Boomerangs, boabs and Dreamtime tales in the park

One of the key themes in Baz Luhrmann's Australia is the relationship between man and the land, particularly in terms of how Aboriginal Australians have learned to survive in a harsh climate using what is available to them.

This relationship with the land is usually associated with the Australian Outback, but it applies just as much to areas that have become cities since European settlement. Indeed, one of the best places to learn about the Indigenous way of life is at Western Australia's most visited site: Kings Park in Perth.

Perth's jewel in the crown

Kings Park is an absolute treasure. It covers more than 400 hectares and sits in a spot that developers eye up enviously, thinking: "But it's prime real estate."

It covers Mt Eliza, just to the west of the CBD, and has imperious views over the Swan River.

For Perthites it's a great bolthole; the tennis courts, galleries and restaurants, such as Fraser's, suit those who want action or culture, while the Botanic Gardens and wild bushland are great for a spot of peace and quiet.

Tour guide pedigree

But to Greg Nannup, the park is the perfect place to share Indigenous culture and knowledge — something he has plenty of. He's lived all over WA, including the Kimberley, and says his father has trained pretty much everyone who works in the state's Indigenous tourism industry. There's a long line of bushmanship in his family, too: his great-great-great-grandfather, Billy, had a key part in the development of the state. Billy guided explorer John Forrest (who later became WA's first premier) to water on his missions of discovery across the state.

Plants

Greg knows his stuff, too. As he leads us through the gardens, which represent flora found in different parts of the state, he embarks on a crusade of explanation. It's impossible to take it all in, but the sheer scale of knowledge is enough to wow. It seems as though every plant has at least one use. Seeds are traditionally made into teas, water can be collected from boab trees and the marri tree can treat just about everything when its resin is mixed with water. The mix has antiseptic qualities, stops bleeding, "cures" eczema and can even be used to tan animal skins.

Most useful of all is the grass plant — it's good for starting fires in the rain, its pulp can be used to treat snake bites, and part of it offers a tasty coconut-like snack.

Tools

After the botany crash course, Greg starts pulling things out of the big bag he's been lugging around with him. It's full of tools (he must have shoulders of steel). He demonstrates how to make fire with firesticks: one has a hole, into which the other is grinded to cause friction. He also has a kangaroo-skin cloak, which is reversible depending on the season and how warm you want to be.

Then there are the weapons. He brings out the kodj — a stone axe kept firm by a bush glue that includes kangaroo dung — and two boomerangs. The returning one is used to scare the ducks, he says, and the heftier non-returning boomerang is used to hit them.

Dreamtime

But the most fascinating aspect of all, is the storytelling. Once inside a small amphitheatre, Greg embarks on one of the most important Dreamtime tales. It's an incredible ramble through rainbow serpents, child spirits, whale beaching, the stars, rock formations and man's curiosity. Apparently the full version goes on for an hour (with an extra 20 minutes for the whales and dolphins extension). But even the abbreviated version is a fantastical weaving of explanations for the multiple facets of life, land and spirit, way beyond what the likes of Tolkien or Hollywood could invent.

The purpose of the land

But one thing that Greg is keen to stress is the importance of the land. The Swan River is vital to the Wadjuk people (a literal translation is "the carers of the link", meaning the link between the land and sea; the river). He also describes how all land has a purpose, and that it will always find a way to be of use. Kings Park, for example, has always been a gathering point, and was a place for wedding ceremonies. The section that pays tribute to the women that have shaped WA is traditionally a women's place, while the reservoir at the crest of the hill has always been regarded as an important source of water.

Why Kings Park?

Greg says he decided to establish the tours in Kings Park to make Aboriginal culture and Indigenous tourism more accessible. More than 5 million people visit the park every year, so it's the perfect place for people who want the Indigenous experience but haven't necessarily got the time and money to go to the likes of the Kimberley or Arnhem Land. The eventual aim is to have storytelling sessions in the evening, packaged up with a menu of Indigenous foods at Fraser's restaurant.

Details

The Kings Park Indigenous Heritage Tour costs $15 for adults and $8 for children. It lasts 90 minutes and departs from the front lawn of Aspects of Kings Park on Fraser Avenue at 1.30pm daily. To book, call the WA Visitor Centre on (08) 9483 1111 or e-mail travel@westernaustralia.com.