Back to Nature

Country has spirit and is sacred: deserving of respect and love. This has been understood by First Nations people for millennia.

All the stories in this series are connected by a unifying idea: the land is alive. The land is a being, a living entity.

Back to Nature is a visually stunning documentary series featuring actor Aaron Pedersen and writer Holly Ringland as they take you on a journey into the deep interconnectedness between human beings and the landscape.

Table of contents:

1. 1.The Green Cauldron
2. 2.The High Country
3. 3.Giant's Country
4. 4.Timeless Macedon
5. 5.The Fires of Larapuna
6. 6.Rainforest and Rock
7. 7.The Deep River
8. 8.Red Earth Heart
9. 9.More resources
10. 10.Acknowledgements and credits

1. The Green Cauldron

Set in the lush rainforest and among the cascading waterfalls of Springbrook National Park, on Yugambeh Country, this episode explores how nature affects us physically and spiritually.

Holly knows this area well, as it’s close to where she grew up. The landscape was formed by the eruption of the giant Tweed shield volcano around 23 million years ago, and Yugambeh people believe the creation ancestor Jabreen gave form to this land.

Aaron and Holly walk past Springbrook Plateau to Rainbow Falls where, standing under cascading waters, both are refreshed. In the Numinbah Valley, we visit a World Heritage-listed Gondwanan Rainforest and the Natural Bridge, where rare glow-worms live. Looking over the valley, Aaron and Holly meet iconic Australian singer–songwriter John Williamson. He shares how this land inspires his creativity and how the birds inspire his songwriting.

Walking to the highest part of the rainforest, Holly introduces Aaron to extraordinary 2,000-year-old Antarctic beech trees, and they contemplate all the elements that support the trees. Nearby, in 1978, there was a reported sighting of the mythical creature known as a Yowie.

Aaron and Holly meet Shaun Davies, a Yugambeh man and language researcher, who tells them about the concept of gaureima: by telling stories about Country, we strengthen its spirit, and our own spirit too. Shaun also tells Aaron and Holly about the janjarri and the bunyun — creatures similar in description to the Yowie — which dwell in Wagoi Jagun, or "Spirit Country".

Did you know that, like us, nature is alive? All of nature and the creatures that live in it are living spirits. Research suggests that spending time in nature supports our health and wellbeing — even just looking at images of nature can reduce stress!

Things to think about

Springbrook Mountains 

• Holly describes her sense of home in the Springbrook mountains. Where do you experience this same feeling? What surrounds you? 
• How was the formation of the land explained in this episode?
• Why is this episode called The Green Cauldron? 

The Falls

• What is the significance of water? How does water give life? 

The Natural Bridge 

• How does Aaron and Holly describe the waterfall? How does it make you feel? 
• How does the waterfall form a cave? 
• What lives in the cave? How did they evolve? 

Numinbah Valley 

• Discuss why rainforests are so rare and precious to be world heritage listed. What does this mean? How are they protected? 
• What does "reverence" mean? How does this relate to Holly’s description of the valley?
• How does Aaron describe the air in the valley?

John Williamson – ‘The Australian rainforests are the birthplace of song’.

• Where does John Williamson live? 
• How does he describe the place he lives? 
• How does it influence him and his music? 
• What birds do they hear in the valley? How does it sound? 

The Homecoming – The Highest part of the Rainforest

• Where are Holly’s ancestors from? 
• Who are Holly’s oldest friends? How old are they? What do they look and feel like? 
• What do we see covering the trees? What do the beech trees thrive off? 
• How does Aaron explain the roots of the trees? 
• Why might there only be a few trees left now? 
• How does Aaron explain the creation of the rainforest and the beech trees? How does he feel being around them? 
• How does Holly describe her ancestor's beliefs? How are her people’s spiritual beliefs similar to the First Peoples of Australia? 

The story of the Yowie 

• How did Percy Window describe what he heard, saw and smelt in March 1978?
• Why is this place significant? How many clans lived around the mountains? 
• What does "gaureima" mean in Yugambeh language?
• What are the names of the creatures in Shaun Davies’s stories? What does Shaun believe he saw? How does he describe it? What are they said to do?

Wagoi Jagun 

• Shaun Davies explains how everything in existence is connected. What does this mean to you? 
• What does "Wagoi Jagun" mean?
• Can you think of a time that you have sensed wagoi? How do you know when something is right or wrong, or when we feel safe or unsafe? Describe what happens to our senses in this situation and how this could be our wagoi speaking to us.

Gaureima Jagun 

• What does "Gaureima Jagun" mean in Yugambeh language?
• What did you learn from this story? 
• What can you do to respect Country? How can you encourage others to do so?

2. The High Country

In Kosciuszko National Park, Aaron and Holly visit an unheralded site: the birthplace of the Snowy River.

These headwaters have long been sacred to Ngarigo people. They walk to the Ramshead Range, a stunning landscape of silent beauty, filled with granite tors carved in the last ice age.

