Landscape photo: L-A Shibish
In 1856, Kip and his family landed at the Swan River Settlement in Australia. That’s the good news. The bad news was that a financial crisis had hit the young colony, scuttling the new arrivals’ dreams before they’d even set foot on this great southern land. His mother Anna was not happy, but then she rarely is happy, frequently taking out her frustrations on Kip and his Dad Joe, a simple-hearted cobbler.
But when Kip sees this great new country, he immediately falls in love with it.
Whilst running an errand for his father Kip meets Maali, a Noongar girl, and they become close friends.
Kip also meets me.
My name is Djidi Djidi and I’m a bird - some would call me a fantail. Normally we birds don’t talk with humans: but Kip was different. When Maali’s brothers were accused of stealing some barrels, I took a chance and talked with Kip. And that’s when our adventure really began. Of course we needed help from the great Kwile, he’s a river dolphin and the wisest, happiest creature I know.
Along the way we were guided by some unexpected help, yet it was Kip and Maali who were the real heroes as they searched for the missing barrels and helped free the poor aboriginal children who had been charged with stealing them.
***** The manuscript for Kip has been reviewed and edited by Britta Kuhlenbeck, Senior Anthropologist for the South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council in WA. **********
But when Kip sees this great new country, he immediately falls in love with it.
Whilst running an errand for his father Kip meets Maali, a Noongar girl, and they become close friends.
Kip also meets me.
My name is Djidi Djidi and I’m a bird - some would call me a fantail. Normally we birds don’t talk with humans: but Kip was different. When Maali’s brothers were accused of stealing some barrels, I took a chance and talked with Kip. And that’s when our adventure really began. Of course we needed help from the great Kwile, he’s a river dolphin and the wisest, happiest creature I know.
Along the way we were guided by some unexpected help, yet it was Kip and Maali who were the real heroes as they searched for the missing barrels and helped free the poor aboriginal children who had been charged with stealing them.
***** The manuscript for Kip has been reviewed and edited by Britta Kuhlenbeck, Senior Anthropologist for the South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council in WA. **********
