"Hello." "Have you got a bathroom?" "Yeah, it's just out the back." "I'd like a burger and a coffee." "Get what you like." "You look weird." "Jesus!" " Oh, for fuck's..." "Jesus!" "Fuckin' hell." "Why do you have to fuckin' do that?" "Yeah, go and wash your face." "And get in the car, right?" "Chook?" "Yeah, that one." "Stay there." "Righto." "We're off." "What's that say?" "It says, "Koori rulz." "The only bet is on black."" "Well, that's yours." "Who are you fighting?" "Aliens." "They steal people, especially from parks." "I don't want to sleep here." "So, what do they look like, these aliens?" "Like us, but skinny, and they've got one eye" "and they come from the stars." "It's a clear night." "It's beautiful." "Do you know how to reckon dead south by the Southern Cross?" "Those?" "Mm." "Um..." " What about those?" " Mm." "Oh, you like them, do you?" "No, those are plastic, mate." "Oh." "Alright." "Whatever you do, don't say nothin' about Max, understand?" "Yep." " Surprise." "Ta-da!" "Oh, Chook!" "Hey!" "Look at you!" "Oh, he's alright." "He won't bite." "Hello." "What's your name?" " Come in." "We're on our way to Adelaide and, uh, we thought you might be good for breakfast." "How'd you get my address?" "Old Max." "How is the old darling?" "Oh, he's fine." " You can't stay." " No, no." "No, we don't want to." "Hey, the boy's hungry." "Fuckin' get out of it." "You had enough?" "Full as a goog." "Come here." "What's this on you?" "Um, why don't you go outside and play with the mutt, yeah, while me and Maryanne have a chat." "He'll play with that ball all day." "Come on, Mr Right." "Attaboy!" "Mr Right!" "So, what's going on this time?" "What can't a man do a bit of travelling?" "No, I thought I'd show Chook a bit of the country." "You know, he needs to learn a thing or two." "He needs school and a good home." "Yeah." "What like this one?" "It's a start." "Must be costing." "Only for materials." "Oh, yeah." "What you got yourself a handyman?" "What I've got is a regular job." "You should try it." "You're nesting, aren't ya?" "Eh?" "Sort of... preparing for a brood." "What if I am?" "Yeah, but does the handyman know what he's in for?" "Yep." "Keen as." "Did you tell him how you paid your way through teacher's college?" "Yeah." "He loves it." "Fuck, I missed you." " Bullshit." " No, honest." "I haven't looked at another woman since you left." "Just fucked a few?" "Hey." "No, you've got a nice set-up here." "We might just have to move in." "Chooky would love that." "Please..." "You're not gonna fuck up my life again." "No, it's alright." "But how about one last one for old time's sake and then we'll be off?" "Promise you'll leave?" "Yeah, yeah." "Scout's honour." "What's up?" "Nothin'." "What you up to?" "Nothing." " Are you Dad's girlfriend again?" " No." "Can I stay with you?" "You're going to Adelaide, aren't you?" "You'll like Adelaide." "What you been up to?" "Tell me about when you first met Dad." "You know that story." "Come on." "Chook!" "Please!" "It was in jail." "Um..." "I was teaching maths." "And your dad was in my class." "And, um, when he got out, we hooked up and..." "I met you which was the best bit." "And then we all lobbed on Max." "We had a lot of fun there for a while, remember?" "Mm-hm." "And then, um you know the rest." "Dad reckons he really didn't mean to hit you." "He just lost his temper." "Does he hit you?" "You know there are lots of people who love you." "Me, for one and Max." "And Dad?" "And Dad." "How you going with your maths, anyway?" "Are you still the world's best number rememberer?" "Yeah." "Hey, do you remember my old Sigma's rego number?" "I hated that car." "What about..." "It's funny, the numbers you remember." "You're really good with numbers." "And what about Max's phone number?" "Oh, come on." "You remember that." "Do you remember it?" "Yeah, course." "Maybe you could ring him just to see if he's alright." "Why wouldn't he be alright?" "Outta there, mate!" "It's time to go." " Do we have to go?" " Thanks for breakfast." "And you won't be telling anyone we've been here, eh?" "Who'll be asking?" "Thanks." "See ya." "'Bye!" "Are we really going to Adelaide?" "No." "Yep." "Just slide your body back, mate." "Ow!" "Hey, Dad!" "Here." "Take