The vegetation here draws and holds moisture from the sky, releasing it to form rivers. Three of Australia's most iconic rivers are formed in these alps: the Snowy, the Murray and the Murrumbidgee.

Each summer, millions of Bogong moths use the Milky Way to navigate here to the granite caves. Aaron tells Holly about the festive "Bogong ceremonies" long enjoyed by First Nations people.

At Charlotte Pass, we see intensely coloured, twisting snow gums. Descending, Aaron and Holly cycle along the Cascade Trail to Cascade Hut. Local writer Elyne Mitchell once sheltered here: famous for her children's books, she was also one of Australia's earliest environmental writers. Further down in altitude is the Lower Snowy River.

River guide and Wiradjuri man Richard "Swainy" Swain shows Aaron and Holly how to introduce themselves to Country. They kayak on the river. Back on land, Country opens up. We see a large wendai (canoe scar). Swainy explains that the tree from which the bark was taken is still thriving because the people who cut the bark would have sought permission from the tree.

Around a campfire, Swainy shares that Country is crying out for all of us to listen to it.

"We've just got to open our eyes and our ears and our spirit. The Country's inviting you to listen to it. The Country's crying out for people to listen to it."

Things to think about

High Country

• Aaron describes "where the Earth touches the sky". Have you ever felt this on a mountain or somewhere in nature?
• What is the highest mountain in Australia? 

Scientific formation

• The land was once underneath the ocean. What do scientists say happened to form what we see today?
• How do the mountains help create the weather? What type of weather do they create? What happens on a mountain in different seasons?

Ramshead Range

• What is an ice age? When was the last ice age said to have occurred?
• How does Aaron explain what he feels on the mountain?
• What type of vegetation does Holly describe? 
• What is candle heath, and what does it do?

The river’s life

• What has happened in recent years to support the water level and flow of the rivers?
• What other examples have we seen in Australia of rivers drying up?

Ceremonies

• Imagine what life would have been like for Aboriginal people here before colonisation. Discuss what you imagine.
• What is a ceremony? Can you name a type of ceremony, if any, that you have been a part of?
• What are some reasons for ceremonies that you may have seen or that exist in your culture? If comfortable, share some of these with your class.

Bogong moths

• How does Aaron explain the Bogong moths being caught and eaten? 
• How does Aaron explain the taste of the moths once cooked?
• How do the moths navigate from the north to this area? What other animals navigate this way?
• What does this say about our connection to the sky? 
• Imagine the Bogong ceremonies. What can you see, hear, feel, and smell?

Charlotte’s Pass

Here we are in the highest elevation in Australia where the snow gum trees can grow.

• How are snow gums influenced by the weather?
• How do the same species of snow gums look different at lower altitudes? What are some reasons for this? 

The Cascade Trail

• What is said that First Nations people believe about the trail?

Elyne Mitchell - Cascade Hut

• Where was Elyne Mitchel from?
• What year did Elyne find the hut? 
• How does she explain the land she is on?
• What does the hut look like? What is it made of, and where might the materials have been sourced from?
• How does Country offer peace, consistency, and belonging?

Base of the range

• How is the weather different at lower altitude?
• What Country are they visiting here?

The Snowy River

• How does Wiradjuri Man, Richard Swain, explain how to introduce yourself to Country?
• What do we see Swainy, Aaron and Holly do to introduce themselves to Country?
• How do they travel on the river? What do their kayaks look like? What are they made of?
• How would Aboriginal people have traditionally travelled the Snowy River?

Listening to Country

• What Country are you on? How can you play a role in listening to and protecting Country in your community?
• What are some ways that Country speaks to us?
• Do we listen to Country enough? What are the impacts of not listening to Country?
• What is so special about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' connection to their land, sky and waterways? 
• Why might this need to be honoured and respected?

The Snowy Hydro Scheme
Before the Snowy Hydro Scheme, the river was full. Afterwards, it was reduced to 1 per cent of capacity.

• Imagine a river you might know and love with 99 per cent of the water taken out. Discuss what you imagine.
• Before the scheme, what life would there have been more of in the river?
• What longer-term impacts did the hydro-scheme create?

River rocks

• How were cutter stones made?
• How does Holly explain the edge of the stone?
• What were cutter stones used for?
• Why is it important for tools and artefacts to be left on Country?

Canoe scars

In the video we see a large scar tree. Swainy explains that the tree from which the bark was taken is still thriving because the people who cut the bark would have sought permission from the tree.

• How do we hear the trees gave permission or refused permission?
• What can we learn from how canoes are traditionally made? 

Custodianship

• What does "custodian" mean?
• Swainy explains non-Indigenous people as also being custodians of Country. Discuss.

Traditional Custodians believe that if it’s living, it has feelings and can hurt like us humans and animals.

• How might we see Country cry? What might humans do to Country to make it cry?
• How can we keep Country happy?

