Published on Monday, 26 August 2024 at 4:41:12 PM
Story by Ted O'Connor, ABC Kimberley
East Kimberley youth diversion trek tackles region's high rates of youth crime, changes one boy's life
Teenager Camble Sullivan dreams of catching and relocating crocodiles in his hometown of Kununurra, in remote northern Western Australia.
It is a stark change in outlook for the 15-year-old Miriwoong boy, who was caught up in a cycle of crime and dysfunction.
"I used to walk around, prowl the streets with all the boys, steal cars, and do bad stuff," Camble said.
"But now I'm going to change my life and I'm going to keep going to school every day and become a ranger.
"Going after crocodiles and taking them to places where no-one else can get hurt from them."
This month, Camble was among a dozen at-risk boys who completed a five-day cross-country cultural adventure that aims to steer them away from youth offending and into school, training, or employment in a region with widespread Indigenous disadvantage.
The first Bedford Stock Route Walk involved two hikes — 7 and 10 kilometres — through rocky and undulating Gija country in the East Kimberley region, 2,800km north-east of Perth.
The trial run of the trek aimed to see what distances were appropriate to test and change a challenging group of teenagers who were referred to the program by local police.
Camble said the walk was difficult at first, but then he made friends with other boys and cultural guides along the way.
"They had a good chat with me and they got to know me; they changed my life by helping me out," he said.
"By making me go on country, it cleared my mind."
During the trek the boys fished for black bream and learned about Indigenous culture and history.
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