walk towards the camp fire she emerges and scampers over to me. Her tail and ears are down and she looks frightened.

  I spot Gavin and slip quietly down onto the tarpaulin beside him. “Something is wrong Gavin, Puppy is scared of something and all the night noises have stopped.” Say quietly to keep my voice below the music; I don’t want to spread unnecessary panic. “I have a feeling that there is another quake on the way.” I finish.

  “I had noticed the quiet and was wondering myself.” Gavin said.

  No sooner had he uttered these words than the familiar rumble started and the ground shifted and heaved beneath us. I could see the ripple effect of the quake moving people to different levels as it moved through the ground. The noise and movement seemed to go on for ever and standing was impossible. People fell against each other and there were tangles of arms and legs everywhere. Children screamed and parents were yelling for those children who were not with them. Tents were sagging towards the ground and some of the vehicles were sitting at crazy angles due to the movement of the earth. I can hear trees cracking and falling around the camp site. Slowly the rumbling stopped and the heaving stilled. I pulled myself up and was surprised to find strong arms around me holding me tight. Gavin had instinctively grabbed on to me during the quake and just held on. My arms were around a squirming Puppy who was now trying to lick my face in her joy at being safe and cuddled. I must admit I was feeling pretty much the same and gave Gavin a quick hug as we both stood and headed off to check on everyone and everything.

  My first port of call was at the sagging hospital tent where I found James shaken, but safe and Helen hovering at his side. All was well with them both, but Helen was readying the first aid kits just in case of need. Krystal entered the tents and was able to confirm that all her family was well, Sandra and Paul and their children were safe as were Jasmine and her family. Paul had gone with Raymond to check on the vehicles and they were having trouble with Girlie when they approached the fire engine so I head on over to sort out my silly dog. She is still very man shy and it is better that I deal with her rather than the men.

  I swiftly sort out the dog and check on the two males who are scared, but not aggressive. The fire truck is fine and has no damage. I then set off around the camp site to check on others and their safety and check people out for injuries. I find several with cuts and bruises and send them to Helen for a double check on their injuries.

  Half way around I meet Gavin coming in the other direction and he is looking for me. There is a problem and it is going to require first aid and man power to resolve. John Evans is trapped under a fallen tree and he is not doing well. I call out to Thomas and ask him to get Rhys, Raymond and Paul and for them to bring chainsaws. I also ask Thomas to go to the medical tent and get me a big first aid kit. He runs off to do his errands, vanishing quickly among the sagging tents.

  Soon help is at hand and we all head off down to where Jasmine is sitting on the ground with John’s head cradled on her lap as she talks to him quietly. Her voice is filled with reassurance and gentleness, though she shakes her head at me as I draw near. Things don’t look good and she is well aware of the problems with crush injuries. We will have to work quickly to get John out and do what we can to help him. Time passes with the roaring of the chainsaws and the groans of the trapped man and in a short time we have many willing helpers to lift the large section of gum tree off John’s chest and away from us so that we can check out his injuries and do what we can. Grant heads off to bring an ambulance as close as possible to the injured man and Helen arrives with a stretcher.

  Chapter 31

  We know that there is little that we can do for John due to the crush injuries from being under the tree for so long and without the proper treatments the acid build up in the tissues are going to kill him quite quickly. I discuss this with Rhys and Gavin as we jog trot across the campsite towards the hospital tent and are met at the doorway by a solemn faced Helen. She informs us that John did not make it across the campsite and had passed away shortly after we loaded him in the ambulance.

  Helen is visibly upset and angry that she cannot do the things she has trained for due to lack of equipment and medications. It is now that reality is striking for our lovely Doctor and it is tearing her apart not to be able to help those she may have saved just a few short weeks ago. I do remind Helen that Crush Injury is difficult to treat and that the loss of life is a common occurrence as a result and often prior to being able to get the patient to hospital. Grant backs me up on this as John is not his first Crush Injury patient. Being a paramedic in a small country community for more than 30 years has given Grant an insight into the issues that we will face on this journey; so many times he has lost patients that would have been saved in a much larger city area. Most of the losses are caused by distance from the hospitals and lack of suitable equipment and treatment even before the earthquake made things so impossible. Grant and I quietly console Helen as Rhys and Gavin head for the semi-trailer to retrieve a coffin and the digging tools necessary to bury John.