3. Giant's Country

At Morialta Falls, Aaron and Holly meet senior Aboriginal man, Uncle Mickey Kumatpi O’Brien.

Mickey is a descendant of the Kaurna and Narrunga peoples. He tells us about the creator giant Nganno, whose fallen body forms the Mount Lofty Ranges. Mickey shows Aaron and Holly the site where an image of Nganno is hidden, and sometimes revealed, in the landscape.

In the Giant’s Cave, Uncle Mickey shares the idea of "twoness", which encapsulates for him the importance of reciprocity and mutual benefit. He says Kaurna people look after the land, for this is where their spirits return.

Moving to The Cedars at Hahndorf, Holly and Aaron visit a property where one of Australia’s greatest painters, Hans Heyson, lived and worked. His subjects included the eucalyptus trees growing here. His work changed the way the Australian landscape was represented.

On the Fleurieu Peninsula we visit Deep Creek Conservation Park, where Aaron and Holly search the stringybark forest for tree hollows. These hollows take decades to develop, and they are homes for many mammals and birds.

Aaron and Holly meet beloved chef and artist Poh Ling Yeow, who shares how nature is her inspiration. She believes the Earth is always speaking to us and that its geometry and rhythms can guide us forwards.

Standing by the ocean, at Blowhole Beach, Aaron tells Holly the Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri story of Karta, or Kangaroo Island. The Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri believe that when they die their spirits will travel to the island, heal and revitalise, and then return to the mainland, ready to begin the next journey.

Things to think about

Opening...

"Come with us to the Mount Lofty Ranges."

• What is the closest city to the ranges?
• What surrounds the hills? 

We all have wisdom and knowledge to share and nurture one another.

• What are some examples of how humans, animals and all creatures, trees and plants on Country nurture one another?
• Who are the Traditional Custodians of the lands of the Lofty Ranges?

• How do the Traditional Custodians believe the mountains were formed?

Morialta National Park

• What types of lands do we see in Morialta National Park?
• What water life exists here? How does it feel and sound?
• How is this place significant to the Kaurna people?
• Where is the name Morialta derived from, and what does it mean?

Mickey O’Brien - Ceremony

• What are Mickey's two language groups?
• What cultural practices do we see and hear him do on Country?
• What message does he share in language?

Welcome to Country

• What is a Welcome to Country ceremony?
• When and why do Elders conduct a Welcome Ceremony?
• How were these ceremonies a part of everyday life for Aboriginal people when crossing on to other tribes' land? Listen to Wurundjeri Elder, Aunty Di Kerr, explain the Wurundjeri way in Episode 4.  
• What does a smoking ceremony mean for Aboriginal people?
• How does Mickey explain the reason for taking the leaf? What is the message he translates?
• "No one person holds all the knowledge and wisdom in the world." What does this mean? What can we gain by learning from multiple people?

Nganno

• How is Nganno described? 
• What areas was he said to have named?
• How does Mickey explain how you might see Nganno?
• How does he appear for Holly and Aaron?
• Have you ever seen images in rocks and the landscape that look like people or objects?

Spirit of the Land

• "The spirit in the land is exactly the same spirit that we have in us." Discuss.

Naganno’s cave

• What is the Kaurna word for "home" described for Nganno’s cave?
• What do you see in the cave?
• How does Holly explain her experience sitting in the cave?
• What does Mickey say about grounding with the spirit of the land? What does "twoness" mean? How does this relate in your life?
• How can we look after the land and the people? What do we need to do to keep ourselves strong so that we can keep others and the land strong?

The Cedars

• Who were the Cedars home to? Where was this artist from?
• What do you see in Han’s painting in 1952? How many years ago was this?
• What does this tell us about migrants to this Country? What can we learn from this connection?
• How did Han’s daughter follow in her father’s footsteps?
• How can you connect your senses and creatively honour Country?

The Fleurieu Peninsula

• What do you first see of the peninsula? How does this make you feel?
• Standing on the peninsula, what island do we look out to?
• What is Deep Creek Conservation Park protecting? 
• What is the forest home to? 
• What types of species are the trees home to? 
• What does this scene tell us about how the trees serve life around them?
• How many years does the small hollow take to form? 
• How many years do the larger hollows take to form?

Poh Ling Yeow

• Where was Poh born? Where did her parents migrate to?
• What is Poh known for?
• How does she explain how the Earth inspires her?

Poh believes that cooking with the seasons is telling us what we should be doing.  

• What are the four seasons we are typically taught? 
• What are the seasons of the Kaurna people? 
• How do these seasons differ from the four seasons that are typically taught?

Kangaroo Island

• What is the language name for Kangaroo Island? What does it mean?
• What is the Kaurna story of the island?
• What does this story teach us?

