Walk on Country

Our Indigenous students joined Josh and Trent from Natcha Cultural Tours for a walk on Dharawal Country at the Royal National Park, Audley.

We were provided access to hidden gems in the bushland in Maianbar where two giant engravings of whales told the story of male initiation in the form of a father whale with horizontal markings and a son whale following behind. These ancient engravings in the rock platform would have been months or years in the making and we were all fascinated by the messages they provided.

After a smoking ceremony and a time of Dadirri (deep inner listening and quiet, still awareness), students were invited to share their plans for the future. Our guides reinforced the responsibility they have to carry on their culture and share the knowledge they learn with others. We were then led to a further rock engraving site of a shark with legs! We puzzled over the possibilities and pondered the deep mysteries of Australia’s past flora and fauna.

When we returned to Audley we were surprised to be greeted by a goanna on our pathway which was more than a metre long! This is the totem for the Wiradjuri mob and Trent reminded the students that not only were they not allowed to hunt or eat their totem, but they had to look after the environment for their totem as well. We were then privileged to enter an ancient cave where we saw rock paintings of human hands on the ceiling! It was also breathtaking to see the oyster shells left behind as proof of the history of Gondwanaland. 

We hope you enjoy reading the following student reflections of this amazing day.

Karen Horder
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Support Teacher

After listening to the life stories of Trent and Josh, this excursion reinforced my goal to work
as a GP for Aboriginal communities.
Isabella.

Today gave me motivation as an Aboriginal woman and we saw some really beautiful cultural sites
that helped my connection to country.
Maya

Today I loved how we saw some amazing sites across the ocean.
Amelia 

I had a lot of fun doing the bush walking and seeing the whale art.
Violet

I loved talking to the guides about their experiences on country and in life.
True

I loved learning about the Aboriginal culture and getting the opportunity to go on a walk on country.
Serenity 

I loved how we got to enjoy learning about their experiences and how we learn about the culture
as well as the sculptures and engravings.
Illijana

I loved learning about my culture and what it means to be Aboriginal because at my old school I never got to learn about my culture and what it means to be Aboriginal so it means a lot to me. Especially how we got to see all these engravings like the shark and how we got to learn who is most important in Aboriginal communities – how the elders and children are together in first place and then the women come second and the men come last and it was a very fun experience.
Mia