those." "What is this place?" "Sort of like a museum, I guess." "It's spooky." "Dad?" "Do you reckon Max will be alright?" "Yeah, Jimmy would have found him." "Why'd you hit him?" "Mate, I didn't have no choice." " Why?" " I just didn't." "He'll be alright, though?" "Yeah." "I reckon." "There's Shamrozi Khan and his camels." "They were Afghans and they had these camels." "That's what they used before they had trains." "Your great-great-grandfather was one of them." "Wasn't he a blackfella?" "No, mate, that was his missus." "So are we "Afghagans'?" "Oh, yeah, a bit, I s'pose, but not really." "We're blackfellas, then." "No, we're mongrels, us." "We're whatever we wanna be." "I'm gonna get us something to eat." "You stay here." "But I don't want to be here by myself." "Just stay here." "Don't make any noise, alright?" "Don't go outside." "But, Dad..." "Won't be long." "Here, chook, chook, chook." "Dad?" "Haven't seen you before." "Well, I haven't seen you before." "What's for tea?" "Uh..." "The fuckin' usual." "Beans." "Do you want to join me?" "I don't like beans." "Oh, I've got spaghetti." "You right, mate?" "I'm good, brother." "All good, bro?" "Oi, come here!" "Get the fuck away!" "Oh, fuck." "Allahu akbar." "Allahu akbar." "Allahu akbar." "Allahu Akbar." "What are you doing here?" "Are you here by yourself?" "Are you an Afghan?" "No." "My family are from India." "Do you live here?" "In town?" "Yes." "I work with the Flying Doctor Service." "Do you fly planes?" "No." "I'm a doctor." "Do you think you could fly somewhere to help someone?" "Hello." "This little chap was a bit worried about someone who's hurt." "Max, is it?" "Are you Max?" "Where's the keys?" "Where's the fuckin' keys?" "!" "Unlock the car and put our stuff in." "And get that shit off!" "Fuckin' do it!" "I'm hungry." "Yeah, well, there's a store somewhere along here." "Me and my dad used to come out here." "Except he left me out here on me own once you know, to teach me a lesson." "And I had to walk all night and day before I found someone." "Didn't he want you?" "No." "I was just a nuisance to him." "Right." "That'll do it." "$125." "Oh, come on, lady." "It can't be that much." "$125." "Well, I've only got 90." "$89.20." "You little bugger." "I need to go to the toilet." "No, not here, mate." "Why?" "Oh, 'cause we're Butch and Sundance." "Who?" "Hey, give us a hand, mate." "Get some firewood." "Chooky?" "Look." "It's gravity that holds the tea in." "No, it's wind." "What do you mean "wind'?" "Well, when it goes across, the wind goes like that and you make wind." "I think you're just makin' that up." "Well, it's not wind but it makes a sort of a lid made out of wind to keep the water in." "Ya!" "What you doing with that?" "Playing Snake." "Doesn't work out here, does it?" "Come on in, mate." "Oh, come on, you wuss." "Come on, mate." "Are you sure you don't wanna?" "Uh-uh." "No?" "Not even for me?" "No!" "Aaagh!" "Don't!" "Stop, Dad!" " Ready to swim?" " Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Don't!" "Dad!" " I can't swim!" " What's that?" "I can't swim!" " Best way to learn..." " Aaagh!" "Come on!" "Swim, mate!" "Swim, swim!" "Swim!" "There you go." "Your first swimming lesson." "Oh, fuck." "G'day, there." "G'day." "Hey, go get some more wood for the fire, mate." "That's why we're here." "You can't have a fire, mate." "And you can't camp here either." "Oh, sorry, bro." "Like, I didn't realise." "Alright?" "I've been coming out here since I was a little kid, you know, and like, we need to cook and keep warm." "It's a national park now, mate." "Yeah, I know." "Good thing." "If you was in a camping area, then you could have a fire." "Yeah, but, well, I..." "I hate waking' up and seeing other people's fuckin' washing." "You know what I mean?" "And, um, I want him to have, like, a real bush experience." "One night, OK?" "Yeah?" "That'd be great." "How about a brew cup of tea, before you go?" "Yeah." "Why not?" "Unc?" "Cup of tea?" "No, you gotta go, "Bzzz!" And...together." "You go..." "Can't he speak?" "Yeah." "Course he can." "Just chooses not to." "Too much jibber-jabber humbug, eh, Uncle?" "I'm a blackfella too, sort of." "My great-grandmother, she was a