Mutual benefit

• Discuss the messages in both stories of twoness (mutual benefit) and Karta.  
• What are the benefits to humans in caring for the land?
• Think of a time when you helped others. How did this benefit the other person or people? How did this make you feel?
• How could this belief change the way we live and care for all living beings for our future?

Food and regeneration

• What is regeneration, and what can we learn about this process? 
• What are some native foods you can think of?
• Do you grow or eat native foods?

Cooking

• Are there any native ingredients used in the pancake? 
• Which bees are native to Australia? Where might the other used foods have been brought to Australia from?

4. Timeless Macedon

When we’re in nature, it sometimes feels as though time slows and becomes elastic.

Discover Organ Pipes National Park on the eastern edge of an ancient lava flow, Wurundjeri Country. 

Western Victoria, volcano country, is one of the world's most ancient lava flows! Aaron and Holly meet Indi Clarke, who has a strong connection to this place, strengthened by his relationship with Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Di Kerr, who shares how people are traditionally welcomed onto Wurundjeri Country by a Wirrigirri, or Messenger.

We discover the "Wood Wide Web" that shows how living things are interconnected. Did you know around 80 to 95 per cent of plants form a symbiotic relationship with these fungal networks, and without it most plants probably wouldn’t exist?

Nearby, Aaron and Holly visit a 26,000-year-old greenstone quarry called Wil-im-ee Moor-ring, with Uncle Dave Wandin as their guide. With Uncle Dave, Aaron and Holly connect with a sacred rock, before learning about the quarry site. The rare greenstone deposits here were made into axe heads that were traded along an extraordinary and far-reaching trading network.

Things to think about

Organ Pipes National Park

• What city is Organ Pipes closest to? What Country is this on?
• How was much of Western Victoria said to have formed? What types of rocks were formed here? 

Elders and young peoples

• What is an Elder?
• Why is it important to listen to Elders?
• What does Aunty Di teach us?
• We are all visitors to Country. How can we show respect when we are on other peoples' Countries?
• What older people do you listen to? Are there any Elders in your life?
• How can we connect to traditional owners and Elders?
• This Country is not Indi’s traditional Country. What does this mean? Where are Indi’s ancestors from?

* Teacher's note: Consider any Aboriginal children in the classroom living off Country. This episode may be triggering for them, or they may want to share their experience of living off Country. Please refer to cultural considerations and get to know your students before having these conversations as a class.

Elders' knowledge

• Aunty Di Kerr is a Wurundjeri Elder. What makes Aunty Di an Elder?
• What do Aboriginal people call senior or respected people to show respect?
• How does Holly, as a non-Indigenous person, also show respect to this Elder?
• How does Aunty Di describe Country?
• What does she do when she goes to other people's Country? Why is acknowledging Country important?
• How does Aunty Di describe traditional welcomes onto Wurundjeri Country?
• How does Aunty Di describe what going through ceremony is about? What does she say this means for life?

Connecting and acknowledging Country

• How did Aboriginal people traditionally enter other clans’ Countries as visitors?
• How do we respectfully visit lands now?

Macedon Ranges

• What do we first see in the Macedon Ranges?
• How does it make you feel?
• How does Holly and Aaron explain the feeling of the Country?
• Who were the bushrangers? What happened in this area in the mid-19th century? Where did they travel from? What were they carrying?

Wood Wide Web

"Everything is connected and interdependent on the other to thrive."

• What is the Wood Wide Web? 
• How does this fungal network support a whole tree community to thrive?  
• How do healthy trees support others to thrive? How do the older trees support the younger trees? 

Systems unseen 

• What other systems, which we may not be able to see, help life to thrive?
• What thrives in the clean, fresh air of the Macedon Ranges?  
• How does Aaron explain what he feels like he is wandering into?
• How does the entire community of trees thrive? What type of signals are given to neighbouring trees?

Hanging Rock

• What do we first see of Ngannelong (Hanging Rock)?
• From a geological perspective, how are the rocks said to have formed?
• How does Aaron explain the rocks growing out of the ground?
• What information, histories and stories can you find out about inter-clan gatherings? Using this information and evidence, explain what might have happened at these gatherings.

Joan Lindsay’s experience

• What happened to Joan Lindsay when she was four years old?
• How did her friends describe her late in life? What sometimes happened to her?
• Do you believe that this could happen to someone?
• How is a time slip explained in this episode? Discuss Einstein’s (1879–1955) famous quote: “… the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”
• 66 years after Joan’s childhood picnic, she wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock. What story does Holly share about how she wrote the book?
• When have you experienced time feeling fast, slow or different?
• Discuss what linear versus circular concepts of time might be. Consider an understanding of life cycles in your conversations and how the modern western calendar tracks time.

Time

• What does time mean to you?
• What does this story tell us about time? 
• How did this story challenge your meaning of time?

Toolmaking

• Who is Uncle Dave Wandin?
• What did we learn from Uncle Dave Wandin at Wil-im-ee Moor-ring?
• How were tools made? How long does it take to create tools and sharpen rock?
• How did Uncle Dave teach us to let the land know we are here?
• The rock will only give you what it wants to give. What does this mean?

