Page 83 - Port Douglas Magazine 29

“Our short walk was a road well-travelled in

the footsteps of an extraordinary living culture.”

which outline native wildlife like a cassowary, wallaby and platypus that were As the walk comes to an end I get a whiff of a comforting smell – it’s earthy,
once used for navigation. I love the idea of these markings, something you’ll rich, sweet - I’m taken to happy times in my life. We’re welcomed back from
never see on Google Maps. where we started by Brandon who has a whole fish cooking on the open fire.
A barefoot beach Jedi, my usual time spent in places like this mostly involves The dancing hazy smoke effortlessly complements the warm damper made
for us by his mother. Although we didn’t come back with anything, we’re
some ‘five o’clock somewhere’ juice and a frisbee but just after a few insightful
still treated with a big bowl of fresh mud crab that Brandon caught earlier.
stops with Willie I have a new admiration for the sandy playground. The
Succulent, sweet and a wham bam of chilli, I soak up every last bit of the
land is oozing with history and culture. Willie has already pointed out more
sauce with the warm damper.
than a dozen plants that are used for bush medicine including beach lettuce
berries with juice that soothes sore eyes and beach hibiscus flowers which when Our short walk was a road well-travelled in the footsteps of an extraordinary
chewed prevents dehydration. And twice as many plants that can be eaten, and living culture. We didn’t catch any thing, but that wasn’t the point. This was
they’re actually quite tasty. He also shows us how to read the land and track its an experience of being welcomed into the home of over thousands upon
inhabitants. I get a little giddy when he points out the trail of an elusive dugong thousands of years of storytelling, a family affair. As we sat around the fire
in a garden of sea grass. we were accepted, we laughed, made memories and feasted on salt of the
earth food. In our hi-tech world with the stress of bills and work this was
We wander through three diverse ecosystems – beach, mangroves and coastal
reef – that are connected to each other by the ever-changing mudflats and an afternoon of high wonder reminding me of the mysteries and joy of the
world we live in. Sometimes you just need to take a little walk somewhere
tidal lagoons. These are the traditional fishing grounds to the Kuku Yalanji
familiar to remind you of its hidden treasures.
known as Kuyu Kuyu. Willie speaks candidly about how its not only his duty
but his privilege to follow the customs of his ancestors by educating visitors
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about their traditional country. This is their everyday life. When families
come together, they hunt, cook, share and laugh, ensuring the customary
ways are preserved, passing them down from generation to generation,
during which elders to littlies all get involved.
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 85