The Mbantua team goes out regularly on field trips to the Aboriginal settlements in the Utopia region, at least once every two weeks.  Planning for the trip usually starts the day before when the car is loaded with goods and materials.  On the day of the trip it is good to start out by 6:00am as it takes approximately 2 hours of driving to get there. The drive takes us up the north Stuart Highway out of Alice Springs towards Darwin for 150 kms and then a right turn onto the Sandover Highway towards Utopia for another 120 kms.  Don't let the word 'highway' fool you here - this road is dirt and at most times is full of corrugations and bulldust. 

A satellite phone is a useful addition to staff on these trips, in case of accident or some other trouble, as there are no phones and no mobile coverage between Alice Springs and Utopia! As you can see from the photos on the left Dale and Tomoko had to change a flat tire by themselves on one trip, luckily they had done a special course beforehand and knew how to do it! 

The bush trip is a long, hot day covering many kms in the region. The trip takes the staff to places such as Mulga Bore, Soapy Bore, Mosquito Bore, and Boundary Bore.  Time is taken to distribute the art materials such as canvas, brushes and paints, also talking to the Aboriginal artists and looking over the artworks that have been done, taking photographs and, if it's the research team that has gone out, they must spend lots of time with the elders listening to their stories and learning their 'dreamings'and family histories etc. 

By 6:00pm it is time to start the long trip back and they usually return to Alice Springs around 8:00 or 9:00pm if all has gone well.  Only time to have supper, a drink and into bed ready to start work the next day!