Dreamtime Camping
On the eve of Perth hosting its first Dreamtime AFL
Match, we got to experience our first Dreamtime camp.
Two hours north of Broome is Cape Leveque (Kooljiman
in Aboriginal). In planning our Oz Lap we wanted to teach the kids
(and ourselves) Australia’s traditional culture and ways of living off the land
and sea so we jumped on a Tag-a-long 4wd tour through Bardi Jawi country (Bardi = from the land and Jawi =
from the sea) - described in Welcome to Country as one of the most isolated and incredible
countries of more than 250 Indigenous groups in Australia.
Lessons in the land and sea
Bundy, our guide, ‘boss’ and traditional custodian of the Djandaran area, took us across his land, so proud to show us how far and wide his community spread, sharing the beauty and telling stories of his culture and heritage. We were invited to walk over rocks holding the 7,000 year-old footprints of his ancestors. We were joined by his teenage son, Aaron, an expert in spear fishing, tracking, hunting and understanding tidal activity. They taught us how to identify fresh water near the ocean and what each of the tracks and imprints in the wake of the receding tides were. We hunted for mud crabs, excitedly caught four with spears and cooked them over the hot coals and ate them then and there. What a fantastic experience - we wanted more!
We decided on a tour of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm – with the bonus that we could swim in the infinity pool and have lunch overlooking the bay. On our way out we recognised the Aboriginal Artist in Residence from the pictures in the tour that carves and paints oyster shells and stopped to chat. That brief moment turned into a most incredible experience.
An unexpected tour
We jumped in our car and followed Bruce, not only the local artist, but the actual ‘boss’ and traditional custodian of Cygnet Bay (Ardyaloon) who the Pearl Farm leases the land from. We drove on and on, the scrub getting thicker and thicker – our car attracting its first battle wounds (side scratches), the roads getting rockier. After some time I turn to Johnny and ask, ‘What exactly do you understand we are doing?’ We didn’t know if we were driving to our death, getting a tour of his land or what. As we’d heard about Bruce on the tour, we knew he was well known and prominent in the community, so surely, we were in safe hands. As it turned out, our long drive through rugged scrub opened up to an amazing beach front, with view of the islands and sea.
Our tour then took us to a remote bay where his nephew, David (or Jubb) resides in a beachside tent. Just as raw and unexpected was our tour to this place, so was the decision to accept their offer to stay. Our caravan locked up at the town campsite, our tent came off the car rooftop ready to spend the night. David took us out to collect oysters before the tide came in. John chiseling a bucket-load off the rocks, me devouring them fresh then and there, then on our return, cooking them over hot coals along with the mud crab and cockles we also found. An absolutely sensational seafood feast. Later, once the tide was high and night had set in, David took his net out and showed us how easily he captured mullet for our dinner. Our headlamps on the water attracted the schools of fish, jumping crazily out of the water and straight into his net. Only wrapped in foil, it’s natural oils and sea salt cooked in the hot coals supplied us with yet another delicious feed. What an experience.
Dreamtime stories around the campfire
Sitting around the campfire David told us so many stories of his ancestors, growing up, his people and spiritual beliefs. This is what Dreamtime is. Yes, the stories, the yarns, but also the incredible experience and absolute privilege to be invited on native land and hear them firsthand. Me the pseudo storyteller, meeting a true storyteller. I don’t have the memory to recount them all as detailed but was allowed and am privileged to keep the stories going on for a new and different generation even if it’s just a snippet.
The spirit of the old lady with the long hair
When he was young, he set out on his boat, but ran out of
petrol for his dingy motor and couldn’t paddle all the way in or to an island. The
waves soaked him, he was wet and cold and fell asleep, he felt the presence of
his ancestors, a lady with long hair, a known spirit of that island close by,
who wrapped that hair around him for warmth so that he made it through the
night and paddled to land that next day. Some time later, he found on the rocks
around the outskirts of his bay, the hairs and bones of that same old lady he
believed saved him that day.
Electric currents and whales riding the boat ashore
His elders, his ancestor’s spirits and their dreamtime
animals have been looking out for him his whole life. When stranded at sea, his
grandfather sent electric currents to power his boat back to shore and he spoke
of the dreamtime whale, that too brought his boat back close to shore when stranded
out too far, or bought him a turtle when he needed to hunt one for their
indigenous ceremonies when he couldn’t find one himself. I had always imagined the
turtle being one of their sacred animals, but no, they hunt and eat them and
dugongs, and should it not have been too choppy that day, he said he would have
gone diving to spear one for us, his guests, so one is promised for our return
one day.
The 7 Sisters
The most famous story of his area is that of the seven sisters.
His most distant ancestor, the original owner of the land, the most powerful
elder in the Bardi Yawi community had seven wives. Others were jealous of his power
and his women that they rolled a giant rock over a cliff and killed them all. Now, on
that island, should anyone unwelcome go there, a thunderstorm erupts. David got
to go that island as a child invited by his grandfather but no one will go
otherwise for fear of the outcome.
Native land - enjoying the privilege
We talked to David about our travels and his own. He had been to Uluru and had intended to climb it, but did not meet any of the local aboriginal people to get their permission to climb it. It is about respect for other’s property and each other to travel on their land. It is an absolute privilege, and so obvious, we don’t go on to other’s land without asking or being invited – it’s about recognising the same here. And, just like my dad and uncles love showing off their veggie gardens and produce, the Aboriginal people are proud to show off their land and how to live from it.
Instinct
Always at the ready, along with his fishing net and spear is his
harpoon (spear with a rope) which he uses for approaching crocodiles – one thing
he doesn’t eat – purely because he doesn’t like the taste of it, and with that
abundance of amazing seafood at easy grasp, why would you? Of course, we were
wary being on the waters edge but he assured us he had the instinct to know
when it wasn’t safe, so in the water we went at night to net fish. It didn’t
stop Johnny MacGyver being sleepless in our tent that night for fear of
crocodiles even though he had ‘blocked’ the tent doorways with chairs to hear them
coming.
Teaching the next generation
Uncle Bruce returned with David’s 17 year old nephew
Torrens, and whilst David started his Aboriginal cultural lessons from age 11 commencing
with a circumcision ceremony, Torrens lives in the built-up community, spends
his days playing Fortnite and admittedly hangs with the wrong crowd who steal
and do the wrong thing, so has not started his ascent to Aboriginal Adulthood
where the elders test them on their knowledge of customs and culture and undergo
the many phases and ceremonies. Torrens’ school no longer teaches the Bardi
language and he is the only one of his friends that can speak it. The new
generation may lose the language, the culture and stories but David believes it
will live on and patiently awaits his nephew to grow in maturity to teach him. In
the meantime, we played cricket together on the beach at low tide and chat
about footy – all avid West Coast Eagles supporters. David raised a sea eagle
from birth and named him West Coast. WC flies over.
You can’t book this experience at a tour desk
We gratefully soaked up every moment of that money can’t buy experience - one we didn’t know we’d be having, but so honoured to have had it. Rio said it was ‘the best camp ever’ and was in awe of the story of the origin of the hammerhead shark – his absolute favourite type – as their dreamtime tale tells: a seagull, so fed up with a shark taking all his food, threw a boomerang at him in a fight and it got stuck in its head. Massimo, usually not one for many words, didn’t stop for a second asking David questions, relishing the fishing extravaganza and gaining such valuable knowledge. He didn’t want to leave, but we move on as more, different adventures await!
Ask for them at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
