Page 12 - Port Douglas Magazine 47

“In the dream the rock rolled down the mountain and landed right in the
middle of the road,” he says. “A car came along and had to stop. I kept
thinking, what is that telling me?”
The next day Roy looked up at the mountain, still wondering about the

dream. When he told his uncle, the response was simple: “You’re going to do
something big.”
At the time Roy wasn’t sure what that meant. But the dream stayed with him,
and in time it helped inspire the idea that would eventually lead to the Mossman
Gorge Cultural Centre.

SHARING 40,000 YEARS OF CULTURE

The turning point came in 1986, when three men visited the community asking
locals about their vision for the future. Roy shared his idea: a place where
visitors could learn about Kuku Yalanji culture, buy locally made artefacts and
experience the rainforest through the knowledge of its Traditional Owners.

With funding secured, Roy quit his job and began building the first small
structure in the community, a simple green shed on a hill that still stands today.

“That’s where it all started,” he says.
At the time Roy knew little about tourism. “But I knew the forest,” he says. “That

was our playground growing up.” His older brother gave simple advice. “He said,
‘Just talk about what we know; the birds, the trees, the food, the seasons.’” And
that’s exactly what they did.
Today, Roy and his fellow tour guides share knowledge of bush medicine,

seasonal changes and the deep cultural connection to Country, often beginning
with a traditional smoking ceremony. With every tour, the stories of the Kuku
Yalanji people continue to be shared.
THE FOREST STILL SPEAKS
Forty years on, Uncle Roy remains closely connected to the Centre and the
Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, now led by a dedicated team of Kuku Yalanji guides
and running four times daily, except Christmas Day.
Roy still feels something powerful every time he walks into the rainforest. “I
want visitors to see what I see and feel what I feel,” he says.
Part of the walk involves calling out to the ancestors in language before entering
the forest.

“That’s very important,” Roy explains. Sometimes, he says, the forest answers.
Roy laughs as he recalls a moment when a visitor repeatedly asked to see a snake.
“So I spoke to the ancestors,” he says.
Moments later, a snake dropped from a tree in front of her. “She screamed,” Roy

laughs. “But she never forgot that walk.” Another time a kingfisher warned him
about a snake hidden ahead on the path. “You’ve got to listen to nature,” Roy
says. “It talks to you.”

“Roy still feels something powerful every
time he walks into the rainforest.
‘I want visitors to see what I see and
feel what I feel,’ he says.”

A VISION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Roy is proud of what the Dreamtime Walk has become, but his focus has always
been on the future. “This was never about me,” he says. “I built this for the young

ones.”
He hopes more young Kuku Yalanji people will carry the work forward, learning
both formal education and traditional knowledge of Country. For Roy, the
greatest pride comes from seeing young people grow into leaders. “Seeing them
go to school, get educated and come back to help their community, that’s what
I wanted.”
But alongside that pride sits a quiet sadness. “Many family who helped build

this are gone now,” he says softly. “I wish they were here to see it.” He looks out
toward the rainforest. “But they are still here,” he says. “I can feel them in the
Country.”
Roy’s vision lets each visitor to Mossman Gorge experience that connection.

mossmangorge.com.au

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