Being A Tourist - Day 13

Today was our last day in Cape Tribulation, we headed out on a 4WD tour to Bloomfield Falls at an Aboriginal settlement where a lass called Kathleen Walker took us on a bush walk and told us all kinds of things about bush tucker, bush medicine and her culture. In all the months I've been in Australia, all the time I spent in the north and centre, I've never heard about Aboriginal culture from an actual Aborigine. Its always been from white fella, someone like Glen who took us on our Kimberley tour. Its actually well interesting, I mean, I always thought it was but I've been mostly exposed to the other side of it, the aftermath of having a so called civilised race sweep into your country, take your land, kidnap or murder your kin and introduce disease, poor quality food, drugs and grog into your communities. I've only really seen the fucked up people wandering the streets trying to blag smokes, money and booze off you and I've only seen the communities that are strewn with empty butane cans, cars on bricks and dog shit. She told us about how they're losing their own language, how her own grand kids can't speak their own tongue, only English and how when they're sat round the fire telling stories the kids ask them to speak English so they can understand instead of learning the Aboriginal language they should have grown up with.

Ok, I just read that back. I shouldn't be allowed to drink goon while I write. But what I'm trying to say is that its a culture that really shouldn't be allowed to die.

In the afternoon, me and Dad went Jungle Surfing. Most activities in the rainforest seem to involve looking at the tops of trees, its possibly best to avoid Cape Tribulation if you have issues with heights. I seem to be getting better, when I first started putting myself in high places I was terrified, when me and Kliff did the Otways Skywalk my hands never left the railings and the joints in my fingers hurt for ages but I'm getting used to it now.

Jungle Jane And Spongebob Squarepants

Left Hanging

Dad On His Way Down The Line

Stunning Views

Which is good because Jungle Surfing is basically being attached to a zip line and being hurled through the trees about 19 metres above the ground. The first line is slow. Then they send you fast. Then the bastards turn you upside down and take photos.

Shit its fun though.

Then it was back over the river to Mossman where we stayed the night so we could head to Mossman Gorge the next day before the buses showed up.

written by

Koala Bear on October 17, 2007 from Mossman, Australia

from the travel blog: Sod Off Great Big Mission Round Oz

tagged LovinIt and ShamelessTourist

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