Trade

• What does "trade" mean?
• What do we know about Indigenous trade links here in Australia?
• What types of tools and resources might have been traded?
• From Uncle Dave’s stories in this episode, imagine how trade systems would have worked for Aboriginal people pre-colonisation. What other information can you find about trade systems?

5. The Fires of Larapuna

Everything in nature is in a relationship with everything else.

At the Bay of Fires, the intense orange lichen is a marriage of fungi and algae: the fungi provide structure, and the algae photosynthesise food. Together they flourish.

Aaron and Holly venture onto Sea Country to St Helens Island to encounter the area’s last remaining seal colony, and they contemplate our bond with these curious creatures.

The Bay of Fires was given its English name in March 1773 by Tobias Furneaux not because of the vivid orange lichen but the many campfires along its beaches and headlands. First Nations people have lived here for at least 42,000 years.

Aaron and Holly meet academic and trawlwulwuy woman Emma Lee. She tells them women are of the sea, men are of the land and everyone is from the night sky. For the trawlwulwuy, there’s no notion of humans as separate from anything else in nature: everything is connected by the thread of kinship.

Venturing inland to the forests of the Blue Tier, Aaron and Holly discover rock carvings that Elders believe were once part of ceremony. They visit an old tin-mining tunnel, where Chinese migrants lived and worked. In the forest they encounter an enormous swamp gum that’s believed to be the widest tree in Australia. Holly pens a message to this gentle giant.

Near Anson’s Bay in the black peppermint gum forest, we meet Jamie Graham-Blair, a trawlwoolway pakana and science student. He tells Aaron and Holly that the trees are his ancestors, his kin. He leads us to a Gathering Site, an enormous hill composed entirely of seafood shells, where his ancestors met for at least 10,000 years. Together they imagine the gatherings here.

Things to think about

The fires of Larapuna

• Discuss how we are connected with everything around us?
• What are the three names for this region?

Kinship

• What is kinship?
• "Everything in nature is in a relationship with everything else." Discuss how this relates to kinship?
• What is lichen made of, and what is its relationship with rock?

Bay of Fires:

The seals

• What is the name of the island Holly and Aaron go out to?
• How many seal colonies do they say are left?
• How did you feel seeing the seals? How did Holly and Aaron react? 
• Are there animals in your life that also give you joy? Describe your relationship to them.
• How are the seals and animals our kinship?
• How did seals evolve?

Colonisation

• What are the Aboriginal language names for the Bay of Fires?
• Why was it given this name?
• How did the arrival of Europeans bring devastation to Aboriginal people?
• How did past policies affect Tasmanian people?

Roles and relationships — Emma Lee

• Who is Emma Lee? How is she introduced by Holly?
• What do we first see Emma Lee doing? How does it look, feel and sound?
• What language name does Emma use for Tasmania?
• Discuss her stories of ancestors and Sky Country. Is this similar to other Aboriginal stories you have heard? What did you learn or question?
• How does Emma describe what kinship means?
• What does western knowledge teach us about the Big Bang?

"Western knowledge says that 13.8 billion years ago our universe began with the Big Bang, which released the stardust and gases from which all things evolved. If humans could trace our family tree back billions of years, we'd find we're related to everything on Earth."

The Blue Tier

• How does Holly describe walking through this forest?
• How many metres above sea level is the Blue Tier?
• What do Aaron and Holly see on the rocks?
• How does Aaron describe what Elders believe about the carvings and this place?
• What was the Blue Tier known as in the late 1800s? What happened here?

The Giant

• What do Aaron and Holly arrive at on the Blue Tier Giant walk? 
• Describe how you feel seeing this swamp gum. Imagine, over 600 years ago this tree began its life as a seed!
• What animals might call this tree their home? 
• How does Aaron describe what he feels around the tree? 

Black peppermint gum forest 

• What do we first see happening in the forest? 
• Who is Jamie Graham-Blair?
• What does he share in this language?
• How does watching this scene make you feel?
• What does Jamie teach us about the smoke?
• What are the healing properties of the peppermint gums?
• How does Jamie describe how his old people viewed Country?

Cultural practices

• What is a cultural practice?
• What cultural practices do you see Jamie doing in this episode?  
• What does this tell us about Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their culture today?
• How is sharing stories and practising culture healing for Aboriginal people?
• Is there anything you and your family or carers do to practise culture at home?
• What do Jamie's stories of Country teach us about kinship?

Sacred ancestral site

• What do Aaron and Jamie first say when they arrive at this site?
• What is this entire hill formed by? 
• How long might this mound have taken to form?
• What is this site often called? What does Jamie prefer to call it?
• What does Jamie share about Aboriginal values?
• What does he feel when he visits this sacred site?