full-blood." "Yeah, course you are." "You must have been born in the middle of the day." "See?" "You got that fair skin and blue eyes." "I was born in the middle of the night, so I've got brown skin and brown eyes." "Koori rulz." "The only bet is on black." "Hey!" "You really are a blackfella!" "Anyone home?" "Anyone home?" "I'll sleep well tonight." "Hey." "This bloke went to a fancy dress party with a woman on his shoulders." "And, uh, the people at the party said," ""Well, what have you come as?"" "And he says, "Oh, I've come as a tortoise."" "And they said, "Well, why have you got a woman on your shoulders?"" "And he said, "Oh, that's Michelle."" "Why is that funny?" "Michelle, mate." "Michelle." "Michelle my shell." "Get it?" "Why won't a cannibal eat a clown?" "Dunno." "'Cause he thinks it tastes funny." "Hey, where would you find a dog with no legs?" "I don't know." "Where you fuckin' left him." "Oh." "Hang on." "Come on!" "Oh!" "Good-lookin' bastard, eh?" " You just press that button there." " Press that." "Righto." " And then press OK." " Right." "Get back." "Are you ready?" " Fuck." " Who's that ugly shit?" " Hey!" " Do you want a look?" " OK." "Hey, do you see those six bright stars up there, all together?" "Mm." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Well, the blackfellas reckon there uused to be seven of them." "They were called the Seven Sisters." "What happened to the other sister?" "Uh, well, she came down to earth." "Like an alien." "No, mate." "No." "Um, she was more like a mother." "Well, that's what the blackfellas reckon anyway." "How come my mum left me?" "I dunno." "Did you hit her too?" "Nah, that wasn't the reason." "I dunno, some women just aren't meant to be mothers, I s'pose." "Sheep don't leave their lambs." "Well, sometimes they do." "No, they don't." "Ah, shut up and go to sleep, you little bum." "I'm not a bum." "No, you're the underpants." "# I heard it also rained in Tallahassee" "# But not a drop fell on little old me" "# 'Cause I was in shu-shu-shu" "# Shu-shu-shu" "# Shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu" "# Sugar Town" "# If I had a million dollars or ten" "# I'd give it to you, world, and then" "# You'd go away and let me spend my life" "# In shu-shu-shu" "# Shu-shu-shu" "# Shu-shu-shu-shu-shu-shu Sugar Town. #" "What the fuck?" "What you doin'?" "Hey?" " Ugh!" " What's all this?" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Aaaagh!" "Get that shit off!" "Don't you fuckin' kick me!" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Fuckin' little girl!" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Ow!" "Aaagh!" "Aaagh!" "Go and wash that fuckin' shit off your face!" "Give us a look." "Oh, there's some cauliflowers." "Winner!" "And the crowd goes wild." "You didn't do much of a job washing your face." "You still look like a girl." "You want some breakfast?" "We've got all that good stuff." "Come on, you must be hungry." "My face hurts." "Ow!" "Ow!" "Hey, keep still." "You nick that vest?" "It's magic protection." "Ow." "How did you get those scars?" "Well, all sorts of shit goes on in prison, mate." "Like what?" "Oh, well, I was young - easy prey." "People take advantage do bad things to ya." "Know what I mean?" "Come on." "Come on in." "I can't swim." "You know that." "No, you can't swim yet." "Come on." "Hey?" "It'll be fine, right?" "I got ya." "I got ya." "I got ya." "You're not too cold?" " Uh-uh." " No?" "Right." "Now, take a deep breath." "Relax, relax." "Relax." " You right?" " Mm." "OK." "Put your head back." "Straighten your back." "That's it." "Righto." "Put your arms out wide." "Right." "OK." "N ow" "I'm gonna let you go." "Relax." "You right?" "You're right." "You're right, you're right, you're right." "I've got ya." "I've got ya." "I've got ya." "Try again." "OK." "Relax." "Keep your back straight." "There you go." "There you go." "See?" "Eh?" "Now, you get into trouble, you can always roll onto your back and float." "Shit." "Come on, mate." "Fuckin' black bastards must have dobbed us in." "Fuck!" "Fuck." "You stay there." "Shit!" "Are we bogged?" "Go see if you can find us some water." "Gross." "Nah, it's alright." "What are we gonna eat?" "We could boil