Wirra Mai Tour

The Adelaide Botanic Garden on North Terrace was one of the first things planned in this state by European settlers. Colonel William Light marked a place for it and in 1857 it was opened for the first time. Therefore we tend to view the gardens in post-colonial terms. To understand more of the pre-colonial value of the plants, I joined Christine Wilkinson on one of her Aboriginal Cultural Tours. Christine is a descendant of the YAP-OO-WA people from the Grampians in Victoria. She used to work for the South Australian Government in Aboriginal Education. Then she decided to expand and teach the wider community about traditional Aboriginal lifestyles through food. It took Christine five years of research to gather the information for her tours ... she not only looks at the traditions of the 74 Aboriginal language groups in this State but also some of those interstate. In the rainforest section of the Botanic Garden Christine shows how the Prickly Paper Bark Tree helped cure ear infections ... where the best leaves for weaving were found ... and how kids were disciplined. All sections of the Botanic Garden are included and at the end there's a chance for a taste test. A brew of Lemon Myrtle and River Red Gum Honey Tea adds a beautiful aroma to a smorgasboard of Bush Tucker including Bunya Pine Nuts, Illawarra Plums and Bush Tomata Salsa. The tour of the Botanic Garden takes about two hours but it is only one of several Christine Runs.

There is another one called An Aboriginl Native Fauna and Flora 1 Day Cultural Expedition. This tour specifically looks into the Cultural Lifestyle of the Aboriginal Group of the Adelaide Plains, The Kaurna People. It also looks at how the GARN-AH people of the Adelaide Plains used River Red Gums for food ... how the NARRIN-JERRY of the Coorong trapped waterbirds ... and how grinding the roots of a Yakka can give you a type of Coffee Powder. The tours starts at the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, TANDANYA, and included in the tour you see sites such as a guided tour of the Aboriginal Art Gallery, morning tea at the Red Kangaroo Running Cafe in Tandanya, Morialta Falls Conservation Park for a tour of Aboriginal Plant use within the area including lunch, Gorge Wildlife Park learning about Native Fauna and Aboriginal Dreaming with the highlight of holding the Koala's while having your photo taken and a coach trip to Para Wirra Recreation Park for the Lizard Rock Guided Tour. After this tour you will also enjoy afternoon tea within the Park.

There is a day-night tour that ends with a dinner and stay in Hahndorf and Christine also takes away trips to the Flinders Ranges. Her company is called Wirra Mai Aboriginal Cultural Tours and she can be contacted on 8281 3393. For more information email info@postcards-sa.com.au