Dreamwalk

On Friday I went for an Aboriginal day. Again I was very lucky and it was only a small group, with 2 other couples. It started at the Jandal art center where the artist, Binna, showed us how the art is created and the differences between old and contemporary aboriginal art. Then we made some of our own.

My artwork!

Outdoor painting (thankfully undercover)

 I brought a couple of prints which I will put photos of up later. I am still looking for the painting I want. Hopefully at the markets on Sunday.
After the gallery, we went to the Mossman Gorge Centre which is only a few years old but a lovely place run by the aboriginals from the rainforest to showcase their culture and history. I got to go on the Dreamwalk tour while the rest of the group went with Darryl, our tour guide. (I sort of wish I had gone with them as it sounds like they had a lot of fun trying bush tucker.)
My tour was ran by Aaron, whose grandmother is from the Kuku Yalanji tribe who live in this area. He has come here from his fathers tribe to learn the ways of his mothers tribe. We started with a smoking ceremony which is basically walking around a specially prepared fire to ask to be allowed into the forest and to be safe there. This area is a special to the Yalanji, full of spirits.

Fire for the smoking ceremony

Red cedar tree

On the walk though the forest, Aaron (who is still waiting for his aboriginal name, which he has to wait for his grandfather to give him) showed up various plants and their uses.

He also showed us aboriginal shelters. The hut is built using "wait a while" canes (from the vine which has spikes and catches anything near it) and palms. The "cave" shelter doesn't look like much (especially a cave) but it does keep the rain off. I can confirm this as it was still raining so we tried it out. 

Hut

Cave shelter

 The mid-point of the walk was at Rex Creek. Normally we would be allowed to swim here but the water level was too high.

Rapids 

Rex creek, looking down towards the river

Aaron showed us the leaves use to make soap which is also a great mosquito repellant, moisturizer
for dry skin and heal wounds. It smells good too! He also showed us a vine which you can use the
bark as a muscle relaxant, like deep heat.

Soap

Making deep heat

 We also got a demonstration on body paint, what they use and what it means.

Different minerals give different colors

And the difference colors represent different ideas. Here drawing his family totem, the cassowary.

Markings

After the walk, we got a cup of billy tea made with the local Daintree tea and damper (kind of like scones/sweet bread). I got the bus back early on my own as I had to met the rest of my tour for lunch. I had Barramundi, which is a local fish and very tasty. Next was a beach hunting trip. We were shown briefly how to use the spear before heading into the mud flats. The mud was quite deep in places and not altogether pleasant at times!

Our guide off the find some mud crabs

This was the minimum mud level

Random mangrove tree in the middle of the mudflats

Frankly there was no way I was ever going to throw the spear at a fish and even come close to hitting it. However I did get 3 mud crabs! And I got first "kill" of the day. The first 2 were pointed out to me by our guides. But the final one I managed to spot and spear on my own. I was very happy!

Victorious hunter!

We also saw other wildlife.

starfish

Puffer fish (super cute and speedy

Sea slug - prettier than the name suggests

Back on the beach (after quite a long walk - I was amazed how far we walked), we went to the house
of the brothers who took us hunting and eat the mud crabs. In the shop, they are $100 a crab. And we feasted on them. Unfortunately there was another group as well and they didn't catch nearly as much as we did (mainly because they had a few kids) so we had to share our haul with them so we didn't get as much as I would like as the crabs were really tasty. I can see why they cost that much! The brothers also had a bunch of sea artifacts they passed around.

200 yr old turtle shell - they used it to feed their family

Saw and sword fish "noses"

Giant clam shells

After eating, we went downstairs and saw their giant clam shells. And I violated an ant. I was given it, told to hold its head and lick its butt. So I did. It tasted of very strong sour lemon and is used as

a cold remedy. Still it's an odd thing to do. :-)

On the way back the weather did clear up a bit and I finally got to see crocodile island which is shaped like a crocodile (it had been pointed out a few times but was until now behind the mist).

Crocodile Island

Blue sky at last!

Tjapukai

On Tuesday night I got a tour bus out to the Kjapukai Aboriginal centre. Unfortunately it was me and

a bus load of Japanese tourists. Who didn't speak much if any English. (I got a lot more out of it than they could have given the language barrier but they definitely enjoyed themselves.) After a glass of sparkling wine, we all got our faces painted.

At the centre 

Close-up of the face-painting

We were given tap sticks and followed the aboriginal members down to the pond where we participated in a fire ceremony which consisted of chanting to bring the fire in, tapping the sticks and walking in a circle. When they lit the fire, one lit a spear in the fire and threw the spear into the sky as thanks. It must have ignited a gas pocket and fire shot into the sky. It was quite a surprise and really impressive. Then a man and woman, hunters, brought the fire back to the tribe in a canoe.

Putting the spear in the fire

 I took videos which I will try to upload when I have better internet.
After the ceremony, we had dinner which was nice but I was hoping for more bush tucker. But I did get a very nice glass of wine and the food was good so overall a good meal. As the only traveling alone, I got a single table just for me. In the centre of the room. The perils of traveling alone.

Table for one. :-(

Dinner was followed by a show where they told us stories and explained their meaning. They also got people onto the stage to demonstrate the fire making and later a bird dance, where 2 of the Japanese got very into it. The aboriginal dancers gave up trying to get them to follow and just carried out, letting them do their own thing.

Story of cutting down a tree to get honey

Showing the sticks used to make fire

Making fire

With our aboriginal hosts

It was a fun night. I am looking forward to learning more about the cultures soon. 

