AT ONE WITH THE LAND

BY TORI WILSON

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN CULTURE WHEN EMBARKING ON A TOUR WITH KAARAK DREAMING AND EXPLORE THE LAND WITH SALT AND BUSH ECO TOURS.

The ability to connect deeply to the surrounding earth, read the whispers of the trees and interpret the secrets of the bushland is a spectacular gift possessed by Aboriginal elder and Kaarak Dreaming owner and operator Maitland Hill.

For Maitland however, it’s a skillset as natural as breathing.

Spend time with him on one of his cultural tours and you too will gain a wealth of insights into Dwellingup’s natural attributes and feel truly connected to country.

Identifying bush medicine, tasting bush tucker, learning traditional hunting techniques, and understanding the power of Dreamtime stories are just some of experiences you will share.

Standing by Nanga Brook, surrounded by tall marri trees, Maitland closes his eyes and speaks a powerful welcome to country to the trees above.

“My goal is for people to connect with country when they come to Dwellingup, to feel country,” he explains.

“When I do a welcome to country, I want (people) to close their eyes and really feel the place and hear the stream. Listen to country, listen to the birds, listen to what’s coming ... feel the rain coming.”

After selecting a tour with Maitland, start your day at the Waypoints Café for a light snack before heading into the heart of Dwellingup, to Nanga Brook Kep-Bilo (water stream).

Follow Maitland in your car along Nanga Brook Road, lined with ancient forest, and make sure your windows are down to allow you to breathe deep as you enter a natural paradise.

Nanga Brook is a special place. It’s a reflection of the beauty that is found in Dwellingup and of the deep connection Dwellingup has in Aboriginal culture.

Once you step into the captivating bushland, Maitland will invite you to connect with the land by listening carefully to the singing birds, feeling the running water, smelling the healing scent of the eucalyptus trees and red earth.

Along the way, Maitland will share his knowledge about the gifts of the earth and point out traditional purposes of native flora, like the significance of the grasstree.

“The grasstree represents survival. It can last through the bushfires, through winter, all year round. It supplies medicine, fire, warmth. It has a strong scent for cleansing, too.”

When dried, the long grasstree flower is used as a matchstick for lighting fires, while the plant’s gluelike resin is used for fixing spearheads and other tools.

Each of Kaarak Dreaming’s tours are customised to suit the desires of the group on the day. Maitland explains it’s his aim to ensure guests get the most out of the experience, which they’re sure to do in this breathtaking and unique place.

Like Kaarak Dreaming, Salt and Bush Eco Tours aims to inspire people to connect and better understand the natural world.

Avid adventurers and environmentalists Base and Jamie Van Jones started Salt and Bush Eco Tours in 2020, creating experiences for those with a craving for something on a higher level. The pair use their experience as naturalist guides in some of the world’s most remote places, including Antarctica and Alaska, to offer bushwalking, bird watching, stargazing, geology and mindfulness and wellness tours in the region.

Salt and Bush offer a range of guided nature tours, including bush walks, kayak tours, birdwatching, and geology tours.

“Our most popular tour options depend on the season. In summer our (water-based) tours are the most popular,” says Jamie.

“We run guided foot-peddled kayak tours on all three rivers (Murray, Serpentine and Harvey Rivers) leading into the Peel-Harvey. Our river trips are relaxing, but also great for wildlife spotting. We see a variety of birdlife and we often see dolphins exploring up our rivers.

“From August to October, our most popular tours are wildflower tours, we have an extraordinary diversity of native orchids and beautiful native wildflowers growing right here.”

Jamie says most people seeking its tours are looking for a chance to reconnect with nature and learn.

“Many people can go for a walk, but going for a walk with a keen naturalist means you stop often and observe the little things, and learn fascinating facts about the natural world around you. It’s much more than just a bushwalk, it is an eye-opening experience in the natural world.”

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