The first and most important reason for living in Kanpa is that I have a house. I even have a little garden. And an entrance gate with some bull's horns. Like an old ranchero entrance. Enchanting. Considering that 'enchanting' is not a word I would use for many (any) of the houses I've seen on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, it's nice to be able to stretch its use for mine.
Similarly, all three rooms and living spaces in the house are occupied solely by me. This is again another advantage. After having spent 4 months in a share house in Warburton, the presence of people and the absence of space was a bit too much to bear. I know 'space' shouldn't be a problem out here in the desert, but considering that we're now very much in the habit of living under a roof, what goes on under that one roof (when you get one) becomes considerably more important. For those with Google Earth technology, imagine your focus of attention honing inexorably towards that one tiny pinpoint on earth. Unable to stop no matter what keys you frantically press. Now you are experiencing what happens to many people out here - as they move further and further away from more people, the greater the magnifying glass focus on just the few people around. Perspective is easily lost. For me, the best way to safeguard against this loss is to have more space to muse on the many (ie, few) people. In all their crazy and delightful ways. And one small bedroom just wasn't enough. (Some people are very puzzling. And I don't mean Yarnangu.)
Running a close third to the above two features is that Kanpa has the best selection of radio (and TV) that I've ever actually experienced, in any State or Territory. Now, admittedly, my TV viewing has been limited. But I do generally know how many channels there are. Kanpa has all those and more. I've got about 7 TV stations, representing the offerings of a few nearby States, with different timezones. I also have a fantastic array of radio stations. And most important of all, RadNat (as the Chaser boys would have it called). Radio National. It may not be popular, but it is my thing. In fact, so much so, that I need only send a sharp look towards Damian (the Community Advisor of Warburton) and he knows that I know that Radio National has been 'turned off' in favour of local radio and I'm not happy. I'm not really sure how the radio stations work in Warburton, but apparently they can be turned on and off according to ... some system. I'm a hard and fast RadNat listener. I think I'm the only one in Warburton. Luckily, Damian does listen to it with as much equanimity as local radio, so I have a way of encouraging the switch to be turned back on. When I'm in Kanpa, however, I need not worry. It's in my hands. And it's called satellite.
Which brings me to my broadband. Another reason Kanpa is a good place to be. Courtesy of a generous subsidy from the 'guvment', Telstra has installed a satellite broadband service. Thank you, Universal Service Obligation. Thank you, National Party members. For a mere $500, I can get three boxes of equipment delivered, a man anxious to drive on boggy roads to meet his service expectations, and a cute dish on my tin roof in a few short weeks. Of course, this was after spending about an hour on the phone explaining that Kanpa wasn't in or near Alice Springs (like it's postal address), being 1200k west. Approximately. And no, there were no streets, nor house identifiers. But I could assure him that someone would be there, and they would know which was Sophie's house. If he really had to put something in the computer, he could write 'House 3' (after all, it's the third house on the left when you drive in). It may not be as good as the new fancy cable that is being laid over at Warburton, but it's a damn sight faster than dial-up and allows me to log in and talk on the phone at the same time (oh joy of joys, how some things are so easily taken for granted).
Of course, it's not all a bed of roses. It is an hour and a half to Warburton, and my Yarnangu team. I do need to stay in Warburton during the weekdays so I'm able to more easily work with colleagues and those ubiquitous stakeholders. It is going to be harder to learn language than if I were in Warburton (Kanpa is mostly English-speaking residents). I won't have the same 'drop by' social visits on the weekend from my team that I enjoy so much, including the easy invitations to go hunting for goanna, honey ants or sweet sap.
But it will be more than a room of my own, and for that I give thanks.
Kanpa phone: 08 9037 1171
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