Leafy Sea Dragon Festival with Ali Carle: In the Fleurieu Peninsula region of South Australia
Something strange is happening on the Fleurieu Peninsula from Yankalilla through to Rapid Bay. It seems the South Coast locals have gone "leafy" in the head as the community gears up for a special event - the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival.
Divers from around the world converge on the Rapid Bay jetty to swim with the marvels of the deep and after a recent dive I caught up with the kids from the local primary school.
“The students have designed a leafy sea dragon outline,” explained Barrie, principal of Rapid Bay Primary. “It’s going on the hillside.”
When finished, the garden stakes with coloured paper attached will form the outline of a leafy sea dragon. The hill will then look a little like one of George Tetlow's painting at Studio 13 at Normanville. His, is one of several galleries taking part in the inaugural Leafy Sea Dragon Festival.
His vibrant depiction of our State's Marine Emblem is one of the main prizes in the festival raffle. It’s one of many that George has painted.
“You can use your imagination. It's just that leafy sea dragons are very pretty,” explained George. “Most artists don't like painting pretty pictures. So to find a way of producing it so that it's a little more gutsy I've chosen a mixture of textures. I’ve treated it as a very expressionistic painting.”
The Leafy Sea Dragon Festival will include forty events and exhibitions and will be a focus for artists along the coastline. During the ten-day party you'll meet the locals, enjoy regional produce and get a better understanding of the history of the area including places like Yankalilla.
There's some dispute about how Yankalilla got its name. The great anthropologist, Professor Norman Tindale, says it came from an aboriginal word "yankalan" which means falling. It relates to a key part of the story of Tjilbruke - an important aboriginal dreaming story about this part of the coastline. Others say Yankalilla comes from "The Lilly" which was an American whaling boat wrecked along the coast.
Whaling yarns and Dreamtime stories are a pivotal part of this coastline. According to the Kaurna Dreaming, Tjilbruke created it as he carried his dead nephew to his final resting-place. Where he wept, freshwater springs were created along what is now called the Tjilbruke Trail.
Regardless of it's origins, it remains a magnet for artists like potter Mark Pearse, who lives in one of the Festival venues, historic Bungala House. When we caught up with him he was putting the finishing touches to one of his pieces.
“I’ve never attempted a Leafy Sea Dragon other than the one that's outside the council chambers.”
You can't miss that one. It greets you as you enter town and is a fitting reminder that you've entered the home of the Leafy Sea Dragon Festival which runs from April 13th to the 23rd, 2005. For details contact 8558 2999.
Leafy Sea Dragon Festival
April 13th to 23rd
Various activities at Rapid Bay, Yankalilla, Carrickalinga Beach and Myponga.
