Gulaga mother mountain
sacred stories of place, love of country, the first inventors, photos and itinerary
I took my daughter on a trip to NSW in the winter holidays. We were visiting family and friends near Narooma. It is a gorgeous area of the south coast with turquoise waters, lush rainforests and clear starry skies. There is so much life to experience here - we met wallabies, kangaroos, emus, hundreds of other birds, seals, octopus and sting rays. It is not uncommon to spot whales and dolphins here too.
I had heard about a place sacred to the Yuin women on Gulaga, the mother mountain. As you travel along the coast she is clearly visible in silhouette as a pregnant woman lying on her side.
I wanted to make a pilgrimage up the mountain and see if I could find the sacred tors; enormous boulders and stones that look like figures of women and children. They are known to the Yuin people as guardians of the mountain, their shapes telling stories of family and relationship, teaching of interdependance and harmonious care. Bruce Pascoe describes them beautifully in the book Loving Country, and you can hear more about the Yuin people’s love for mother mountain in the video links I included above.
I followed the instructions on the explore NSW website to park across the road from La Gallette Cafe in Tilba Tilba and walk for 15 minutes or so along a gravel road past farmland into the National Park.
From here it was a nearly two hour hike directly up the steep mountain track, through rainforest and rocky bush. Breathtaking in every sense. When I reached ‘the saddle’, a small stop close to the summit, with a pit toilet and picnic table, my legs were shaking and my heart was quaking and I almost gave up finding the tors. They are unmarked and well hidden down a tiny bush trail (to the right of the picnic table). I had to trust my instincts and suppress my anxieties and follow the faint trail.
After a few minutes of gently winding between the trees I was surrounded by the stones. It was so moving. They have a special energy of timeless wisdom and kindness. I knelt among them and soaked in their shapes and stories. I hugged them and rubbed their backs and pregnant bellies. I offered my tears of relief and awe.
It doesn’t feel right to share too many photos. And they don’t convey the reality of the place anyway. Please visit Gulaga and pay your respects if you are able. She is just as significant as Uluru and Kata Tjuta. We are so lucky to live on country where you can learn from the stories of place and feel the sacred care of thousands of generations of Aboriginal custodians.
I’ve loved learning more about indigenous knowledge and connection from the remarkable four-part series The First Inventors - it’s free to stream now on SBS if you are in Australia.
Several people have asked about our itinerary driving through Gippsland and south coast NSW. So I’ve created a separate post here if you are interested. Feel free to share:
Emily Morter
And here are a few photo highlights:
Adventures on country July 2023
I hope I have conveyed my love of this country and inspired you to explore the stories of your place. You don’t need to go any further than outside your door to meet life and feel connected to it all.
Much love,
Emily
