I was in Covalima as part of my work supporting local NGO HAMNASA. I was taking photos of workshops they were holding with the leadership of local sucos, governance units below administrative posts, and above hamlets.

Fatululic is about two hours drive along bad roads from Suai, but it was an interesting if rather overcast drive.

Covalima is home to a notably large number of structures with traditional Timorese thatched roofs.

There are eight hamlets in the Fatululic area, home to around 3,000 people. It was one of the more scenically located places I’ve visited in Timor-Leste, surrounded by a stunning landscape.

Independence Day was being celebrated the week after I visited so a podium was painted in the national colours, and school kids were practicing raising and lowering the flag.

At lunchtime I went for a quick stroll around the place. It was rather lovely and the locals were welcoming. A malae (foreigner) here is a rare sighting.

This is an example of standardised government housing which have been built all over Timor-Leste to the same design, including the paint scheme.

On the hillside was a small cemetery.

On the return we stopped at the grave of a Fijian solider serving with the New Zealand Army killed in 2001 in a road accident.