Wednesday I got the bus to Port Douglas. The apartment is very posh. After walking into town twice (the first time in the rain; when I got there I realised I had left my wallet at home; the second time in the sun but I had had enough walking by then), I went to the bottle shop and stocked up for the week. Well, part of it. The Yarra valley pinot noir was mostly gone that night - it was very nice - so I might have to replace it.

Millaa Millaa and other waterfalls.

Today I had booked a waterfalls circuit tour and was really excited. Unfortunately it started raining about 8pm last night and hasn't stopped since.
The tour group consisted of me and a backpacker called Paul. Luckily our guide was great and we all got on so instead of the tour guide spiel, we just chatted. Though the conversation did go some odd places. Like people with unhealthy attractions to donkeys, porn stars, and lots of political conversations.
Most of the stops were in the Wooroonoorn National Park. The first stop was at Babinda Boulders which is a lovely place to swim. When the weather is nice.

The swimming hole at Babinda Boulders

Just down from the swimming hole is Devil's Pool. The Aboriginal story is there were 2 lovers, Oolana and Dyga from different tribes who were not allowed to be together but feel in love. She was promised to someone else and his tribe were just visiting. When the elders figured out what was going on, his tribe decided to leave so they would not cause their hosts an insult. However the lovers found out and ran away. The elders caught them at the creek. They killed Dyga, the male. Oolana cried out and her tears increased the creek to a flood. She died there and her spirit now guards the boulders. Aborigines won't allow young men to swim near the pool as it is said she calls to them and they go to their deaths. At one point there was a camp near here for a year and 17 people drowned. All young men.

Waterfall at Devil's pool 

Devil's pool

 The second waterfall was Josephine Falls which is a lot bigger and even more dangerous so we didn't swim here either. This area is prone to flash floods (especially after all the rain we have had in the last 2 days) and people who do swim there frequently have to be rescued by the guides or sometimes helicopter. There are nice rocks you can slide down (like a natural water slide) and you see a lot of pictures of people doing that. But it just isn't worth the risk. Though we did see a group headed up to try it. No idea whether they all came back or not.

Top part of Josephine falls

At the lower viewing area (and very wet!)

The exclamation marks proves it is dangerous!

After a soggy walk to the falls, our guide prepared tea, coffee, banana bread and a large bowl of crisps (which we easily managed to get through) before a quick stop at Zillie falls (which is where I pretty much gave up on shoes - too wet and muddy!) and then heading to Millaa Millaa falls. This is supposed to be the waterfall from the Herbal Essences advert. And it was very pretty, even in the rain.

Zillie Falls

At Millaa Millaa 

 Millaa apparently means plenty. And saying it twice is an emphasis. So plenty plenty. Though no one has really said plenty of what? And of course despite the weather, I had to swim. Though it was touch and go as to whether I would actually get in. It was freezing! (This is the coldest of all the waterfalls we visit, it never really gets much warmer, and not many people actually so get in.) But I was only going to be here once!

In the falls

Looking up at the falls from the pool

Behind the falls.

The falls from underneath/behind

 It was worth it. Once you were in, it wasn't too bad. We swam behind the falls; the drops were really painful. But it was very cool. And we had the place to ourselves, which is rare. It is a really popular spot but we had the whole place as no one else wanted to go out in the rain.
After warming up and drying off, we went to a billabong and saw a wild platypus, which was really exciting. They are very shy and a lot smaller than I expected. Unfortunately I only had my small camera with me so none of my photos worked out, so you'll have to take my word for it!
We sat in the van for lunch (being just the 2 of us and the guide, we had plenty of space!) at Malanda falls before taking a walk through the rainforest. (The falls weren't very good there though I imagine a nice place to swim.)  There was also a really good information center which had lots on the geology, aboriginal history and wildlife. (And was a great place to warm up!)

Climbing fig tree on its host.

Tree fungi

Not sure what "acting the goat" means but I can guess.

 We spent most of the 2.5km walk looking for tree kangaroos but didn't see any. Back at the van, our guide had found one and showed us. There was no way I would have spotted it without being shown. They are pretty big and really not adapted to living in trees. Basically they used to live in trees and then the kangaroos and wallabies came down from the trees and lost all the adaptions which make living in a tree easier (opposable thumbs, jointed tail etc). And then for some reason some decided to go back up the trees. They now spend 90% of their time in the tops of the tree. I wish I had a photo but none of them came out. I am hoping in the Daintree to get a better one.
After the center we went to the curtain fig tree I was at the other day. It was only this point that the guide told us he was supposed to warn us about the stinger trees before we took the walk around the rainforest. As these trees give you at least 6 months of serious pain if you just brush up against it, we were luckily we didn't come across any. We did get attacked by "wait a whiles" as they are called, which are the vines with the spikes which grab you and you just have to wait and slowly extract yourself. But they mainly got the umbrellas. (Seriously it didn't stop raining all day and Monday looks the same.)
The final stop was Lake Eachum. This is the best place for swimming and warmer than Millaa Millaa. And as it was the last stop, we had to swim. Once Paul decided he was going to, I sort of had to! Though again it was hit and miss for a moment or two. It was still really cold getting in.
Lake Eachum is a volcanic crater which filled up with water so the sides are really steep. Once you get down the steps, you have to get it.

The lake (from surface level)

Proof I went swimming in the rain!

Paul carried on while I ran back to the van.
We headed back after the lake and I was really glad to be home, a hot shower, hot food and a glass of wine. It was a very interesting day and we were really luckily we all got on otherwise the whole day with 3 strangers could have be painful. It would have been a lot nicer if the weather had been better. But then we probably wouldn't have had the places to ourselves. So I guess you can't have everything.