The Widjabul people are one of the tribes of the Bundjalung nation. Widjabul country extends from the lower Richmond area around Coraki, to the headwaters of the Richmond catchment in the north, and eastward to the coastal escarpment.

At the entrance to the rainforest remnant at Victoria Park, just outside the village of Alstonville, is a notice claiming, “We belong this country. We look after this country. Don’t do wrong around here this country. We don’t harm this country here. We belong to it this country.”

It was with respect and awe that ten Cloudcatchers meandered in silence under the canopy of this ancient habitat on Thursday 10 May, with glorious autumn sunshine filtering through the diverse foliage. Among the reverence and serenity we found a vitality of life in the canopy and underfoot: abundant bird calls resounded from every side, shy pademelons (small wallabies) were glimpsed from time to time, and a few land mullets (large skinks) scurried under the boardwalk. And everywhere were the lianas, strangler figs, delicate spiderwebs, moss-covered rocks, lichen and fungi, delighting us. Images were captured, and crafted into first-draft haiku around a picnic table. After sharing these, we lunched together at the local ‘Amaze ‘N’ Place’. The sun continued to shine.

A winter ginko is planned for Thursday 9 August, at the mouth of the Brunswick River. Contact: [email protected].