March 2009

Being a guest author

Thursday March 5, 2009

Tasmanian author and publisher Christine Jones – who wrote the science fiction fantasy series Mariard as well as many other books, and also created the Shadow Forest Authors group to help improve child literacy here and overseas – has a wonderful website full of information, articles and inspiring stories about her life. She also promotes other authors – and this month she chose Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life. Check out Christine's site here.

Review: The fantasy and science fiction novel Mariard Volume One: The Gifting sets Christine Jones apart as a heavyweight in the genre. Set in a wonderfully imaginative world that draws the reader in, it captivates with compelling characters and wonderful action sequences. It introduces the mythical land of King Tayo, who is persuaded to deceive his kingdom and start another in the ice fields, where he raises his daughter to be a warrior, while leaving his son behind to be raised by the sacred priestess Artemis. Jones presents us with a brilliant novel that is something of a cross between The Lord of the Rings and The Iliad. Written for all those who love to be transported into mystical realms of the imagination, it is a refreshingly powerful story...

A story about the Camino

Wednesday March 11, 2009

Women’s Health magazine recently emailed around asking if there were any journalists who’d walked the Camino, as they wanted to do a hiking story. I’d been meaning to contact them to ask if they wanted one, the trekking aspect of the pilgrimage fitting so well with their health and fitness themes, so it all worked out perfectly. They did make a few strange subbing choices – I can barely recognise myself in some of it – but it’s all part of the publishing adventure...
You can read the article here.

The magic of trees

Saturday March 14, 2009

In researching my new project, I came across a section I wrote for Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life, which I ended up cutting out because of length. But it’s interesting, so I thought I’d post it here...

Celtic Tree Astrology
According to Australian-born, English-based pagan author Titania Hardie: “The witches’ year is based around the 13 moon cycles, so it divides into 13 months, each of which is ruled by a tree,” and it can be fun to explore your Celtic tree sign, which describes your personality and provides guidance and divination.
While it professes to be a form of ancient Celtic astrology, many argue it’s a modern invention. But no matter what its origins, it is deeply symbolic, and you never know what truth you might uncover as you connect to these sacred trees. The yearly cycle begins with Birch, just after the northern hemisphere winter solstice, and is associated with the seasonal year, with Rowan linked to Imbolc and so on, and thus people in the southern hemisphere should probably adjust the dates, as the winter solstice there is in late June, and Imbolc in August, as the seasons are reversed.

Birch December 24 – January 20
Birch tree people are imaginative, vivacious and determined, focusing on career and quite private in their personal life. They have great personal potential, but must be persistent to achieve it. They are emotional, friendly, unpretentious and calm and make great friends, but it can take time to get close to them. Birch starts the Celtic tree calendar, and thus these people have the energies associated with new beginnings. Ruling planet: The Sun. Colour: Red. Flower: Rose. Deity: Lugh, the solar god.

Rowan January 21 – February 17
Rowan tree people are passionate, although they often hide this beneath a cooler facade. They are highly principled, visionary and unique, and are prepared to fight for their beliefs. They are pioneering and likely to achieve many things in their life, with a philosophical, keen-minded intellect. They can be misunderstood though, and should try to be clear with communication. Ruling planet: Uranus. Colour: Pinky gold. Flower: Geranium. Deity: Brigid, goddess of fire and inspiration.

Ash February 18 – March 17
Ash tree people are reliable, trustworthy and faithful. They are also vivacious, intelligent and demanding, and don’t like to be criticised. They are very grounded but still open to spirituality and destiny, with an intuitive streak and a deep connection to their emotions. They are artistic, inspiring others with the way they see the world, and are ambitious yet humble, a positive combination. Ruling planet: Neptune. Colour: Amber. Flower: Jasmine. Deity: Branwen, goddess of love.

Alder March 18 – April 14
Alder tree people are powerful, confident and independent. They are courageous, protective and kind, but can also be a little impatient, restless and rash. Many have psychic insight, whether they are aware of it or not, and will passionately follow their own path. They get on with everyone and are wonderful people to have on your team, and make great leaders and instigators. Ruling planet: Mars. Colour:. Indigo. Flower: Bergamot. Deity: Ostara, goddess of fertility and spring.

