'Luise Hercus’ pioneering and prolific fieldwork and scholarship are wellknown in Australia (see Gara, this volume, Koch & Obata, this volume). This chapter describes her contribution to the author’s understanding of a range of values, principles and methods in conducting language documentation, during two fieldwork-based collaborations during the late 1990s.1 If the chapter reads like a compilation of Luise’s brilliant advice and insights, it is presumably a combination of, on the one hand, Luise’s wisdom and experience, and on the other hand my own ignorance and naivety (hopefully with the former being the greater factor). Looking back, it is clear that I was more than just a beneficiary of these collaborations with Luise; these journeys shaped me' (Introduction)