"I knock at the stone’s front door" - Namadgi
The longer I'm here, the more surprises I encounter. This time, like most other weekends, we had planned to see something interesting. As usual, we obediently followed the commands of our GPS to get to our destination. The views were to die for: picturesque mountain vistas, empty winding roads, and valleys upon which the cloudy shadows moved slowly. We stopped several times, not simply to admire the scenery, but to experience it. Each stop was like a face-to-face meeting with the landscape. It moved me to tears every time. Open space has the potential of the ideal. It’s as if the Genius loci was inviting us to this place. I felt so much joy.
We drove higher and higher, the GPS led us to
Namadgi National Park. The road was no longer covered with asphalt. Our red
dragon was bravely moving forward, but because it's a conventional car we felt
every big stone. Lots of banging and
clattering of dissatisfaction emanated from the car chassis. After a moment, the rear wiper started to
operate by itself. We were tens of kilometers from anyone and the thought of a
broken down car here was very unpleasant. Our phone had lost reception, google
maps stopped working. There was only one road to follow, but its condition was getting worse and worse. I was beginning to feel uneasy. How easy it is to
travel from a reality that is safe with marked white lines with police ready to
enforce road laws to a space dominated by wildness. This is one of the most
fascinating characteristics of Australia.
We passed a sign: “Namadgi” on our way and then
there was nothing for a long, long time.
The wiper was still dancing and eventually irritated us to the point where we
disconnected the cables and then turned the car around. It turned out that someone had indeed put the
Namadgi National Park coordinates in
Google maps, but it was the edge of the park and the other side of where people
normally enter. We still had an hour to
get to the visitors centre (where the walking tracks start). We reached asphalt
again and my eyes sparkled at the wonderful views and with sincere gratitude
for our misadventure.
We had just passed a sign with the inscription
“Deep Space Network 3 km”. It sounded intriguing, so spontaneously we veered
off the road and followed the sign's direction.
A valley straight from a fairy tale opened before us. A huge white
antenna was visible far in the distance. It's a part of a network of three
devices located in three locations across Earth: in Europe (Spain), the USA
(California) and Australia (Canberra). Thanks to this geographical location, it
is possible to monitor space objects without Earth's rotational “disturbance”
(here is a link to the DSN site). The antenna looked impressive and there was a
visitors center just next to it which housed a museum and a small cafe. I was
excited because I wanted to read about some intergalactic adventures, but
all I had to settle for was the sight of
the "official" Moon rock. There were some children standing around it
with me. Their little noses were
touching the glass case guarding the precious object. It was so beautiful
outside and I think that there are so many stones out there that have much more
touchable stories to tell.
The massive white antenna was the landscape's only
anomaly. Without it, the views were from an idyllic romance: lush green meadows
and shady, gentle hills with grazing lambs. All this would be almost bland, if
not for the huge boulders scattered randomly in the field of gentleness. They gave
it a sense of sharpness and expression. Like dots on Aboriginal paintings, they
were creating their own web, which holds up the visible world.
It was a stone that brought us to Namadgi – a huge
granite boulder, a rock shelter, which was a meeting place for Aboriginal tribes.
The rock art paintings made on it date back at least 800 years. Art rock
paintings! In Poland there is not a lot of them to see. The oldest discovered
rock paintings are situated in Australia. The place is called Nawarla
Gabarnmang and the art is dated between 45 000 and 60 000 years old. Thus, we
have evidence that the Aborigines had already been painting them then. Humanity
was using colours to express their reality back then! Aboriginal traditions
continued until around the time when Europeans first settled around 1778.
Pictographs in Namadgi are part of the world's longest-lasting culture and I
knew that it would be an extraordinary experience to look at them.
To see them, we needed to walk for about an hour
through wonderful open spaces and over a wooden footbridge situated on the rim
of Bogong swamp. And so they were –
timeless. I learned to admire paintings at school for their realistic representation of reality. Later I discovered that the sense of beauty is not limited to
imitation and here once again I experienced that aesthetic experience may arise
from an awareness of history, which is manifested by art. This is the aesthetic
of the very beginning, when man and nature lived in harmony. The paintings were
created using natural earth minerals of white clay and ochre. They depicted
kangaroos, dingo, echidna, turtle and humanoid forms. The theory says that
these animals are totems of tribes who gathered at this meeting place. And they
gathered annually at a time of great abundance. The corroboree (the meeting)
was connected with ceremonies, trading and marriages between the tribes. Such
great events cannot take place without an appropriate feast. So there was a feast and the main ingredient of the meals
were ... Bogong moths. These fatty night butterflies flock to the area of
Canberra every year in October.
Here is a recipe for Bogong damper :
Bogong Moth DamperA generous handful of moths
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup powdered milk
1/4 teaspoon raising agent
water
Using a mortar and pestle (or something similar) pound up the moths with powdered milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Add sufficient water to make a stiff dough and shape into a ball. Flatten the ball to a height of 2.5 centimeters, lightly flour the surface and cook in ash, camp oven, or domestic oven until cooked through. Serve hot.