  Our quiet campsite is thrown into chaos as the news of the death of one of our members spreads slowly. Although John was not well liked he was one of our own and the loss of one more person after the loss of so many just makes for depressing news.

  Gavin, Rhys and Paul head off to dig a grave near the billabong and Krystal, Helen and I start to prepare the body for burial. It is a sombre task and we work quickly and silently until we are finished. The funeral will be held in the morning and a
lthough we have no minister to officiate we will do what we can to give John a decent send off. I just hope that we don’t have to do too many more funerals before we are settled on the coast. Death has struck at the survivors again and with this death it is all becoming too much on an emotional and spiritual level. The relief of surviving the original earthquake has been tempered by the loss of life from this latest earthquake.

  We place John’s body in the coffin and leave it standing on trestles under a tarpaulin shelter next to the hospital tent. People will be able to visit John, but Helen and James will not be constantly disturbed.

  I walk over to where the grave is being dug by torchlight. It is close to the billabong, but not too near, we are very conscious of the possibility of contamination of the water and do not want to risk anyone that is coming behind us. Richard, one of the older men has found some flat planks in the grass and has fashioned a cross for a marker and is carving John’s name and date of death onto it. Leaving a marker for John’s life and a way of showing others that there is a grave at this site.

  The night hours pass slowly for those of us who are awake and as dawn shows as a grey tinge on the horizon the grave is finished and the digging party walk slowly back to camp and up to the cooking fires. One fire is already blazing and Sandra and Krystal are standing there waiting to pour hot coffee and give comfort to those of us who have been out through the night. It is a quiet group who sit, coffee cradled in their hands, and just savour the early morning and the flavour of the coffee.

  “How many more of those quakes are we likely to get?” Rhys asks of no one in particular.

  “Don’t know mate, but I hope they settle soon.” Paul says quietly.

  “I’m getting a bit scared of them, and now we go back into the cycle of aftershocks all the time.” Sandra snuggles up to Paul and fear is plain in her voice.

  “I know what you mean Sandra; it scares hell out of me.” Gavin says, “I don’t know how long it is going to go on and how bad things will get, but we have to look towards a future and hope that they stop soon. We can’t live as if we are going to die each day; we have to do something to make a future for all of us.”

  I sit quietly and listen to my friends talking. I am scared too, but refuse to show it to anyone, what is the point of adding to the fear in the camp, there is enough there already and me adding to it won’t help anyone and will give verbal name to the fear for me.

  The early morning bustle of the camp starts and people wander from their tents scratching and stretching their hands above their heads almost in worship of the light showing above the horizon. The first rays of the sun are just touching the campsite now and the damage from last night’s earthquake is becoming visible. There are several trees down, not only the one that killed John; they lie in haphazard piles around the edges of the campsite. Some still have the lines of washing attached to them; it has dragged through the dirt and will have to be rewashed. Some tents are still sagging drunkenly as their owners have not yet been able to tighten them up. The vehicles have fared better and most are still where they were parked and look undamaged. There is one though that is sitting very close to a crevasse and will have to be moved as soon as possible.

  The funeral is set for mid-morning to give people time to repair the damage of the night and to get themselves ready for the funeral. It is not as if we are going to dress up, but being able to take our time to get mentally ready to bury one of our own is going to be necessary.

  Time moves forward and after breakfast I head over and help gather up the washing that has fallen to the ground among the tangle of the trees. We head back to the fires and the pots of boiling water to rewash the clothes then restring the lines between the tents for safety. There are others going around assisting with the resecuring of tents and making sure that things are safe. Vehicles are moved to safer places and away from the huge crevasse in the ground. Rhys is also helping to move the other vehicles that may be too close if it opens up, Thomas and his mates are helping to move the tents away from that area too. People are sorting things out and making things as safe as we can for the last day of our rest break.

  Soon it is time for the funeral and the group troop across the grass to the gravesite and stand quietly while John’s friends tell about his life and about how much they will miss him. Others in the group stand and say what a great job his did with different electrical work he had done for them over the years. There is not much to be said though as John was not a popular man and the service is soon concluded and the coffin is lowered gently and the earth pushed back into the hole. There are a few wild flowers and red gum leaves placed on the pile of red earth and then everyone walks slowly back to the campsite.