Kinship cake

• Who gifted Aaron this recipe?
• What ingredients does this cake have?
• How is food an important part of relationships?

6. Rainforest and Rock

Nestled between the ocean and the Otway Ranges is the lush rainforest of the Cape Otway National Park, Gadabanud Country. Here we contemplate the way nature can heal us.

We visit Hopetoun Falls, and Aaron tells Holly this is Grandmother Tree Fern Country. Unexpectedly moved, Holly remembers what it felt like to go home to her granny: arms open, always welcome.

Nearby is a Californian redwood forest, transplanted here in the 1930s. Aaron and Holly walk among these towering trees, breathing in the phytoncides: tiny, powerful compounds that offer trees protection — and may be beneficial to humans too. This is sometimes called "forest bathing", translated from the Japanese shinrin-yoku.

Just north is an inland lake where Aaron and Holly meet beloved singer–songwriter Missy Higgins. They kayak together, and Missy shares how nature gives her perspective.

Among the manna gums at Bangerak (Cape Otway), Aaron and Holly encounter a koala and her joey. Then, they head towards the ocean to the oldest lighthouse on mainland Australia. The lighthouse’s construction began in 1846, to help migrants navigate the perilous Shipwreck Coast. But that same year, at this place, an organised killing of Gadabanud people took place.

Over the Otway Ranges we come to the You Yangs, Wadawurrung Country. A contrast to the southern side of the ranges, this is one of the driest landscapes in Victoria. Wadawurrung man Barry James Gilson welcomes Aaron and Holly to granite Country. This land is part of an ancient songline. He shows us the peak from where his ancestor first saw invaders arrive. As the sun sets, Barry paints his skin with ochre and sings to the creation ancestor Looern.

Things to think about

Healing

"When you’re in nature, do you ever feel like it's healing you?"

• Discuss how you feel being outside, among trees, water and open skies.
• What are some of the physical, emotional and spiritual health benefits of nature?

Otway Ranges

• Where are the Otway Ranges? Locate the region on a class map of Australia.
• What do the Gadabanud people say about Country and family? What do they say about the benefits of spending time on Country?
• What do we see, hear and feel when Aaron and Holly arrive at the waterfall?
• What do the traditional owners call the rainforest and ferns?
• How does Holly explain the feeling of being in the presence of the Grandmother ferns?
• Do you use any natural remedies at home?

Redwood forest

• What is found in this forest? What year did they arrive?
• What do we see, hear and feel here?
• How do the trees protect and heal the world around them? What do the trees release?
• What is forest bathing? How is this explained in Japanese?
• According to Holly, what does being in nature do for us?

Missy on the lake

• How was this lake formed? 
• What is Missy Higgins most known for? Find a song from Missy Higgins to play in the classroom.
• What impact does nature have on her? Discuss nature as medicine.
• How does she feel about her life when comparing it to nature?

Bangerak (Cape Otway)

• What trees are Holly and Aaron surrounded by?
• What nutrients are in their leaves?
• Who do we meet here? What do we see? How do you feel? 
• What do koalas eat?

The Shipwreck Coast

Teacher's note: Please refer to cultural considerations before facilitating these conversations. This is an opportunity to teach the first wars in this country, organised killings and massacres of both First Peoples and Europeans, which led to the devastation of Aboriginal people, culture and Country.

"… in the same year construction began on the lighthouse [in 1846] there was an organised killing of Gadabanud people here."

• Discuss evidence that exists to suggest how long Aboriginal people have lived on these lands for.
• Imagine the length of time the Gadabanud people have lived here. What might life have looked like all that time ago?
• Imagine the Gadabanud people in the 1800s seeing ships come over the horizon and past their homelands. What might the Traditional Custodians' reactions have been?
• What might the Europeans’ experiences have been like journeying from Europe to south-east Australia on the ships?
• What might the Europeans' understanding of their purpose have been?
• How did Country, the landscape, act as a physical barrier to keep the Gadubanud safe for some time? Discuss how the land protected its custodians.
• Discuss first contact with European arrivals in Australia to give context to the story of the Gadubanud. What was the date of first contact in Kamay (Botany Bay, NSW)?

Colonisation

• What might the Gadabanud people have been thinking and feeling as the ships sailed along the horizon? What historical evidence and stories exist that perhaps describe these thoughts and feelings? What are the strengths and limitations of this evidence?
• What were some of the impacts of migration and colonisation? How did European arrival change Aboriginal lives forever?
• What is a massacre? There are said to be around 160 recorded in Australia to date. When was the last one? Consider how recent these were and how they still have an impact today.
• When analysing this period of history, what factors do we have to take into account when dealing with historical sources?