Enjoy!
For dessert, a photo from one of the short trails
leading to Boroomba Rocks. 20 minutes of steep climbing and we managed to get
there just in time for a glorious sunset. Genius loci again has done his magic
here.
Canberra
The Australian sun is good for the autumn blues. Climbing Mount Majura is good on Sunday afternoon. And every squawk of the cockatoo is a reliable daily alarm clock.
All of these experiences I owe to Canberra. I have been living here for over one year now and I know that the capital of Australia is also good for many other reasons.
Here are some of them :
Canberra is good for the name of the capital
city.
Canberra is the result of a compromise which
was made between two cities: Sydney and
Melbourne (what a concept!) . The two battled for the noble title of the most
important city in the country. To underline the rules of democracy, they choose
a place in between. It was... a sheep station. This place was Ngunnawal country
which they called Canberra , Canburry , Kembery , Camberry and sometimes even
Gnabra.
The name of the place however remained an
open question. Names like Sydmelperadbrisho or Meladneyperbane - an amalgam of
the name of each of the capitals were some of the propositions put forward in a
national competition. Some others were less demanding to pronounce:
Shakespeare, Emu, Eucalypta and even Opossum (Olord!)
But the decision was made and the name was
officially announced on March 12, 1913 , when the wife of Governor General Lady
Denman pronounce it with an accent on the first syllable Can-bra. And so
it remained. The young capital heard the sound of its name for the first time.
Next step was to find its meaning.
The discussion revolved around two
possibilities: a meeting place or female breasts. The first seemed more
appropriate for the capital. The latter was confirmed by a Ngunnawal Elder as the term used to refer to the two
mountains surrounding Canberra: Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie. I admit that
I like the second option more, despite the fact that anatomically we'd be
living somewhere in the vicinity of the liver. There is also another
etymological idea behind the name, which is quite accurate: Canberra can mean
berries in a can.
Canberra is good for a walk
Canberran guide books state that this it is
the best city in Australia for walking. It literally has hundreds of trails
that change their appearance with the changing seasons. Because the city is
designed as a large garden in the middle of the Australian bush, every district
reminds me of a park, where wildlife flourishes. Australian native birds: the
majestic black swans, crazy cockatoos and the beautiful plumage of the parrots,
kangaroos, possums and wombats inhabit these beautiful spaces. I love going for
a walk in our park in the evening and observing how the setting sun changes the
fur of the eastern grey kangaroo into the colour of fiery red.
A good pair of walking shoes are a
pre-requisite to fulfil the walker's obligations in Canberra. But there is one
more essential item for the aspiring walker here – a car. Distances between the
trails are big and public transport is
expensive and generally inconvenient. One day I wanted to visit my friend who
lives on the other side of town. The bus journey would have taken me two hours
one way or one hour by bike. I could get there in under 20 minutes by car. In
his book " Down Under” Bill Bryson calls Canberra “the blistering
city". Unaware of his surroundings, he wanted to get to the nearest busy
restaurant on foot. When he got to the next roundabout, which looked like
dozens of previous ones , he decided to turn around and eat dinner at his
hotel, alone. His brilliant observations on Australia's reality remain mostly
valid. Though today, from the hotel
where he stayed, a ten minute walk will take you to Lonsdale Street, where
there is lots to eat, drink and be merry.
Canberra is good for those with a cultural
appetite
It is an incredible feeling to live in a
city that constantly defends itself from allegations. Canberra is somewhat
similar apparently to what the rest of Australia was like thirty odd years ago.
Being a little overawed by Britain's cultural influence, the young country
started looking to define its own identity (watch the fascinating ABC
documentary : The Sounds of Aus). Now
Australia is proud of her individuality and uniqueness. Canberra is a young
city (101 years old ) and experiencing growing pains. She wants to please
people, and develop her own unique character. Situated hundreds of kilometres
from the coast with cool winters and the possibility of snowboarding just
around the corner, it is very different from other, arguably more famous,
Australian coastal cities. I first learned that Canberra had a reputation of
being boring and staid from articles in the local newspaper. Local journalists
who call Canberra home would introduce allegations levelled at the city only to
be deny them with vigour just a paragraph later. The writers highlight the
character and diversity of the city. And they're right, there really is lots to
experience here, partly because Canberra has rich parents who do not refuse her.
Her interior was specially designed from scratch in the architectural style of the late 1900s.
Every single book that has been published in
Australia is on the shelves of the National Library
The world's largest collection of Aboriginal
Art at the National Gallery (more than 7500 objects
Stunning museum commemorating the heroism of the ANZAC soldiers on different fronts and the
Tent Embassy – an aboriginal building, whose wars against colonization are not commemorated in the War Memorial.
The parliamentary building with vast spaces for a lunch date or Sunday afternoon picnic Embassies right under her nose, including the Polish one – very hospitable .
