Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
Pinjarr is 1000kms from a shop, on a no through road. The NRMA book said must travel in 3 car convoy. No one had ever headed North of Pinjarr. Planes fly in once a week for fuel.
The town has 30 residents, all Ngapatjarra. And then there’s Dave, the middle aged white community manager. He runs the shop, airport and council as well as doing the fortnightly water run. And there’s Helen, a white school teacher who just so happens to be having an affair with Dave. There are three cars in Pinjarr. Dave’s, Helen‘s and Harold Tjanittarra’s – an elderly artist of distinction. We arrived in a 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser that belonged to the Art Centre. It lasted 2 weeks and we were here for 12, in February, when it’s 40 degrees. You can’t drink the water in Pinjarr. If you do….