Sydney and Aboriginal Bushwalks

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Ashley and John had an amazing stop in Australia. Since we only had 10 days, we focused on Sydney and the surrounding areas. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the fantastic Craik family, family friends of Ashley's for years and years. They picked us up at the airport, fed us, housed us, directed us around the city and even drove us to difficult-to-reach spots. In the process, we experienced the characteristics that often rank Sydney as one of top 10 places to live: perfect weather (even in mid-winter!), picturesque views at every turn, the famous bridge and opera house, miles of beaches and bayfront living spaces and some of the funniest and friendliest people in the world.

In Sydney, we also got closer to the often-secretive Aboriginal culture. We visited the Gavala Arts Center for a didgeridoo lesson by one of the local masters. He gave us some good tips on how to find the right sound and start work on circular breathing, which is the technique that keeps the sound going while breathing in through the nose. We headed to the Australia Museum and attended a performance of aboriginal music and dance. The local performer from the group Wadyki demonstrated sounds on the didgeridoo, including the dingo, emu, and kookaburra, and also showed the audience how to dance the traditional emu dance.

In the middle of our stay, we headed up to the gorgeous Blue Mountains. The intimidating-yet-inspiring mountain range features a blue hue in the air due to the gum (eucalyptus) trees emitting a bluish oil. We stayed in a village called Katoomba. It has been an artist colony for over 100 years and still maintains that flavor. On Saturday, June 21, the winter solstice festival flyer told everyone to wear their best fairy, witch or mystical outfits, which some people seemed to be wearing ahead of time.

In the Blue Mountains, Ashley and John signed up for a bushwalk (hike) with a local Aborginal guide named Evan. He led us through the bush (woods) and took us along the path that aboriginals had been walking for 6,000-20,000 years. Evan is one of those rare Aboriginal guides who is happy to share all he knows about the culture and is constantly researching to develop his information. After a 45-minute meditation in the woods, which came off as a little new-agey to us, we began our journey: scurrying along rocks and following the river to a billabong (watering hole), then climbing up a rockface next to a waterfall to get a full overview of the land. He pointed out rock drawings thousands of years old, pointed out bush tucker (edible food in the woods), and showed us how the ancestors painted, sang, danced, told stories and connected with "The Dreaming" (the spirit realm). By the end, we were exhausted and ready to return to the modern but felt connected to the earth which was the main goal of the journey.

While the Aboriginal culture has many of the same challenges that the Native Americans do in the United States, there is a definite respect for their ancient ways, especially their connection with the land, that has been making a strong comeback throughout Australia.

Overall, Sydney wins that ever-important award from us: a place we would love to return to again and again because of its breadth and depth. Cheers!

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