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (check out myarticle from our trip there and a link to the photo gallery)
Mountains and walking trails
Namadgi National Park (we have just recently
visited it...so the article will be up soon)
Free Festivals (with their current dates)
Sea of flowers during Floriade in
Commonwealth Park (here a link to our photo gallery )) ( and Festival webpage) - September 13 - October 12
2014Seven scenes filled over three days by
amazing performers during the National Multicultural Festival ( link to thegallery here ) ( and here for part of the festival) - 13 - 15 February 2015
Huge balloons , including her favorite pet
the Skywhale during the Festival of Balloons (link to our photo gallery) (and to the festival webpage ) - 7 - 15 March 2015
Canberra is a diverse and extremely
hospitable city. It was a good year here for us and there's still so much more
to see and do! :)
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Nangi ngattai, Gurragan malier
Look and listen only, take nothing
After almost one and a half years in Australia, I am well
and truly used to the omnipresent Australian sun. Grey and cloudy days are rare here and when
they do happen, we usually reduce our needs to a good movie and a big scoop of
chips from our local takeaway.
We had been working hard over the last few days, and this
time around, the need for fresh air became stronger than the need to be comfortable. So we made up our minds: today was going to be koala day! I am going
to see the animal for the first time in my life!
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is located about 45 minutes from
Canberra centre. It is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by gently rolling
mountains. This morning the humidity and overwhelming greyness unearthed the
lush colors of the surrounding grass. Intensive greens are gently touching the
morning mist. It reminds me of a European
landscape. The huge granite boulders, looming
high up on the mountain tops, create a romantic and dramatic scene. If I let my imagination get carried away, I
would see them as ruins of a medieval castle. Such sights used to stimulate my
girlish imagination. What a homey
feeling…
Wait a second, what castles!? What knights!? I have just realized that I am looking at an Australian
landscape as the first European painters did. I see everything through eyes that
are longing for familiarity. For those artists, eucalyptus trees turned into large
oaks and the bush was inhabited by the Greek gods, as in one of my favorite images
by McCubbin. The truth is that talking
about knights and castles while entering Tidbinbilla is like trying to find a link
between kangaroos and Polish dumplings.
Don’t even think about ingredients!! Let’s get back to
reality...
In the language of the Aborigines this place is called Jedbinbilla, which means “a place where boys become men”. Little
is known about the initiation rituals of the traditional owners of this land. Knowledge
is handed down as part of an oral tradition. Some people erroneously believe that the lack
of written records equates to the simplicity of the message. The only way to learn
more is to experience the ritual itself. It is sacred men’s business, so it’s not for
me to tell the story. I will just mention the fact that the education of an
Aboriginal male involves three stages: gatherer, hunter and warrior. First, mothers and grandmothers teach boys
about plants. Then after initiation, they become men and learn how to hunt. Finally,
they become warriors.
Initiation rites were held in Jedbinbilla Mountains. The oldest traces of the first inhabitants where
found at the rock shelter shown in the photograph above. Up until recently, Aborigines
had been camping in this shelter for the past 21,000 years. To this day the
place is treated with respect. Aboriginal culture is the oldest continuing culture
on Earth, and I am convinced that every step that I follow in their footsteps
is a step closer to understanding the nature of Australia.
One of the metal gates, of which there are many in the
reserve, was guarding access to the Eucalyptus Forest. When we walked in my eyes encountered a peculiar
sight – a fur ball. Such a beautiful ball
of fur! It was one of those fur balls that you just need to touch and squeeze! An instinct of Disney’s Elmyra Duff or so-called
‘cute aggression’ came into
play. With panic in my eyes, I started looking
for another ball. Maybe this time it
will be a little closer to the fence of the enclosure?
One of them moved, lazily reaching for a eucalyptus leaf. We
were very lucky to observe his (or was it her?) theatrical pauses while
chewing. Koalas sleep 20 hours a day. They
spend the rest of their time moving between trees and eating. Sitting for so long on the eucalyptus branch
is not a problem, thanks to their fluffy fur coating, that serves as a soft
cushion. Sometimes however, in a deep sleep, koalas fall from the tree (for
empathic readers -it usually doesn’t end with any serious injuries), which may
be the tragic ending for any passing tourist.
Now the time has come for the real challenge: finding a wild koala in the forest. There are
20 of them in the Eucalyptus Forest. It’s so hard to spot one that a ranger
ties cryptic orange notes close to the path where a koala was recently seen, claiming:
"Koala last seen here on 24.04 at 10.30am
at about 12 metres height in the third tree to the right of the large tree with
the red bark ". Unfortunately, all notes seemed to be out of date the day
we visited. B. promised to find me a koala
and left the main path, wandering deep into the bush. And I waited and waited...
After almost an hour, he returned to the
main path, excited and waving me to meet him. I found one, he said humbly,
bursting with pride.
It took about 15 minutes to reach the site. And there we
stood together, smiling and staring at a ball of fur. We had a professional
photo session, which was a substitute for our inability to touch him. Then we
continued staring and smiling from ear to ear. The koala didn’t even move.