Willow April 15 – May 12
Willow tree people are intuitive, empathic and a little mysterious, as they are influenced by the moon. They are tenacious, resourceful and honest, and love to travel and dream. They can be moody and restless at times, but are very loving and appreciate beauty around them. They are patient, which sometimes leads to hesitation, intelligent and creative, and blossom when they trust their intuition. Ruling planet: The Moon. Colour: Purple. Flower: Lavender. Deity: Cordelia, goddess of flowers.

Hawthorn May 13 – June 9
Hawthorn tree people are innovative, full of ideas and can adapt easily to change. They don’t always show their inner self, and often burn with passion under a cool exterior. They can be very serious in business though, dependable, tough and clever, and very protective of family and friends. They are born performers, talented and expressive, with a gift of the gab and good listening skills. Ruling planet: Vulcan (which is said to exist between Mercury and the Sun). Colour: Rose pink. Flower: Mint. Deity: Triple Goddess.

Oak June 10 – July 7
Oak tree people are optimistic, honest and courageous. They don’t like change, yet cope well with difficulties by adapting and growing stronger. They have an inner strength and generosity of spirit, and while they sometimes commit too quickly, their unrelenting nature means they will follow through. Like the oak they are protective, and speak up for those without a voice. Ruling planet: Jupiter. Colour: White. Flower: Geranium. Deity: Cernunnos, the horned god of nature and fertility.

Holly July 8 – August 4
Holly tree people are affectionate, down to earth and trustworthy, and operate with honesty and integrity. They are supportive, sympathetic, loyal and devoted to their family. They are also hardworking, tolerant and logical, and enjoy positions of leadership and power. They are sensitive to criticism – and also sensitive to the Otherworld. They can be misconstrued as arrogant, but are simply confident of their abilities. Ruling planet: Earth. Colour: Yellow. Flower: Tuberose. Deity: Rhiannon, goddess of the moon.

Hazel August 5 – September 1
Hazel tree people are clever and organised, with an urge to learn. The hazel represents wisdom, poetic knowledge and intuition, and people born under this sign have great intellect and logic, strong recall and a high level of efficiency. They also enjoy creative energies that can fire up their work or favourite projects, but must learn patience and how to let go of their need for control to achieve all they are capable of. Ruling planet: Mercury. Colour: Olive green. Flower: Hyacinth. Deity: Merlin, wise one and sage.

Vine September 2 – September 29
Vine people are open, forgiving, emotional and sensual, with a great enthusiasm for life and love. They can be changeable and unpredictable, but see the good in all people and all sides, and inspire harmony and stability between others. People often underestimate their skills, but they are charming and confident, and often have the Midas touch in transforming a situation to better suit them. Ruling planet: Venus. Colour: Silver. Flower: Passionfruit. Deity: Modron, goddess of autumn and fertility.

Ivy September 30 – October 27
Ivy people are unique, independent and colourful, with their own style and beliefs. They are artistic, talented and often radical thinkers, with a keen intellect and determination and stamina, like ivy, to beat the odds and cling on tenaciously. They are ruthless and shrewd with their finances yet very generous, a good combination, and are compassionate and quick to lend a hand. Ruling planet: Persephone Veiled By The Moon (which is said to exist just beyond Pluto). Colour: Deep green. Flower: Chamomile. Deity: Arianrhod, goddess of the moon.

Reed October 28 – November 24
Reed people are vibrant, passionate, decisive and forceful. They can be impatient at times, but simply want to achieve quickly, and have a strong code of honour. They are secret keepers, delving through layers of meaning to understand the truth and hidden wisdom, and can coax information from people. They are sometimes perceived as arrogant, as they dislike weakness. They are well respected and have a powerful presence. Ruling planet: Pluto. Colour: White. Flower: Melissa. Deity: Ceridwen, goddess of knowledge.

Elder November 25 – December 23
Elder tree people are powerful, persuasive and willing to challenge injustice. They are impulsive, curious and at times restless, with a love of freedom and adventure. They have a great thirst for knowledge and honesty, which can be brutal, with a philosophical, deeply thoughtful bent. Many are talented in music and art or are great healers, and are very considerate of others. They are meditative, and grow and change a lot throughout their lifetime. Ruling planet: Saturn. Colour: Gold. Flower: Neroli. Deity: Bran, god of prophecy.

