Djiriba Waagura

A few weeks ago I had the absolute privilege of experiencing and incredible tour hosted by Matt and his cousin Mick from Djiriba Waagura. Djiriba Waagura (meaning ‘two crows’ in Dhurga Language) is an Indigenous tour operator based on the south coast of Sydney, the traditional home of the Yuin Nation.

I joined this tour as part of a small group organised by Destination NSW comprising of agents from Singapore and Germany. These agents from abroad were equally impressed. I’ve personally always been embarrassed by our lack of education here with respect to our traditional owners. Their culture, their connection to ‘country’, and their wise & selfless views on the environment and each other is something all Australian school kids should be taught.

And as an adult Australian, who group up in Sydney, Gadigal land, I feel an experience like this is a must for all Australians, and equally to our international guests. A tour like this shows the foundations of the real Australia! Of our culture that’s over 60,000 years old. And Djiriba Waagura do a wonderful job teaching their groups their rich and fascinating history.

Djiriba Waagura offer a variety of programs which you can see on their website. We experienced their Group Tour package. It commenced with a smoking ceremony, welcoming us to country. This welcome connects the group to their ancestors and their land. They explain their connection to country and the importance ancestors still have in their life. 

Following the welcome ceremony, we went on a 3 hour walk around their land. The walk is at a pretty relaxed pace and fairly easy for the average walker with plenty of stops along the way. Matt and Mick stopped often to explain and teach. From bush tucker (food sourced from their land) to stories about the creation of their sacred land and animals. 

Their ability to make you feel welcome and part of their land is, put simply, good for the soul. You can see their deep connection to the land they grew up on. The place where their ancestors have lived for 1000’s of years. And the deep understanding and love for country is a lesson for everyone. Particularly today, when we all tend to lose focus on what is really important. This is an opportunity to reset, and connect to a land that has given us so much, without asking anything in return. And it’s a reminder that we should all acknowledge what the land has given us and begin to make positive changes to give back.

If anyone is interested in having this experience, please get in touch. I would love to introduce you to these guys.

Contact us here to learn more and well, I hope to see you on tour soon!