Walk through dramatic sandstone scenery along narrow tracks, then clamber over huge boulders, squeeze through narrow clefts in the rocks and sit for a while to share and reflect at some of the most fascinating aboriginal rock art sites to be found around Cooktown in far North Queensland. This is Willie Gordon’s childhood playground. His Guurrbi Tours, “it’s time to reflect” will take you into the “bush” to experience the magic of a whole new world.
Hear how Mother Nature or in aboriginal thinking, the Rainbow Serpent has created plants and animals that are part of a pattern for survival. The wattle tree flowers to tell us to travel to the coast as the oysters are hibernating. She provides a home to the witcherty grubs, in the base of the dying Grass Tree and the tasty green ants are the perfect ingredient for a refreshing citrus drink. The casing of the ant nest is burnt to deter “mossies” and the Cooktown Ironwood makes glue and tar for canoes and spears. Willie recreates these past traditions and also reminds us that in today’s modern times Mother Nature’s recipes, like Granny’s apple pie, have been superseded by the supermarket.
Willie leads us to art sites, just a sample of the 49 sites in the area. As a story teller, he keeps both the paintings and the stories about them, alive. Alive to ensure the survival of the cultural and spiritual values for future generations. At the Birth Cave hear stories of how the ladies relaxed, made baskets and dyed the grasses. Speculate on the issues facing Willie’s grandfather when his wife gave birth to a little girl with a lighter coloured skin. How did he decide whether to keep her? Did he accept her?
And there are paintings of food sources and tools – spears, clubs and boomerangs alongside the emu or kangaroo. There’s even art to remind you that through life’s journey there are bad people to take you off track. Temptations to wander off course. All this rock art tells the story of this pattern for survival. Life’s map. ( or Life’s journey?)
This 5.5 hour tour is either self drive or pick up from Cooktown. Book at the Information Centre. Also available is a 3.5 hour afternoon tour.
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2 comments:
Very colorful Sue. I was drawn in to reflect on a life and culture different to mine. "Tasty green ants" indeed. You paint a picture of making do with limited resources and technology and leave me wondering if I would be up to it.
I'll put this into my notes for future places to visit.
Heather says:
I enjoyed this, Sue, and it left me wanting to do the tour.
I found the first paragraph slightly confusing, and had to reread it 2 or 3 times to understand that the forthcoming story is about the Willie Gordon tour. Your subtle introduction is maybe just a little too subtle.
I can see you're creating a combination of detail and broad-brush suggestion with the intention of giving us little tastes. But I would like to see some emotion brought into it - what did you, on the tour, FEEL? - Spell out "what's in it for me".
As always, it was delightful to fall into the rhythm of your language.
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