Goddess Pages article

Tuesday March 17, 2009

It’s a funny story of magical coincidence and “small world” effects that led me to write a story for the UK magazine Goddess Pages. Edited by a Priestess of Avalon from Glastonbury in England, it features articles about magic and the natural world from around the globe. I wrote about the Sabbats, the enchanted, enchanting festivals of the old pagan Wheel of the Year, from a southern hemisphere perspective. Funnily enough, some people in the top half of the world don’t realise that our seasons are not the same, running six months behind – or ahead – of theirs, so our Midsummer’s Day occurs at the same time as their Midwinter. It makes sense of course – since we were tiny we knew, through movies, books and greeting cards, that Christmas in the northern hemisphere was a time of snowmen and ice skating and cosy log fires for Santa to warm his fingers at, even while we were sweltering on the beach, yet the Down Under influence on America and the UK is very small in comparison. All very interesting :-)
You can read the article, find out more about the magazine and subscribe for the hard copy version at www.goddess-pages.co.uk. I’ll post again when I have a copy of the magazine... You can read the article here.

Equinox blessings...

Friday March 20, 2009

Equinox blessings to you! Today is the day of harmony and balance, when the sun is directly above the equator and there are 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. In the southern hemisphere it is the autumn equinox, and in Australia the moment of equinox is 9.44pm AEST today, Friday March 20. In the northern hemisphere it is the spring equinox...

The autumn equinox, known as Mabon and celebrated between September 20 and 23 in the northern hemisphere and March 20 and 23 in the south, is characterised, like the spring equinox, by the length of day and night being equal as the sun travels back across the equator to the other hemisphere. From this point on the days will become shorter and the weather will get cooler, but today is the moment of balance in nature and within – a time of harmony and gentle calm.
Mabon is the time to honour your achievements, experiences and wisdom, and to ensure balance in your life by integrating all the parts of your self. On this day, when all is balanced, witches traditionally renewed their magical commitments, and you can renew any vows you’ve made or pledge a new one, be it to do with magic, love, friendship, career or anything else. It’s also a harvest festival, a time to further celebrate your achievements and feel fulfilment from each one, releasing what no longer serves you in order to move forward. In the wild, old growth is cleared. In your life, cut out anything that’s holding you back, draining you or preventing new life and love from flourishing, whether it’s work, people, a belief system, regret or the past.
As the shadows lengthen, it’s also a good time to scry if you want insight into your future. If you can, light a fire and stare into the flames, allowing your mind to go blank and your vision to blur a little. Note any images you see. Or go outside and watch the clouds scuttling across the sky and analyse the shapes you see within them. Without thinking about it too much, write down what they mean to you.
Pyromancy (fire reading) and nephomancy (cloud reading) are forms of divination that have been used for millennia. You should eventually develop your own dictionary of symbols, because you know better than anyone else what each symbol means to you, but you can begin with standard readings, such as a heart indicating new romance, a cat referring to the need to trust your intuition, a tree meaning you’ll make new friends and a plane foreshadowing travel.

The spring or vernal equinox, also known as Ostara, is celebrated between March 20 and 23 in the northern hemisphere and September 20 and 23 in the south. It’s one of only two times in the year when the length of day and night is exactly equal, as the sun sits directly above the equator on its journey north or south, creating equal light and dark in both hemispheres. On a personal level it’s a time of balance and harmony, of union between the physical and spiritual, which can be harnessed to anchor your dreams in reality and enhance your own inner harmony as the balance of universal energies is reflected within. Relationships are harmonious too, making it a good time for weddings and for healing rifts.
It’s also a time of growth and fertility, when crops are sown, the buds on the trees open, birds build nests and lay eggs and new life is celebrated. Thanks was traditionally given to the fertility goddess Ostara, whose symbols were an egg and a hare, and who is still honoured around the world today, albeit unknowingly, in the form of chocolate eggs and the Easter bunny. Energetically it’s also a very fertile time, as the seeds you previously sowed of your goals begin to sprout and gain momentum. Paint some hard-boiled eggs or buy or make the chocolate version, meditating on your own metaphorical fertility and your ability to manifest dreams into reality. Choose an affirmation relating to your desired outcome, write it down and pin it up where you’ll be able to see it every day.
Go outside during the day and breathe in the fresh spring air, filling your heart with new inspiration as you fill your lungs with oxygen. In many ancient cultures, including the Romans whose calendar ours is based on, the spring equinox was the first day of the year, and the sense of new hope and optimism reflected in this time remains today. It’s a celebration of new life, hope, passion, growth and energy.

