Nyanda Cultural Tours in Brisbane Review
Are you interested in learning more about First Nations / Aboriginal culture? Do you want to learn about and try bush food? Nyanda Cultural Tours hosts a family-friendly tour in Nudgee, which is located near the Brisbane airport.
Tour availability is on the calendar on the Nyanda Cultural Tours website. School groups are welcome, as are private groups. Our family of 4 joined a public tour that we booked through the Rediscover Brisbane program through the Brisbane App.
Nyanda means “waterhole” or “lagoon” in Yagara.
Arriving at Nyanda Cultural Tours
Booking our tour was easy, and we received notice to arrive at the location in Nudgee at 9:45 am on a Saturday. There is a parking lot next to the building with plenty of spaces.
We got there a couple of minutes early and were one of the last groups to arrive. Someone checked us in, and after a few minutes, everyone was brought a welcome drink of lemon myrtle cordial and tonic water.
As there were about 30 people in our group, 2 trays needed to be brought out. We all stood around for a bit after the welcome drink waiting for the tour to begin. Looking at the website, I now see that the tour time is at 10 am.
Around 10 am, we were greeted by Madonna, who leads the tour. Madonna had 2 of her daughters there to assist throughout the morning.
There are toilets at the main building, and visitors can keep their belongings in a locked room throughout the tour.
The Smoke Ceremony
The smoke ceremony started right away, and volunteers were allowed to help try to get the fire started. Children are asked to wait until the end of the tour to take a turn, and our kids were okay with that. They got a long turn without everyone looking at them at the end of the tour.
While the volunteers were able to get a little bit of smoke, no one was able to make a fire. In the end. Madonna used a lighter.
There are 3 reasons for a smoke ceremony.
- burial or funeral preparations
- removal of negative energy
- initiation ceremony
Bush Walk
The majority of the tour was held along the bush walk. We could see the main building from the first two stops, and then the group slowly headed further into the woods.
The first stop on the bush walk with Nyanda Cultural Tours is to learn about a leaf that is edible and also used to make rope and twine that can later be turned into baskets.
While Madonna spoke about the leaves, she showed us how to make twine and also about how knowledge is sometimes traded as well as products.
We also learned about baskets made from the bark of gum trees, witchetty grubs, and stories from Madonna’s family.
Along the walk, our group stopped a few times, and Madonna and her daughters picked items for us to taste, including Limeberries, scrambling lilies, and lomandra.
Before turning back, the group stops by the lake where fish can be seen swimming in the water.
The trail has a boardwalk in parts, and other parts are loose dirt. There aren’t any steps.
Bora Ring
The one place where photographs are not allowed is at the Bora Ring, the initiation ceremonial ring where the rite of passage ceremony was performed.
Before the group walks on the boardwalk leading to the Bora Ring, Madonna explains how we need to ask the elders for permission. Everyone (with their permission) gets a symbol painted on their arm or face. A volunteer leads the group while banging on sticks to announce the arrival of the group.
Bush Tasting Plate
When we arrived back at the building where we started, chairs were set up. It took a few minutes for the food to come out, and in that time, the kids were taken to the side to attempt to start a fire for a smoke ceremony. As the adults were unable to start a fire, the kids definitely were not strong enough to, but they enjoyed having a chance to try.
Due to the wind, each person was handed a plate with 3 types of jam, macadamia butter, and a piece of the first plant that was picked on our bush walk.
Crackers (regular and gluten-free) were available as were a few other options, including freeze-dried finger limes, pickled fruit, and edible flowers. The group was able to help themselves to these items as well as cups of water.
Of the items we tasted, the macadamia butter was by far my favorite. The jam flavors that we got to try were all unusual flavors that I have never seen for sale, including rainforest plum jam, riberry jam, and finger lime marmalade.
The jars are available for you to see, but they are not for sale. There is no shop on the Nyanda Cultural Tour.
Nyanda Cultural Tour with Kids
Kids are welcome on the Nyanda Cultural Tours as long as they have a ticket. My kids were 7 and 8 during our tour.
When we arrived, I thought the tour was 1.5 hours, and it ended up being double that amount of time. One of my kids was interested in most of the tour, while the other was not. Even though he wasn’t interested (most likely due to his age), he was able to happily play quietly and let us listen.
The first few stops of the tour are next to a large field, and later on, there is a small playground.
Both kids happily tried all of the edible plants and enjoyed being outside. I heard one “I’m bored” in the entire 3 hours.
Tips for Your Nyanda Cultural Tour
While there isn’t a lot of walking on the tour, you do stand for a long period of time. There are no seats until the very end of the tour. There is 1 bench at the lake, and some people choose to sit in the grass at the stop before the Bora Ring. Wear comfortable shoes.
Wear a hat. Not every area is shaded.
Bring water.
Don’t expect lunch. The bush plate is a fun snack, but not nearly enough food for a meal.
Our tour was much longer than expected. We did not receive a bush tucker plate until 1 p.m., and the entire event ended by 1:10 p.m.
Nyanda Cultural Tour Wrap-Up
For those interested in learning about Aboriginal / First Nations culture, stories, and history in Brisbane, the Nyanda Cultural Tour is a great option.
While the tour was longer than suggested, we learned many interesting facts and stories and were able to try several new (to us) bush food items.
