I’ve always been a proud Australian but when I was made Senior Australian of the Year in 2010 I began to look far more seriously at Australia Day after attending the naturalisation ceremony in Canberra the day after the awards. It was such an emotional experience to watch so many people of so many nations climb the steps to receive their certificates with such excitement and pride in becoming citizens on that day surrounded by family and friends and so each year since I’ve been involved in celebrating Australia Day in some way.

This year I was asked to present an address at Coober Pedy which I have to admit put me out of my comfort zone, as, as a nervous flyer the mode of transport was 2 ½ hour trip each way by light aircraft . On meeting our pilot Chris Pfitzner I was a helped a little by the knowledge that he’d been a crop duster for years so all the way on the flight I always had in mind he’d be able to land a plane if in trouble. Chris tried to put me at my ease by telling me the plane was like a speed boat bumping against the waves and not to worry when we were ‘bumping’ through the clouds. I was prepared though and had my ipad and earphones and listened to segment after segment of downloads of the BBC Food Programme. With it all done and dusted, all the nervous energy expended was more than worth it for a truly ‘flying’ visit of 24 hours.

We were made so welcome and after a quick lunch I was taken to Umoona Aged Care Services by Sonia Mazzone, Executive Officer who has run the aged care service for 15 years. The facility has been based and designed on a Traditional Camp Site design with the Elders input at all levels. However there was more; I was taken with the women elders to their 10 mile camp site where the women had their own very private space and here I was privileged to be part of a ceremony of ‘secret women’s business’.

I can only tell you that it was something so unforgettable and it showed me first hand all you read about connection to place and culture and more. It was something I will never forget and I thank them all for the great experience. And talking of more on the way back through the camp site where both Aboriginal men and women were gathered around a fire pit with kangaroo tail in the coals and damper and I was invited to eat with them. Many of the group were already eating but they had kept tails for us all. A tail was taken from the coals, brushed the ash off with leafy twigs and then I was shown how the tail was ‘cracked’ in half at a point and handed my share. Even with my ‘asbestos hands’ from cooking I found stripping the skin back quite hard but soon managed it and was into it. Truly delicious! What a day of great experiences!

The next morning; Australia Day itself there were hundreds of people gathered in front of the Old Timers Mine with all the community groups with stalls and breakfast being cooked with that evocative smell of frying onions wafting through the air. Coober Pedy is absolutely a league of nations with more than 145 nationalities represented in the area and on the day it was so evident that it is a strong community of such diversity. This year is Coober Pedy’s Centenary; 100 years from when that first opal was found and Sue Britt had collected recipes from so many nationalities of Coober Pedy to celebrate this and the book is testament to an amazing mix of people who share this life in this truly unique town.

As I said an amazing 24 hours! –Maggie.