And, after the high, it’s time to go low again. There are 130
limestone caves in the area, carved out by water over a million
years ago, and not all of them are safe for the public. Mammoth
Cave, known for its fossils, is a major attraction here, but we’re
going down into Ngilgi Cave w it h Josh Wh ite la nd , who lead s
t he Ko oma l D rea m i ng tou r s. Josh i s a n e lde r of t he Wada nd i ,
the saltwater people who live by the sea, who are the traditional
ow ne r s of t h i s pa r t of S out h Wes te r n Au s t r a l ia. The t h read
of the indigenous people is everywhere on our journey here –
in the food as ingredients at the finest restaurants, in the
acknowledgement of the first keepers of the land at attractions,
in the ruggedness of the land and the geographical features
that they have long lived with and flourished alongside.
The wind around us has picked up and the trees dance
l i ke t he y wou ld l i ke to s wo op dow n to e n fold u s i n a n e mbr ace –
a fitting stage for Josh to tell us about the six seasons of the
aboriginal calendar, and the lives of the indigenous forest
people near the sea. “There are 140 aboriginal groups connected
through songs and stories in South West Australia,” he says,
pointing out which leaf works as a poultice, which bark is
good for colds and coughs. “Everything in the bush has a use
and purpose.”
Much, much simpler to get down to than heart-stopping
Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, set beneath the limestone ridge
that forms Cape Naturaliste, is, at half a million years old,
BACK DOWN
UNDER, DOWN UNDER
one of the oldest in the area, and was once filled with water.
There are semi-guided tours every 30 minutes and we are
pr iv i lege d to have Josh lead u s dow n i nto t he d r a mat ic c ave r n
dotted with stalactites and stalagmites and shawl formations
in limestone before letting us loose to wander around.
The magnificent acoustics of the amphitheatre come into play
as he pays homage to his ancestors on the didgeridoo – as the
last notes thrum away, I almost imagine that the spirits of those
gonebeforearewithus,summonedbythehauntingmelody.Essentials
Cape Cultural Tours: http://www.capeculturaltours.com.au; 1267, Cape
Naturaliste Road, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park; `1,089 adult,
` 600 child (4 to 16 years)