You Yangs

• Where are the You Yangs?
• Who is the ancestral creator spirit for the Wadawurrung peoples?
• What do Aaron and Holly first see here?
• What do we see, hear and feel on the rocks?
• Who is Barry James Gilson? Which traditional lands are his ancestors from?
• What does Barry explain the You Yangs mean?
• What has happened for Barry’s people on these lands and rocks?
• How is Waa explained in this episode? Discover the Kulin creation stories and the moiety and spirit animals in these stories. How might this animal have gotten its name?
• What are ancient songlines? Discuss the male initiation route and the concept of lore.
• What is known as "Baaring" for the Wadawurrung people?

Flinders Peak

• What happened here in 1802?
• How did this impact the First Peoples of this Country?

Songlines

• How does Barry feel on this land?
• What does singing songs mean to him?
• What do we see, hear and feel witnessing Barry on the rocks?
• What instrument is he using? What is the paint made up of?

7. The Deep River

Has nature ever inspired you to create? Nature can open us up to new ways of sensing and understanding ourselves.

In this episode, Aaron and Holly explore the waters and banks of Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River. As they glide alongside the sandstone cliffs, they find rock art made with red ochre.

On the south bank of Dyarubbin, Aaron and Holly visit Upper Gledhill Falls. Holly swims in the wild swimming hole, while Aaron wanders off to sketch trees.

In Muogamarra Nature Reserve, we observe the bark of a scribbly gum. Holly shares how moths burrow into the bark, creating the tree’s signature scribbles.

We meet local writer Georgina Reid, who shares with Aaron and Holly her poetry and the gifts we can give nature: our presence, our attention and our care that underpins it.

We cross Dyarubbin to Devines Hill in Dharug National Park. This walking track is part of the Great North Road, built by convicts between 1826 and 1836. At the time, the road was considered a great feat of engineering. But for First Nations People, it was a scar cut through Country.

Aaron and Holly arrive at Bulgandry Aboriginal Art Site, where they are welcomed to Darkinjung Country by Gavi Duncan, an artist and Gomeroi man. He shows Aaron and Holly a carving of the creation being, Baiame. Gavi leads us to a cave called Warre Warren, whose walls are covered with hand stencils. This was once a permanent camp, and ceremonial place. Gavi says the Old People are still here today, sitting, and listening to us.

Things to think about

Dyarubbin (Hawkesbury River)

• What did we see at the beginning of this episode?
• How long does Aaron say First Nations people have lived here for?
• How did the valley flood into river systems?
• How is this "one of the largest art galleries in Australia"?

First Peoples have a continuous unbroken connection with the land. We see this in the largest living art gallery! Nature can open us up to new ways of sensing and understanding ourselves.

• Discuss the above passage. How do you think nature can help us understand more about ourselves and our actions?

Rock handprints

• How were the hand stencils most likely made?
• What does Aaron say the handprints tell us about the art?
• Imagine this place thousands of years ago. Describe what you imagine.
• What are the names of the First Nations people that have cared for this land?
• What stories does their art tell?
• Do you know of any sacred sites or rock art in your area?

The river monster

• What was reported to have been seen in a deep hole in the river? How was it described?
• Do you know any other water-monster stories?

Kinship

• What does kinship mean?
• How are we all connected to all life?
• What animals do we see painted onto the rocks along the river?

South of the river

• What do we see, hear and feel at Upper Gledhill Falls?
• What does standing at the falls remind Holly of?
• How does Holly feel swimming in the water? Can you think of a time when you have felt like this around water?

Muogamarra Nature Reserve

• What is the meaning of this place?
• What do we see on the scribbly gums that look like art?
• How are the scribbles created? 

Georgina Reid

• How does Georgina feel being among the trees?
• What do we see, hear and feel looking out across the valley?
• What gifts does Georgina say we can give to nature?

Devines Hill 

• What do we see, feel and hear at Devines Hill?
• Who led the development of the Great North Road? Who built it?
• Why were the convicts sent to Australia? Where did they come from?
• Why is this road referred to as a scar through this Country?
• "260 kilometres of road had been built, but it would never be finished. And the land would never be the same." Discuss this quote. Why was the road abandoned?
• What questions, thoughts and feelings arise for you hearing this story?
• What did this project and experience teach us in time?

Welcome

• What do we see, feel and hear in this welcome?
• What cultural practices do we see Gavi Duncan doing?
• What can we all learn from these practices and stories, such as the story of Baiame?
• What can we learn about creation stories?

Baiame

• What does Baiame mean?
• What story does Gavi Duncan share about Baiame?
• What does this teach us?

Warre Warren

• What do we see, hear and feel here?
• What did this place mean for generations of Traditional Custodians here?
• What does Gavi describe he feels here in the cave?

Oyster cook up

• Where are oysters found?
• What are warrigal greens?
• What are some other ways you can enjoy cooked or fresh oysters?

8. Red Earth Heart

Nature can be a place where we feel comforted, where we belong.

In this episode we roam Desert Country in Central Australia. The Arrernte believe Altjira, the creator, made everything.

