Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours
A tour in the trusted hands of a Djunbunji ranger proves to be an insightful way to explore a vibrant, tidal wetland.
In the late 1870s, fierce leader Jabulum Mandingalpai stands in his mountainside rainforest camp, Maurahbai. Below, at the site that will become Cairns, his neighbours are being invaded by foreigners, and the lore man is poised to send his warriors to assist. Unlike many others, Jabulum survives the invasion, and today his descendants, the Mandingalbay Yidinji people, are the native title holders for the land and water east of Cairns. The protected area, which includes Grey Peaks National Park and East Trinity Reserve, is a vibrant, tidal wetland where kingfishers dive, egrets patrol and powerful stories unfold.
One of the most insightful ways to explore it is the Hands On Country Eco-tour, operated by Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours from Cairns marina. At the pontoon jetty, I meet Victor Bulmer, a Djunbunji ranger and direct descendant of Jabulum. Victor conducts a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony, letting the ancestors know we’re here. Soon enough, we are skimming across the glassy surface of Trinity Inlet in a sleek 42-seater boat.
The setting wasn’t always so impossibly verdurous. In the 1970s, a 7km bund wall was constructed, with a view to draining the saltwater out and growing sugarcane. Instead, what grew was an ecological disaster. Acid sulfate soils resulted, and each year, 3000 tonnes of sulfuric acid leaked into Trinity Inlet. Fish kills and the poisoning of the mangrove system followed. In the early 2000s, the site was rehabilitated using innovative lime-assisted tidal exchange, becoming a world-leading restoration project. Djunbunji rangers worked closely with the scientists, and spent a decade cataloguing the flora, fauna and culturally significant places on their land. The wetland’s recovery is well underway, with birds, fish and saltwater crocodiles returning.
Boarding a bus, we ascend into lush rainforest, stopping at the heart of Jabulum’s land, Maurahbai. Butterflies dance past, and a tree frog jumps on to the bus’s windscreen. Victor leads us along the Mayi Bugan Rainforest Trail, regaling us with snippets about his bush supermarket, pharmacy and hardware store. At the Ngarrabray (red beech) tree, Victor describes the intense caffeine-like properties of the fruit. “Four or five of these would stop your heart,” he says.
Next, we follow him to a rocky overhang where he shows us a midden, where his ancestors dined on shellfish. We see the cocky apple; its anaesthetic properties appreciated by teething babies. Then there’s the supple vine, with roots that were a natural contraceptive for men and women, and we learn about nature’s soaps, which Victor demonstrates by rubbing leaves and producing foamy suds.
Victor’s style is far from serious. He runs his hand along a tree where bark has been removed to make a bowl. “Now we call this the ‘dead dog tree’. It’s got no bark!” he laughs. Even better, we’re offered a whiff of the appallingly odorous “fart bush”, which has entertained kids since ancient times.
Over morning tea, I meet another Jabulum descendant, Djunbunji executive director, Dale Mundraby, who explains the motivation for establishing Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours. “The one thing we’d like our visitors to take away is how we’re connected to the country; the land, sea, animals and plants,” he says.
Importantly, the tour business and ranger program allow his people to practise their culture and gain meaningful employment on country. “We don’t want to affect the welfare cycle ... we want to smash it!” Dale says.
Amid a selection of wooden artefacts, an enlarged black and white photograph takes pride of place. Jabulum the lore man is shown bare chested, wearing an impressive headdress of shell and feathers. His nose is pierced with a large stick, and his wise eyes command respect. I can’t help thinking that if he’s watching over his descendants, he’d surely be proud.
In the know
Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours runs the Hands On Country Eco-tour three times a week, departing Cairns. Approximate duration, three hours; $139.
Carolyn Beasley was a guest of Tourism Australia.