3rd – Aboriginal Experience

Today we had the most amazing cultural experience.  We went to an ‘Aboriginal Experience’ at a local art gallery.  While we were waiting, the owner of the gallery, Alex, brought out a baby agile wallaby that they were fostering.  Jack held the wallaby while Cooper and Lachlan held the bottle to feed it. 

 

Then Lachlan insisted ‘My turn’, and so he sat careful and still in the chair while he nursed the wallaby. Absolutely gorgeous.  

 We then met Manuel, a member of the Dalabon Tribe.

During a 3 hour session, we learned his life story, listened to him play the Didgeridoo, talked about cultural differences, marriage, skin groups, the impact of the ‘white fella’ on his culture etc.  He then taught us how to paint in traditional ‘raak’ style with the cross hatch lines.  We all made a painting using the traditional reed paint brush.  

He showed us how to make fire using the fire sticks:

 

and then how to throw spears:

Justin was the only one who managed to hit the cardboard kangaroo we were all aiming at.  A natural born provider, my husband!

We asked Manuel about the rainbow serpent and he told us there was no time for that, we needed to do that tonight, so he offered to come and visit our caravan tonight and tell the boys some dreamtime stories.

We said goodbye to Manuel, and headed off to Katherine’s hot springs.  Nice warmish water for Jack and Cooper to have a swim in in a lovely shady canal.

Then after dinner, Manuel came to the caravan park, we turned all the lights off except for a low lamp, and he told us about the rainbow serpents which are still around, and how, if you sense their presence, you are in danger. He then told us three stories:

• ·         Old man crocodile, rainbow bee eater, and the fire sticks
• ·         The mother and her daughter who became the Brolga, and
• ·         Echidna, turtle and white faced heron.

He is a great story teller, incorporating bird noises and movement to highlight the stories.

It was absolutely magical.