A true Ozzie tradition - pavlova!!
Made by one amazing friend and shared with two other wonderful friends…the best thing to do with a ‘pav’.
Tonight a group of us went for dinner and a swim - and this is the view from my friend’s place! Just west of Wodonga, in Barnawatha North.
The next day I went along for the drive to Mount Beauty, about an hour’s drive south of Wodonga. Mount Beauty lies along the Kiewa River at the foot of Mount Bogong.
A walking trail takes you around a little lake at Mount Beauty. The trail has great views of nearby Mount Bogong and Mount Feathertop.
Mount Bogong, part of the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, is the highest mountain in Victoria state, at 1,986 metres above sea level.
During each of my last two days in Albury/Wodonga I went on two different walking trails along the Murray River. Both are new since the last time I was here and both are really lovely walks!! The first one I did was along the New South Wales side of the Murray River (in Albury).
The bridge in the distance is part of a section of road known as the Lincoln Causeway which connects Albury and Wodonga over the Murray River and the surrounding parklands.
Cockatoo in the tree - can you see it?
Also known as ‘bin chickens’, ibis birds are native to Australia and seen all over the place.
I thought this was creative - if you’ve got to have a pipe might as well make it look interesting! It’s titled “Connection to Country” - a connection to country and connection to people for the artist, Tamara Murray.
Today’s walk was the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk. Yindyamarra is a powerful value of respect; to be gentle, polite, honour and do slowly. It is the heart of our way of being and doing. Wiradjuri Law demands that we have profound respect for each other, and we do things slowly and with care. As Aboriginal people we are drawn to the river, Milawa (Murray River). The Milawa is an old man of our lore, telling a thousand stories. Milawa connects us to our cousins up and down its 2,400 km chronicle. The sculptures along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk resonate with the Milawa lore. The Milawa holds our history and inspire our cultural practices.
There are 15 sculptures along the trail - I’ve highlighted a few in this blog post.
Teaming Life of Milawa Billa, drawing together elements from the natural environment of the Murray River: water birds, Murray cod, reeds and Yabby.
Reconciliation Shield by Tamara Murray. “The figure depicted is holding his hands in a position of submission. Enough is enough - we all need to walk together on this journey of reconciliation”.
‘Googar’ Goanna Sculpture, by Darren Wighton. “The Googar (Goanna) is a well-known totemic symbol throughout Wiradjuri country”.
Wiradjuri Woman by Leonie McIntosh. “I have created a sculpture emerging out of this tree stump - as if a spirit is breaking free”.
Goanna, by Kianna Edwards.
The Bigger Picture, by Katrina Weston. “The frame represents movement and change for Aboriginal people. We are evolving to adapt to the ever changing environment”.
Family Gathering by Michael Quinn. “The sculpture represents the importance of the family group, staying together and staying connected to the land. The circle represents this unity, and the rocks represent strength and the earth, holding the group together”.
Vertical Message Sticks, by Girralang (Carmel Taylor). “I have chosen the theme of animals as I truly love them and they are native to this area and bring much joy to children and adults.”
Kookaburra in a gum tree!!
Guguburra’s by Peter Ingram. “The sculpture is an acknowledgement to our King of birds - Guguburra. Guguburra is patient and kind. He will often let others before him but will defend his ground if required. He loves to laugh and reminds us to do so each day. He travels in family groups, is loyal, but sometimes ventures out alone to visit a friend and sing them a beautiful song”.
The Crossing Place Trail is located on the Victoria side (in Wodonga), near the original crossing places of the Murray River.
The Bunyip, by Patricia Cerminara. “The Bunyip is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology. The word Bunyip is translated by Aboriginal Australians today as ‘evil spirit’. Nan said it is a water spirit and it protects us from going near the water and drowning - it lurks in swamps, billabongs, rivers, creeks and waterholes. There are at least nine regional variations to descriptions of the Bunyip, the most prevalent being that of a huge, fearsome creature. Some furry, some smooth leather-like, a half-human half-beast with a long neck and a head like a bird, with a duck beak.
Myee, by Treahna Hamm. “The sculpture highlights Myee, a bogong moth spirit who left her homeland on the Murray River after becoming increasingly inquisitive about the snow-capped mountains. Once there, the snow covered her colourful body and as the weather became warmer and the snow melted, she discovered her colours had been replaced by brown hues. Myee flew back to the river, worried her husband - who had warned against the venture - would be upset and not love her anymore. But he welcomed her, saying the colours which were once part of her magnificent wings had become the colours of the wildflowers on the mountains”.
Cumbungi, by Glennys Briggs. This reed is called Cumbungi by First Nations people. It is found along the Murray River and its waterways. It is a plant that is used by First Nations people as food. The leaves are gathered and shredded to use for weaving into baskets and mats. It is also a safe haven for the small creatures that live along the river. When the wind blows through the reeds, it is said that the river and the reeds are talking”.
How about now - can you spot the kookaburra (in a gum tree of course)?
Platypus, by Michael Bogie. “The Dreaming story of the platypus belongs to several different Aboriginal nations, each share and look after a certain part of the story. The story is about a young female duckling who disobeyed the rules the Elders had set to keep them safe. She was captured by the water rat who kept her as his wife. He kept her hidden for many months until she eventually escaped and returned home. They were all glad to have her back. She made her nest, laid her eggs and waited patiently for her babies to hatch. A few weeks later her babies were born. When the Elders found out how different her babies were, they planned on taking them. She was sad and realized there was no place in this flock for her and her babies. She loved her babies and decided she needed to get them away so they would be safe. She and her babies swam through the river systems, through many countries such as Gamilaroi, Ngiyampaa, Wongaibong and Wiradjuri, eventually resting in the Murray River where her babies continue to survive”.
Scar trees are found all over Victoria, wherever there are mature box and red gum trees, often occurring along major rivers, around lakes and on flood plains. First Nations people removed the bark from trees to make canoes, containers and shields, and to build temporary shelters.
A billabong is a section of old abandoned river channel, left behind after the river changes course. Often it will be filled seasonally with water, when the river is high or floods. As the flood recedes, the billabong becomes an isolated pond which slowly dries out. The billabong is an environment that is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a source of many resources, a meeting place, a place of cultural significance and social importance. Each billabong was named and cherished, with tribes moving nearby in the dry season to survive the harsh hot weather.
Gateway Lake, created from an old quarry pit.
One last look at the Murray River…at least for right now anyway. I hope to get back to Albury/Wondonga again for a few more days later on in my travels.
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