During the ten day workshop we can stay in camp to weave, camp out for a few nights on country, travel away from camp to visit special places on the land and gather bush food, weaving materials, dyes for the baskets, shelter materials etc...Every day will be negotiated between the balanda (white) women and the Mäpuru women. There is no pre-set itinerary.

Everyone will have the chance to make baskets they can take home – perhaps using a coil technique, hand woven technique or string. You will also go home with materials to continue your weaving with. Extra materials, expertly made baskets and mats are also available to buy directly from the women. We will also all gain experience harvesting basket materials, collecting plant dyes and preparing the pandanas or string for weaving.

When it is time to leave our group all gather with the women and give our money directly to each Mäpuru woman who has expertly guided us during the workshop. All of the money we gather to pay for the workshop goes directly to the people of Mäpuru. It is the women of Mäpuru who run the weaving workshops.

Once we have packed our camp and said our goodbyes our group then travels back in our 4WD to Darwin. We arrive back in Darwin late in the afternoon after another 2 day 4WD journey. Usually at this stage we are all exhausted and exhilarated! It would be wonderful to have you there.

So we sit, we observe the techniques they use and we weave under the watchful eyes of the women.

Throughout the following ten days we will all share much laughter and fun with the women, men and children under the weaving shelter.

The teaching is conducted as it has been for thousands of years in traditional Aboriginal communities. 

Our group meets in Darwin and then loads everyone’s gear and all of our food for the 2 week journey onto our hired 4WD vehicle. By 8am on our first day of travel we will have our 4WD packed and begin our 2 day drive into some of the remotest parts of North-East Arnhem Land. The scenery is amazing and overnight we will camp at one of the beautiful sites along the way.

Late on the following day we will arrive in Mäpuru and be warmly greeted by Roslyn Guyula Malŋumba, who is one of the senior female weavers of the community. That night we set up our camp (cooking, tents, camp fire) and have a good night’s rest. Our workshop starts the following day - from the moment the Mäpuru women gather under our weaving shelter.

How your ten days unfold

your journey