Lessons from the Land

One month ago today I travelled to the Northern Territory to participate in a special experience. I was invited by Samantha Gash, an ultramarathon runner and social impact entrepreneur, whom I met on Eco-Challenge Fiji in 2019. She was a competitor and I was managing international media on location. She is the co-founder of Relief Run for India (more about that in the next post) and Her Trails, a female trail and adventure platform. 

The invitation was compelling: to join eight exceptional women (all strangers to me except Sam) for a culturally immersive Her Trails hike along the Larapinta trail on Arrernte First Nations land. No schedule. No phone. No wi-fi. 

We flew to Alice Springs, just 2.5 hours from Sydney. From there we took a 45-minute drive to Ooraminna Station Homestead. We stayed for two nights, getting to know one another and getting into a different rhythm. Some of the women led sessions in yoga, meditation, journaling, and I did one on career visibility. We then travelled on country for three nights, led by the unique Larapinta Culture. Unbelievably, they are the only Aboriginal-owned and operated business offering cultural-awareness trekking in the Alice Springs area. 

We trekked different sections of the trail, covering 56km and an elevation of 2,200m. Each day was a surprise and a challenge for different reasons. 

Day one was long, through kilometres of spinifex that left my boots and socks riddled with bindis. Day two was climbing the spectacular Euro Ridge overlooking ancient lands that took my breath away, literally. Day three required a scramble over boulders and rocks before taking the high track labelled “for experienced trekkers only”. The final view was worth every breathless step. 

What did I learn? To be quiet and to listen more. That one person’s story is not another’s to tell. That words matter. And to spend time on country is such a humbling and beautiful experience that must be experienced again and again. 

The women I have come to know as my Larapinta sisters remain special friends. We are forever connected through this experience. 

Larapinta Culture is led by the area’s Elder Jungala, and he tells us that we are his first group since COVID restrictions shut down his business last year. With support from his grandson Perrule and friend Nick, whom he calls his brother, he was encouraged to bring his tours back to life. 

Larapinta Culture serves a vital role in educating and informing visitors about these ancient lands. 

We sat with Jungala around a campfire one night as he told us his story. He was one of the Stolen Generation. It was personal. It was tragic and extraordinary. He told us about being taken from his loving family as a young boy to live in Melbourne, to be raised as a white Australian child. To hear first-hand from an Elder about this catastrophic period in Australia’s history was humbling. I was reminded that when we talk about this period, words matter. Kids were forcibly “taken” from their homes; they didn’t “leave”. Today we need to sit with each other, to listen and to learn. I’m also reminded of another word that now carries weight and significance: sorry. 

Today is National Sorry Day (May 26). This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. 

You can learn more about the next Her Trails experience at www.hertrails.com And Aboriginal-led tours at www.larapintaculture.com.au. 

May, 2021