BURU Immersion

A Wonderful Experience

J.A. Collier

In the previous Term 3 holidays, a small group of year 11 students had a very early wake-up to meet at Sydney airport at 4am. This was to embark on the BURU immersion at Cape York, to immerse themselves in Aboriginal culture and gain a greater insight into an Indigenous community.

The boys began their trip by flying to Cairns and riding in a bus for 6 hours to arrive at the homeland of Wujal Wujal where they were greeted by elders, and a welcome to country, which involved a sacred smoking ceremony. The next day was the infamous hike to the BURU homeland which was a 12km trek through bushland. The boys battled the harsh sun, stopped for a swim in a local waterhole, and their arrival at BURU was a special moment for all the boys as they were finally at the place they would call home for the next few days. 

The days at Buru were jam packed with various outings to sacred sites as well as making traditional artefacts. For many, the highlight of the trip was the visit to the Caterpillar Dreaming Waterhole, which is a sacred water hole where only men are able to visit. The trip back from the waterhole was memorable with the challenge of running through active back-burning, however, we all embraced the journey and it will be a memory we will never forget. Alongside visiting many sacred sites, the boys were able to indulge in the making of traditional spears as the elders took them through the long process from choosing the best tree to shaping the spear for maximum efficiency. 

The main aspect of the trip was service work in which the boys were able to leave their mark on the Buru area. The jobs varied from assembling barbecues to cementing a path as they were very much appreciated by the Buru elders and the boys were all happy to work for a good cause. 

As the time at Buru came to an end, the boys once again hopped onto the bus to head up to the homeland of Binthawara for the rest of the trip. Here the boys were able to visit a local waterfall along the way which was a refreshing break from the heat. Binthawara once again opened many opportunities as we were able to make traditional musical instruments and hunting devices while listening to stories told by the local elders. Once again, project work was the main aspect of the visit as we helped with fencing and clearing bushland for the elders. 

The boys forged many memories from physical aspects of the trip as they were opened up to the various struggles of Indigenous Australians in today’s society. It also challenges our perspectives of how many of the struggles experienced by Indigenous Australians are not highlighted in the media regularly. As the boys came back to Sydney, their worlds were changed. The eye-opening experience of Buru highlighted many personal thoughts for them and hopefully changed each of them as a person while offering them a new perspective. 

As the boys return to Shore, it is important to consider how the school can help with the Indigenous community of Australia and how we can work towards making a positive impact in their various communities. For all the boys in younger years, if the opportunity arises for you to attend the Buru immersion, I would strongly recommend it, as it is a wonderful experience.