My wife and I have toured many parts of the world and have a special interest in native peoples, archeaology, and rock art. Our tour with Willie Gordon, an aboriginal Nugal clan wise man of the Guugu Yimithirr tribe, thru Guurrbi Tours in 5/2009, to Nugal rock art sites was one of the best day tours we have ever experienced. The tour was to six rock art sites that are on clan land and is not open to the public. We walked about two miles over rough sandstone trails and had to climb over several boulders and crawl over rough surfaces to get photo angles in low caves. Willie told us much about the food and medicine properties of the bush plants and the birds, insects, and animals that lived nearby. We very quickly learned how valuable a knowledgeable guide is in these parts because MUCH OF WHAT IS OUT THERE WANTS TO KILL YOU! We learned of tics, smaller than the size of a pinhead, which can paralyze you. We learned about leaves that will poison you, little ants that cause a painful burning feeling, there are 3 different snakes that will kill you—one smaller than a night crawler worm. We also learned much about bush medicine. One of our group, a retired doctors wife, got a sting and Willie gave her a crushed plant that she said relieved the pain. The main attraction was the rock art itself and Willie’s stories about them. Willie taught us much about what the art means, but also about important values. Willie is a big believer in the value of family and education for proper living—independent of what culture you were born into. He expressed many thoughts about spiritual matters, aboriginal/white relations and politics in Australia, and proper family values and responsibilities. The rock art is all related to Willie’s clan. He took us to two sites that are used by women as preparation and birthing places. In the birthing cave he showed us the very place his father and grandfather were born and the big tree under which the father of the newborn buries the placenta to symbolize his acceptance of the newborn as a member of his family. Willie provided water, walking sticks, and a snack. He carried an emergency phone and first aid kit. He also checks periodically that all are doing OK on the hike and heat.

If you want to get an understanding of Aboriginal culture and beliefs, learn about how they survived for 1000's of years living in harmony with their environment and if you want to search your soul, this is the tour for you!

We were fortunate to have Willie Gordon (local Aboriginal elder) all to ourselves on our tour. Not only is he an affable and entertaining man, he has a special spirit that you can't help but be enchanted by. Willie makes everyone feel welcome and important. He was really connecting with our teenage boys.

Willie picked us up in Cooktown and drove us out to his land in Hope Vale. After a walk through the bush where he pointed out all sorts of things about the trees and animals, we reached a cave with Rock Art paintings. We all sat down in the cave while he explained the meanings behind the art, and their significance in Aboriginal culture. He had an amazing ability to get us to open up and think about our own beliefs and relate them to these stories. His philosophy and way of viewing life and the world were inspirational.

We all felt this was one of the highlights of our holiday in Tropical North Queensland.