Story of the Red Centre

Saturday March 28, 2009

After falling in love with the Red Centre when I went to Uluru and Kata Tjuta to research Seven Sacred Sites, I finally convinced New Idea magazine to run a travel story about it. You can read the story here.

Aboriginal cultural experiences

Sunday March 20, 2009

I researched many many amazing and unique Aboriginal cultural experiences when I was writing Seven Sacred Sites, but I ended up having to cut it out of the final version for space reasons. But there are some truly magical places to visit all around Australia, and these are just a few...
In Sydney, there is an amazing Aboriginal Cultural Cruise that takes you on a journey around Sydney Harbour to learn the stories of the original inhabitants who lived in the area that is now Sydney before white settlement. It describes traditional fishing methods and food gathering techniques, the original names of many landmarks, and shares the tales of Bennelong, an Aboriginal warrior imprisoned by the British who once lived where the famous Opera House now stands, and governor’s wife Elizabeth Macquarie, who fought her husband over indigenous land rights and nursed Aboriginal people when they go sick. It includes a visit to an island in the harbour, a traditional welcome ceremony, singing, dancing and a sharing of native culture. It was created by the indigenous Tribal Warrior Association in order to share and revitalise Aboriginal culture, and also provides training and employment for its members. Visit: www.tribalwarrior.org. 
There are also beautiful, educational walks all around Australia that will introduce you to Aboriginal culture, history and wisdom. The Sydney Harbour foreshore was an important ceremonial site for many Aboriginal clans, who lived in harmony with the land, hunting, fishing and making use of the diverse range of plants that grew there for food and medicine. Today the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens stretches along the harbour, and its two-hour Aboriginal Heritage Tour is teaching a new generation of people about the past. It’s a gentle walk through the gardens led by an Aboriginal education officer, who shares indigenous history and culture as he explains the significance of the area and how Aboriginal people used the local plants, while giving insight into traditional music, dance and artefacts. There is also a self-guided walk you can take, following a map that traces a path through the amazing gardens. Visit: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au.
Just north of Sydney there’s the Garigal Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a huge reserve bordering the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. You’ll see Aboriginal rock art on the beautiful nature walk, and great water views. In western Sydney is the Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Centre, an initiative of the local Darug people. As well as guided nature walks there are didgeridoo demonstrations, boomerang-throwing classes, bush tucker morning teas, painting workshops and a museum. Nearby is Blue Mountains Walkabout, a full-day tour that follows a traditional eight kilometre song line 8km through the beautiful Blue Mountains wilderness, including ceremonial sites, artefacts, dreamtime stories, ochre bark and body painting, bush tucker tasting and swimming in a crystal clear waterfall billabong. 
In the Hunter Valley, Thullii Dreaming offers camps and workshops that include rock painting tours, walks to sacred sites, campfire stories, bush tucker food and traditional dancing. In the national park near Wreck Bay, Barry’s Bush Tucker Tours feature history walks, fishing, night-time spotlight tours and bush tucker gathering and tasting. Further inland, at the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers, Harry Nanya Tours explores the Mungo National Park, which has the longest continuous record of Aboriginal life in Australia. Prehistoric archaeological sites, burial places, the remains of now-extinct animals and well-preserved middens show their strong connection to the land. Indigenous guides from the local Barkindji community share their unique countryside, cultural traditions and bush medicine knowledge on beautiful full-day or sunset tours. Visit: www.thullii.com.au.
In Victoria, Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens is located on a traditional camping and meeting place for the Woiwurrung and Boonerwrung people. The beautiful Aboriginal Heritage Walk through these grounds is a rich and vibrant cultural experience, providing an understanding of the customs and heritage of the traditional landowners and in insight into the flora and fauna of the area. Learn about local plant lore and see the land through the eyes of the Aboriginal guide, discovering how it was before white settlement, and take part in a Tanderrum, a traditional smoking ceremony. Visit: www.rbg.vic.gov.au.
Bunjilaka at the Melbourne Museum is a cultural centre that provides an introduction and insight into the history and culture of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Victoria. It has a storytelling section, a native garden, art exhibitions, audiovisual displays, demonstrations of tool making, dance and ceremonies, and guided tours of the whole centre. The Koorie Heritage Trust, which includes a Cultural Centre with four unique art galleries, exhibitions that trace the history of the Aboriginals of southeast Australia, guided cultural tours and a resource library, aims to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation of Koorie culture throughout the community. Visit: www.museumvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka.
