Going Places with Ernie Dingo

Ernie travels to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of north-eastern Queensland and meets people who have made this beautiful part of the world their home. He catches up with Yindinji elder Gudju Gudju who shows him the mangrove swamps, explaining their importance to the reef as a nursery for the multitude of fish species that inhabit the reef. At James Cook University, Ernie meets Jamie, a toxinologist who is extremely passionate about his work with the deadly creatures that inhabit the ocean. Jamie shares with Ernie his goal to educate the world with his knowledge, with the hope of protecting our oceans and natural environments. Ernie also takes a scuba dive with diving instructor Erin, and finds out what her job and living on the Reef means to her; and he meets couple Gareth, a skipper, and his partner Teresa, also a toxinologist, who are raising a family on knowing and loving the Reef.

Ernie lands in Australia’s red centre in the middle of winter and meets some of the people who live near the iconic “Uluru”. He meets traditional Annangu owner Sammy and his partner Kathryn, and gets an insight into Sammy’s view of this special place. Ernie is also invited by National Parks ranger Melinda and the local Annangu elders to take part in a controlled burn. He learns more about Mal, a woman who has spent the last 10 years of her life working in the shadow of Uluru and getting to know the Annangu people. Ernie meets a group of Indigenous people taking part in a training program that’s been designed to give Indigenous people opportunities to gain employment in the hospitality industry. He is shown around by Leon, a young man who is trying to make his way in the world, and shares with Ernie what he sees as his future. Ernie takes a flight over Uluru with chopper-pilot Dave, seeing the rock formations from above and learning how this adventurous and well-travelled country boy ended up at Uluru.

In the northern part of Kakadu National Park, Ernie encounters crocodiles while taking a cruise up the East Alligator River with Binning man Neville. Neville tells Ernie about his love for his job and why this part of the country if so special to him. Ernie brushes up on his camera skills, getting a lesson from landscape and wild-life photographer Louise, who is originally from the UK. The pair spends a day taking pictures of the diverse wildlife on the Yellow Water Billabong and Louise shares her passion for photography and love for Kakadu. Ernie takes to the skies by helicopter to look out over some spectacular Kakadu with Steve, who left his life as a policeman in England to become a pilot in the NT. Ernie spends a day with Ranger Trevor, exploring rock art and finds out there are still many more ‘rock art’ sites in the area that are yet to be discovered. Ernie finds out more about Trevor, whose Indonesian father stowed away to Australia in the under carriage of a DC-10 aeroplane and grew up with the Binning people.