MANAGING REDGUM STORE, UTOPIA, NT** Much of Year 3 has been about the Redgum Store experience! Choosing the gypsie life for us does not mean retiring - it means we both work to survive and also work to enjoy and experience.
There is no better way to really get to know a place, the people and the culture than to stop and work amongst them. But this opportunity was like no other work or travel we have enjoyed so far. So uniquely rich in culture, awareness and life as we never new it.
We had done a short relief management role at Redgum Store in central Australia back in 2014 for a few weeks and found it an amazing experience. Having been invited back to manage and grow the store for a while was an offer we simply could not refuse and so abandoned our plans of south and west and returned to the call of the desert.
The store offers products and services to the local aboriginal people in surrounding communities/homelands. Too far off the beaten track to attract tourists (most of the white people we encounter are either lost or government workers), our customer service charter is based solely around the local people. And wonderful people they are.
As well as the usual fuel, groceries and take away food, we sell electronics, whitegoods, furniture, car parts and accessories and provide Centrelink and limited postal services.
INSIDE THE STORE
In summing up the work side of things, wow did we work! Always ones to work hard and proud, this was a constant demand in physical, mental and emotional effort - 7 long days a week. However, we were both pleased and proud to be part of a number of changes at Redgum Store during our time here.
An automated fuel delivery system and fortnightly stock delivery truck as opposed to a 6 hour round trip plus pickup all over Alice in one day loading up the troopy. Low cost fresh fruit and veg and a new full range of nutritious home cooked meals daily.
The installation of a public toilet block for our customers' benefit, building a playground the kids just loved, removing the prison like bars in and around the store, a fresh new look both inside and out, and most important a customer service charter based on RESPECT for our valued customers. All changes our customers acknowledged and appreciated.
Our customers' staple home diet is flour, sugar, tea, powdered milk and kangaroo tail. To our fried food take away menu we added roast meat and vegetables, chicken curries, beef chow mein, apricot chicken....the list goes on. But by far the favourite was Brad's daily roasted kangaroo tail. Having never eaten or cooked kangaroo tail, he first took advice of the locals which was to sprinkle it with garlic and curry powder and roast slowly (oh my god, the smell was atrocious). Having tasted this outcome, Brad was not satisfied and so developed his own secret recipe - well it was a hit, the locals loved it and it quickly become a daily staple with Sunday roast beef another must do.
BEFORE PHOTOS
AFTER PHOTOS
THE WORKS IN PROGRESS
