The Rainforrest

Tjapukai means rainforrest and is an impressive Aboriginal cultural experience. We spent an entire day up  there, and wow, what an amazing experience we had! We learned about the area, language, words and songs, how to throw boomerangs and hunt with spears, make fire and just hanging out eating gorgeous bush tucker.

Several of the places we cold not photograph due to cultural reasons, such as this one, the new state-of-the-art circle shaped multimedia performance room, with projectors beaming onto the walls and floor whilst being interacted with people - it was an amazing performance, very evocative and very emotional: the story of the beginning. I was blown away!

Afterwards it was time for learning about Yirrganydji country, the Aboriginal tribe original custodians of the land from Cairns and up northwards. The paint you see used is red and yellow ochre; rocks ground into powder and mixed with water to make paint-paste. The white is mud from the riverbed and black is from ground charcoal.

All dances and moves are created from imitating nature and animal life, for example all names are related to nature as well; the quiet one, rainbow parrot, quick wallaby, soaring eagle, rainbow and waterways. The dances consist of animal moves and relaying stories about nature and hunting. Milla loved it: 'this is how Agnes, Elliot and I play all the time! We play animals and dance like animals all the time!!'. I think she had an epiphany :-) She was named little possum and had painted little possum paw prints on her face. How suitable that I usually call her my little possum!

Wow, certainly more than just a dinner and a show - it was a magical adventure into the legends of Australia's dreamtime!