Phill tells his story

Pindathuna-Camp — 2000-08-13

Phill arrives at 1:00 p.m., in order to chat with us.   He tells us the sad story of how his wife left him after more than thirty years of marriage.   ‘She took everything we owned with her.   I was out helping a friend, and found everything gone upon my return a few hours later.   The house was completely empty.   We had three televisions and she even took all of those.   I’ve been sitting on a mound of debt now for seven years and trying to pay it off.   She was a good woman, a real bush woman and I still don’t understand why she just got up and left, and especially why she took everything away from me.   Not even our children can understand the strange behaviour of their mother,’ he says, and we can’t think of a word of comfort for him.   Phill waves his hand and changes the subject.   He tells us about his favourite pastime, the hunt.   We learn that the responsible body, the CALM (Conservation and Land Management) allow animals that have been introduced to this country by the white man, to be shot from the air.   ‘I have witnessed innumerable goats, donkeys and camels limping through the bush, injured by a bullet.   I don’t care for this way of shooting much.   As I have already said, I believe in a clean kill, but this terrible shooting from the air means great suffering for the creatures.   The worst thing is that it doesn’t help solve the problem,’ he sighs.   We discuss the hunting of these animals for a long time and I realise that this subject is very debatable.