In the gold rush centre of Ballarat, the Kirrit Barreet Aboriginal Art and Cultural Centre provides indigenous garden walks, cultural talks, boomerang painting and an art gallery and living history museum which traces the cultural traditions of the Wathaurong people. There are also day-long tours to significant sites in and around the town. In Geelong, Narana Creations is a cultural centre. That features a unique three acre native garden, Curragundi, which means waterhole, that shows the strong connection between Aboriginal people and their homeland. A walking tour describes the wide range of food source and medicinal plants, and visitors can also wander through on their own. The centre also features cultural programs, didgeridoo demonstrations, mask making, dreamtime storytelling, bush tucker tasting and an art and craft gallery. Visit; www.aboriginalballarat.com.au.
In Wodonga, on the Victorian side of the NSW border, there is a self-guided Aboriginal heritage walk along the banks of the Murray River, where you can see canoe trees and animal carvings. In the nearby town of Chiltern, close to the Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park, is the Yeddonba Aboriginal Art Site. The walk there explains the culture of the local Duduroa people and their relationship with their natural surroundings, while the art site reveals depictions of a Tasmanian tiger, goanna and snake that are more than 2000 years old. This is where the elders passed on their lore and initiated younger members of the tribe, connecting them with their history and the life force of the land. 
In Queensland, you can experience the real history of Brisbane on the Tours and Detours Aboriginal Cultural Tour, run by an indigenous guide who takes you through the Botanic Gardens on a native flora and fauna walk, explains bush foods and medicines and includes a trip to beautiful Mount Coot-tha Lookout where the whole of Brisbane spreads out below and the guide will explain the original names of places. There’s didgeridoo playing and spear throwing, an art display and many sacred places. Visit: www.toursanddetours.com.au.
Magical Mossman Gorge, just 20 minutes from Port Douglas in the Far North, is a stunning area of natural beauty, right on the edge of the world famous Daintree Forest. It is the home of the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal community, and they have organised beautiful guided walks into the heart of the rainforest. The Dreamtime Walk is a relatively easy 90-minute, one kilometre journey which incorporates traditional culture, stopping at significant sites along the way and meandering past traditional bark shelters and over cool rainforest streams. The local guide demonstrates traditional plant uses and medicines, identifies bush tucker sources, shares creation stories unique to the area and discusses the traditional landowners and their special relationship with this amazing tropical environment - learn why the rainforest is considered a kitchen, medicine chest, tool shed and church to the locals. After your walk you’ll be treated to billy tea and damper and a didgeridoo performance. Visit: www.yalanji.com.au. 
In the Top End, Aurukun Wetland Charters provides eco tours through the traditional lands of the Wik people. Cruise aboard a ship as you interact with the traditional owners of the untouched Aurukun area and learn about their intimate relationship with the land and the water will make this truly a one of a kind experience. Visit: www.aurukunwetlandcharters.com.
The Cape York Turtle Rescue Project is run by indigenous rangers, scientists and researchers, and allows people to help them in their work protect native green sea turtles. Visit; www.encountercapeyork.com.au.
And the Davey (Buckeroo) Lawrence Education, Training and Cultural Centre in Cardwell brings together nine traditional tribal groups, from Mission Beach in the north to Rollingstone in the south, aiming to preserve their cultural heritage and protect their languages, history and artefacts. There’s a museum, art and instruments for sale, guided indigenous tours and activities such as spear throwing. Visit: www.girringun.com.au.
Off Townsville, an Aboriginal ethno-botanist shares the cultural traditions of Magnetic Island on the Great Greenway Eco Tours, which covers Aboriginal culture, bush tucker, medicinal plants and fire making. Visit: www.firesticktours.com.au.
(Dreamtime Tracks is a marketing umbrella for Indigenous Tourism operations in North Queensland, which aims to promote Indigenous knowledge and culture. Visit: www.dreamtimetracks.com.)