  Chapter 32

  Lunch is a subdued affair as we all contemplate our mortality and wonder how many more times we will be burying one of our numbers. The thought of this haunts me and I can see on the faces around me the same thoughts are with us all. James is my biggest concern as I know that there will come a time when we do have to bury that lovely old man and that will probably be a difficult day for all of us. James has become like a grandfather figure to many of us in the convoy and his sweet nature and constant bravery are a symbol of his courage and an encouragement for all of us. He has made a promise to himself that he will make it to the coast and see us all settled and with his usual calm determination he will do his utmost to be there when we reach our destination.

  The older boys mount up on the motor bikes shortly after lunch to hunt for more meat for dinner tonight and for the next night too. Rifles are slung across their shoulders and ammunition is rattling in their pockets. They rev the bikes and head out for the open country to the north in the hopes of shooting some of the cattle that they have seen grazing off in the distance.

  I settle down in my tent to try and catch a couple of hours sleep after last night and am soon curled in a ball and the sounds of the camp gradually fade as I drift off into a deep and dreamless sleep. Even the slight heaving and rumbles of an aftershock don’t disturb me much as I am too tired to care. Puppy has made her way into the tent and is curled up beside me on the sleeping bag and just stays there quietly as I rest.

  The afternoon heat builds slowly and I wake sometime around mid-afternoon in a lather of sweat and decide that it is time to have a shower and clean myself up again. This will be my last chance to do this properly for about a week and I am going to take advantage of it. I pick up my towel and soap, shampoo and conditioners and head off to the showers. The luxury of the hot water and soap make me feel like I can take on the world. I am soon clean and dressed in clean clothes and head back to the tent to gather up my belongings. Anything I don’t need for tonight and tomorrow can be packed into the fire truck and it will save time in the morning during the pack up. Then it is time to give the dogs their daily run so we set off down to the billabong and I watch as they bound through the shallows and chase each other in and out of the water. I avoid the gravesite though as it seems wrong that the dogs have so much life in them and one of our number lies beneath the ground. Even though I did not like John Evans his fate is one that I would never have wished on him. I call the dogs and head back to the tent to gather up their food bowls and feed them their nightly rations.

  I hear the sound of the motorbikes returning and look through the tent flap and all the boys have large pieces of cattle beast draped over the backs of the bikes and looks of triumph on their faces. They have found food again for the group and are very proud of the skills they are developing. They head towards the cooking fires and the waiting group of people who will butcher the carcases and cook them. Fires are already built up and glowing ready to get dinners cooking for our last night here.

  The sounds of the smaller children playing close to the tents echoes around and the joy in those small piping voices brings a smile to my face. They are as carefree as they have ever been and the worries of the adults are not bothering them at all. They chase each other squealing loudly and laughing when
they are caught. There is an occasional burst of tears as one or other small body falls to the hard ground, but there are soothing voices of the older girls who pick them up, dust them off and let them go to play again. Tears turn to giggles and the giggles turn to screams and laughter as they run and chase once more.

  I hear the sound of the cockatoo’s over at the billabong as they gather for their daily bathing ritual and the loud squawks make a joyous sound as they cavort among the gum trees. The sounds of the outback at sunset are strident and loud, but are so much a part of this landscape. I know that I will miss the cacophony of the morning chorus and the sounds of the ending of the days.

  The sun starts to sink slowly towards the horizon and the orange glow outlines the few dark clouds in the soft shades of pink and gold. Twilights are short in Australia and soon it will be dark and the night sounds will take over as the cicadas start their song and the fruit bats bounce their sonar around as they navigate through the darkness finding the fruit trees on the wide spread homesteads or raiding the nectar from flowering gum trees.

  I make my way across the campsite in the gathering darkness and the light of the cooking fires and the savoury smells guides me as I stumble against the odd tuft of dried grass that has remained during the last few days. Food is at the forefront of my mind and the company of my friends is going to be very welcome tonight too. Figures are shadowed by the dancing firelight and conversation drifts across the empty spaces as I walk. Foods, company, conversation, all the hallmarks of civilization are waiting in the firelight. I pick up my pace and quickly join the group at the nearest fire.

  Dinner is soon eaten and the great pots it is cooked in are scrubbed and loaded onto the vehicles that carry the camp kitchen. The makeshift oven is loaded onto the top of a 4 x 4 and tied down tightly so that it will be there ready to use at our next rest stop. There is a great deal of activity as vehicles are packed for the morning and breakfast equipment is taken out early so that we can get underway before the heat of the day hits hard. We plan to be on the road by 8.30am and plan to be off the road and camp set up by 2.30pm. Short travel days, but we are always making progress towards our goals.