Tribe Life – Drake, Australia

image

Hitchhiked 900 kilometres across Eastern Australia to Drake Village. Rode my bike 15 kilometres to the banks of the Rocky River. Hiked through the bush, pitched my tent, lived on mung beans and lentils for a week… all so I could be at Rainbow Gathering.
Was it worth it?
Yep.
Absurdly beautiful river. Lovely, lovely people. Great fishing. Awesome jams. Perfect weather. Nice.

image

image

Jamming with Uncle Lewis Walker was a highlight of my Rainbow. Here he is, painted up for story telling.
I met Lewis in Nimbin a few months ago, and we had a hoot playing the blues. He plays didgeridoo like a fiend, and writes beautiful songs in indigenous language.

image

Body art was big at this gathering.

image

Body art is a bit like camp fire cooking.
Even if you dont have a studio to paint in, or a kitchen to cook in, you can still make something beautiful.

image

image

One sunny afternoon I borrowed a fishing spear, and a set of goggles, climbed in a canoe and went down river to the fishing hole. I speared a nice fat cod, cleaned it, and presented it to Uncle Lewis.
He showed me how to cook it, laid on strips of bark beside the fire.
Crispy skin, tender flesh, perfect smoky flavour.

When I am camping in the Australian wilderness I often imagine how idyllic life would have been for the people who lived here before the European invasion. Part of the reason I love going to Rainbow Gatherings, is that it gives me a taste of what tribal life was like, cooking over fires, and making art with our bodies and hearts. Swimming in rivers, and sleeping under the stars.
Life like this feels more real.

Uncle Lewis is a master story teller. His stories are about the landscape, the dream time, and the spirit world. They are also about justice, unity and caring.
He told us all about the Canberra tent embassy:
“We go to the Parliament House with our petitions for sovereignty, and knock on the door. A thousand black fellas, dressed and painted proper.
Knock knock.
They tell us to go away, so we say: OK, we will wait outside. We will wait until you are ready to talk to us.
That is the proper way to treat people. When the government want to send us a message they do it with police, and guns, and dogs. Black fellas have better manners. We will just wait outside, and have a smoke until they decide to talk to us. If we sit on their lawn long enough, sooner or later they will invite us inside.”

image

 

 
>> More stories and photos from Rainbow Gatherings.
>> Check out the Raw Safari Top 9 Low-Budget Adventure Tips!
>> Connect with Raw Safari on Facebook.

Oasis - Ellery Creek Big Hole, Australia
Swim Between the Flags - Wollongong, Australia