In Western Australia, the beautiful oceanfront city of Fremantle, just south of Perth, invites walking with its wide, flat streets and sunny, outdoor lifestyle. The Fremantle Aboriginal Heritage Walking Tour is a brilliant, entertaining and educational experience, a one-hour walk through the historic streets of this town, which starts at the Maritime Museum and makes its way to the Round House, Fremantle’s oldest building, which has tragic significance to the local Nyoongar people. The Aboriginal guide will explain the important sites and their history, and share dreaming stories from the area. Learn how European settlement affected the local people, the significance of the Swan River and the connection with nearby Rottnest Island. There is also a beautiful walk, led by an Aboriginal guide, through Perth’s stunning Kings Park, which focuses on the plants that were used for food, shelter and medicine by the Nyoongar tribe. Visit: www.indigenouswa.com.
The Wardan Aboriginal Cultural Centre near Yallingup, three hours south of Perth, is run by the local Wardandi people, and gives an insight into their cultural traditions and history. There are guided walking tours, discussions on spirituality, plant medicine demonstrations and workshops for tool making and spear throwing, as well as special events such as seasonal gatherings and corroborees. Further south in the timber town of Denmark is the Wilson Inlet Heritage Walk Trail, a 12-kilometre roundtrip journey that explores early Aboriginal life and flora and fauna in the area, which was known as Koorabup, meaning Place of the Black Swan, until white settlement in the 1800s. The trail starts at the old railway bridge near the river mouth and winds along the inlet to Crusoe Beach, with beautiful ocean views and amazing forest paths. Visit: www.wardan.com.au.
North of Perth is the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, which offers guided indigenous tours – featuring walking, sea kayaking and trekking – through the land of the Malgana and Nhanda people, who have lived in this ocean area for tens of thousands of years. Wula Guda Nyinda Aboriginal Cultural Walks explore the area of nearby Shark Bay. Further north there are many amazing tours in the area of Broome and the Kimberleys, such as the Darngku Heritage Cruises in Fitzroy Crossing, led by local Bunuba guides who share their dreaming stories as you cruise along the Fitzroy River and into the dramatic gorges, climb to the lookout and look for bush tucker. Kimberley Dreamtime Adventure Tours, operated by the Jarlmadangah Burru Aboriginal Community, offer overland safari tours from Broome to Mount Anderson and into the Jarlmadangah Community, allowing visitors to gain a unique insight into the history of the station and community life, visit exclusive Aboriginal rock art sites, try traditional bush foods and medicines, hear stories told by the local traditional owners and experience the awe inspiring landscape of this stunning region. Visit: www.monkeymia.com.au.
In South Australia, you can wander through Adelaide’s beautiful Botanic Gardens and take a guided tour along the Aboriginal Food and Plant Trail. Local Tauondi Guides reveal how plants have sustained Aboriginal life for thousands of years by providing food, shelter, tools and medicine. And in the city’s museum there is now an Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, one of the largest collections of ancient artefacts and art displays in the country. You can take a guided tour of the gallery, exhibitions, indigenous information centre, hands on activities and educational programs, or explore on your own. Visit: www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au.
South of Adelaide, local Aboriginal people run the Coorong Wilderness Lodge that offers accommodation and meals as well as guided bush tucker and medicine plant walks in Coorong National Park. There is also an Adventure Cruise that includes guided walks of traditional cooking sites and spectacular sightseeing along the Murray River and Southern Ocean. In the Flinders Ranges, Diverse Travel offer seven-day tours that incorporate the mythology and cultural traditions of the Adnyamathanha people, who will guide you along the ancient creation paths, explain the food and medicine plants of their spectacular region, introduce you to the many engraving and painting sites of their sacred places and share their stories. Visit: www.coorongwildernesslodge.com.
In the national capital of Canberra, the Australian National Botanic Gardens has a leaflet for the Aboriginal Trail, an interpretive walk focusing on plants used by the traditional land owners, while the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, on the lawns of Old Parliament House, is a fascinating symbol of the struggle for land rights, and features information, petitions and documentation of this historic event, as well as a sacred fire that has burned for a decade, representing peace, justice and sovereignty. South of Canberra, the Namadgi National Park includes many areas of great spiritual and historical significance to the traditional owners. Visit: www.anbg.gov.au.
In Tasmania, Jahadi Indigenous Experiences offer the first Aboriginal tours in the state, which take visitors to unique Aboriginal sites, ancient shelters and middens and on old growth rainforest, mountain and river walks, with the Aboriginal guide explaining the uses of the plants, animals and sites, and why the land held such importance to them. The tour includes taking part in an ochre and smoke ceremony, experiencing traditional dances and story telling and a visit to the art gallery, where you can watch artists at work, buy unique pieces and make a set of clap sticks for yourself. Visit: www.jahadi.com.au.

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