Aaron and Holly climb Alherrkentye (Trephina Gorge), known for its quartzite cliffs, from which they look north to Aaron’s grandmother’s Country. Nearby, they visit a giant ghost gum, the largest in Australia, whose roots extend far underground.

We meet Eastern Arrernte Elder, Paul Williams, an Apmereke-artyweye (traditional landowner), and his cousin Damian Ryder, a Kwertegerle mape (caretaker of the land). Their advice is simple: wherever you go, talk to the land.

We travel west to Pmurlangkinya (Palm Valley), intersecting the path of Lhere Pirnte , (Finke River), one of the world’s oldest rivers. In the Finke River Valley, Aaron and Holly discover a real desert oasis, surrounded by red cabbage palms. The Western Arrernte people believe that the palms were born from the sparks of the fire from Urabunya, blown across Country.

There is a rare thunderstorm, quenching the dirt and all living things. Aaron and Holly arrive at Tnorala (Gosse Bluff). The spectacular remains of a crater are found here, formed by a meteor or an asteroid that crashed 142 million years ago. We meet astrophysicist and Gamilaraay woman Karlie Noon. In the Western Arrernte Dreaming, a group of Sky Women danced as stars, one placing her baby in a coolamon that fell to Earth, forming the crater. Karlie, Aaron and Holly stargaze, where they see the coolamon constellation. They discuss how we are all connected and belong: to each other, to the Earth and to the universe.

Things to think about

Red earth heart

"Is there a place in nature that gives you peace? That gives you comfort? It revitalises your energy by just simply being there, as if you just belong."

• As a class, have a discussion about places in nature that may give you peace.
• Identify the language groups of the Central Desert on a map.
• Explore the five estates of Arrernte Country in the video.
• What does this tell you about Aboriginal cultures and peoples?

Altjira

• How is Altjira described by Aaron and the Arrente people?

Alherrkentye (Trephina Gorge)

• What do we see, hear and feel at this place?
• Why is the dirt red?
• In this episode, we hear that quartzite is the most durable rock on Earth. How does this reflect the spirit of the land? Discuss the land's resilience in maintaining life in dry conditions.

Storytelling

• What messages do Paul and Damian share in this episode?
• How do they share their stories?
• What do they teach us about Aboriginal people and Country?

Giant ghost gum

• What do Holly and Aaron feel and see when they arrive at this ghost gum?
• What is so unique about this tree?
• How does Aaron know about the tree's root system?

Paul Williams and Damian Ryder

• What are these two men responsible for?
• How do they feel being on Country?
• What do they hope younger generations will learn and feel?
• Wherever you go, you can connect with the land. How can the land speak to us to guide us in a direction?

Barefoot 

• "Some people claim that the simple action of walking barefoot across the natural ground … [provides] benefits to your health and wellbeing." Have you ever walked barefoot on Country? Did it make you feel different? Share your experiences.

Finke River

• The Finke is one of the world’s oldest rivers. There are few rivers in Central Australia that are ephemeral. What does this mean?
• Discuss what you see, hear and feel in this scene on the dry riverbeds.

Pmurlangkinya (Palm Valley)

• What do we see, hear and feel as Holly and Aaron enter Pmurlangkinya (Palm Valley)?
• What is Pmurlangkinya home to, and why are they special?
• What do the Western Arrernte people believe about how the palms were born? 

Tnorala (Gosse Bluff)

• Discuss Aaron’s story of how he was born in the sky. What does this mean for him?
• What do we see arriving at Tnorala (Gosse Bluff)? What does Aaron stop to hear in this forest?

Sky Country

• What is Sky Country? Discuss what you see and feel from the sky during the day and night.
• What is the significance of the stars for First Nations peoples?
• What is the story from the stars and the land, known as Dreaming, told in this scene?
• Who is Karlie Noon, and what does she do?
• "What is on the land is reflected in the sky, and what is in the sky is reflected on the land. " Discuss.
• "We all belong to this universe. We're collected to this planet, this space. It’s who we are." Discuss.

Cook up: Johnnycakes and sausages

• What are the ingredients here?
• What are johnnycakes similar to?

9. More resources

9.1.  Cultural considerations for teachers delivering Back to Nature educational resources

Back to Nature takes you on a journey into the deep interconnectedness between human beings and the landscape. Thara Brown, Aboriginal education specialist at Culture is Life, shares this important guidance when delivering the Back to Nature classroom resources.

Read the article by Thara Brown.

9.2.  Benefits of Nature

How do you feel when you're out in nature? Brainstorm some of the health benefits of spending time in nature.

9.3.  Welcome to Country

What is the purpose of a Welcome Ceremony?

9.4.  Hugger or a Leaner

Do you hug or lean on trees to connect?

9.5.  An Invitation to Understand Country

Indigenous people often talk about the importance of Country. But what does it mean?

9.6.  Culture is Life

Culture is Life supports young people to deepen their connection to culture, Country and community, contributes to global knowledge and positively impacts the health and wellbeing of this and future generations.