For Thamu Special thanks to Quinton for his support encouragement and constructive comments and to Sarah for reading the story
Chapter One Kaarlgula Goldf ields Come on Eli shouted Dad Just throw your jocks in the bag next to your socks that way every time you change your socks you’ll remember to change your jocks as well Ahh Don’t embarrass me Dad replied Eli Ten-year-old Eli was a Noongar Wongi kid His mum was a Noongar from the south-west of Western Australia and his dad was a Wongi from
the north-eastern Goldfields Eli was a gentle shy boy with a birthmark shaped like a boomerang just above his right eye and shiny black hair down to his collar Eli had four older brothers two older sisters two dogs named Bunthar look out and Moorditj solid and a fat fluffy ginger cat named Inni yes Eli had lived in Perth all his life and often went to visit his grandparents in Kalgoorlie with his family But these school holidays for the first time Eli was going by himself to visit Thamu grandfather and Garbarli grandmother Kalgoorlie is a dusty red gold mining town called kaarlgula by the local Aboriginal people a kaarlgula is a bush fruit also known as the silky pear with sweet-tasting hairy flesh It was the best time to be in the
Goldfields because it was spring The winter rains and glorious sunshine ripened the earth into a colourful carpet of native flowers Blue pink white yellow and purple splashes of colour spread out upon the burnna yurral red dirt in a unique flowering explosion Eli liked going to his dad’s hometown because he loved spending time with Thamu and Garbarli He especially loved being spoiled by them Garbarli made yummy chocolate mudcake just for Eli and Thamu told him lots of yarns around the campfire at night Eli couldn’t wait to get there but it took all day to drive to Kalgoorlie from Perth They arrived just before sunset