up those sheep's bones." "Maybe catch a dingo." "We can get the car out in the morning." "Hey?" "Can you eat a dog?" " How about that?" " Yep!" "A bit more!" "Is that good enough?" "Yeah." " Ah!" " Yes!" "Good driving!" "It's about 300 or 400 k's around or 30 across, then there's a roadhouse." "How do you know?" "I've been here before." "It's a lake." "Yeah, sorta." " Where'd you learn to count?" " Same place as you." "Mate, 14 and 8 makes 22, not fuckin' 21." "My game." "Finish up, mate." "I'm off for a quick drink." " See you in the morning." " See you, Dad." "DAD:" "What you doin', eh?" " Eh?" "!" "You fuckin' dog!" "Dad?" "You didn't have to." "Didn't have to what?" "Hurt Max." "He wasn't hurting me." "He was just lonely." "Hey, don't you say that, you little poofter." "Yeah, well, it doesn't matter now anyway, 'cause he's dead." "What?" "He's fuckin' dead." "Right?" "He's dead." "Dead." " Oi!" "Chook!" "I hate you!" "Fuckin' cut that out!" "Listen, mate." "Fuck it." "He was still breathing when we left, yeah?" "You saw me check on him." "I hate you." "Mate, there are just some things you're too young to understand." "I'm supposed to protect ya." "He was like a proper dad." "He looked after me, not like you!" "You f..." "Fuck!" "Proper dad?" "I'll show you a fuckin' proper dad." "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Hey, get in." "Alright, I'm sorry, yeah?" "But you needed to learn a lesson." "Come on, mate." "Hey." "You right there?" "Out of there, boy." "You deaf?" "Hey?" "Hey, behave yourself." "You cheeky little shit." " Wait on." " You wanna take care." "Fuck!" "Get in the car." "What the fuck are you doing, mate?" "Eh?" "And just squeeze the trigger." " Shot!" "Up and back." "Up and back." "I camped here with your mum just after we met." "We stole a Monaro and dumped it up in Queensland." "This was the key." "She gave it to me to remember the fun we'd had." "Here." "She was alright, you know, your mum." "It was like a..." "like a travelling circus sometimes." "You might have even been made here." "Eh?" "Who knows?" "Why don't you go see if you can bag us some dinner, eh?" "Did you get a rabbit?" "I wouldn't mind some of that." "This is better than a TV." "You can make up your own program." "Dad?" "Why'd you go to jail?" "Oh, what the last time?" "Oh, that was just a couple of months." "That was just a sleep." "You know, me and..." "Me and Max got pulled over in a stolen car and the cop started hammering us so I laid into him." "Yeah, but I get caught for this one, I do..." "I don't know, 15 years." "10 minimum." "If you told them you didn't mean to kill Max, it was just an accident..." "What's gonna happen to us?" "Hey, we'll be fine." "But what if we're not?" "Do you trust me?" "What you doin'?" "Getting some wood." "Ah, you're getting to be quite the little bushie now." "You can look after yourself." "Fuck." "Jesus." "Chook?" "Chook?" "Chook?" "Hey, Chook, what are you doin'?" "Chook?" "!" "Hey, we gotta leave, mate." "Oh, fuck!" "You stupid little bugger!" "What do you think you're doin'?" "Aagh!" "Ah, fuck!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Chook!" "Hey, give us a hand." "I've busted my fuckin' ankle!" "Fuck." "Chook!" "Chook, what the fuck are you doing?" "Chook!" "What the fuck are you doing?" "!" "Oh, fuck!" "I know you can hear me." "Look, mate, whatever I've done, I'm sorry." "Come on, mate, I'm your dad!" "Chook!" "Fuck." "Give us the rifle." "Give us the rifle, mate." "Oh, come on, will you?" "!" "OK, it's alright, it's alright." "It's OK." "I've got a plan." "Come over here and I'll tell ya." "Come on, mate." "It's gonna be fine." "Come on." "Now, here's what we do." "What I need is for you to go over there and you tell 'em you tell 'em you want to talk to Maryanne." "I want to stay with you." "No, mate." "No, no." "I need you to do this exactly how I tell ya." "Yeah?" "Can you do that for me?" "Yeah, well, that's good." "I did it." "You did what, mate?" "I told the cops we're here." "Oh." "Well, that's OK." "That's fine." "You done the right thing." "Come here, mate." "I love you." "I love you, Dad." "Yeah?" "Yeah, off you go, eh?" "You got your magic vest on." "Yeah." "Well, you'll be right, then."