“Fourteen,”saysHarry.“Fifteensoon.”
“Well,unfortunatelyforyou,you’reat theright
ageforceremony.That’swhenyou’dbetakenaway
andtaughtthelessonsoflife.Thesapfromthe
milkwoodtreewouldbeusedtogluefeathersonto
yourbodyandyou’dbetaughtthesonglineuntilyou
weresickofhearingit.Andletmetellyou,I’vehad
someceremony”– hemakescuttingmotionsinthe
air– “andpartsofit arenotpretty.”
I’mhopingour24-hoursafariwithLordwillbea
chanceformysontolearnsomelifelessonsofhisown,
farfromthecomfortablesuburbhe’sgrownupin.The
bushmanwasbornintheTerritory.Hehasa facebest
describedas lived-in,andanimpishsenseofhumour.
Hisknucklesareswollenfromyouthfulbrawling.
ThomasSebastianLordis alsooneofthemostsought-
afterandhighlypaidprivateguidesinAustralia.
Lord,58,is ofEuropeandescent,andhis
connectionswithArnhemLandarelikethetributaries
oftheEastAlligatorRiver:exoticandcomplex,deep
inplaces,sometimesdark.Hegrewuponhisfather’s
1300-square-kilometrebuffalostation.Thelocal
Bininjfamilieswhoworkedonthepropertybecame
hisextendedAboriginalkin,andhewasmore
comfortablespeakingGagadjuthanEnglish.Soat
12,thebarefootTerritorykidwasshockedwhenhis
fatherpackedhimofftoScotsCollegeinSydney,
wherehehadtoweara boaterandblazer.
Lordreturnedtothestationwithsomeeducation,
a loveofrugbyanda preparednesstocontinueworking
the family station. Soon, though, his father sold it to138 GOURMET TRAVELLER
NorthernTerritoryDarwinKatherineBamurru
PlainsKakadu
National ParkVan Diemen Gulf
Timor SeaArnhem Land“T
hisgallerywasaboutthe
teachingoflaws,andthe
punishmentsexactedwhen
theywerebroken.”
SabLordpointsup
at therockfacepainted
withelongatedspiritfigures.Thewarmairsmells
ofvegetationandwoodsmoke,asit wouldhave
50,000yearsago,whenthepowerfulMimispirit
figuresweredaubedusinga mixtureoffat,charcoal
andredochre.
Lordturnstothe lad beside him: “How old
are you, Harry?”