Earth Day with Aunty Marg

Would it surprise you to learn that Sydney, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, is also home to sacred 25,000-year-old Aboriginal rock engravings?

Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the Sydney area for at least 30,000 years, and left behind thousands of such engravings throughout the Sydney region. The rock art features images of people, animals or symbols in sandstone, and are comparable with the petroglyphs of Native Americans and the rock art found elsewhere in Australia. But they have their own distinctive style unlike rock art found anywhere else in Australia. Most of the locations are not promoted to protect them from vandalism, and to guard their continued sanctity.

Ancient rock art is just one of the cultural surprises Sydney has to offer during a unique tour organized by respected Aboriginal elder Margret Campbell, affectionately known as Aunty Marg. She has given her permission to Aboriginal guides to share the wealth of her cultural knowledge.

This rich excursion through modern Sydney explores a distinctive heritage. You learn how it relates to the Aboriginal Dreamtime found in the city’s natural landscape and its seasons. You journey across Sydney Harbour Bridge and into suburbs to learn how Aboriginal people lived not so long ago, and how they maintain their cultural connections today. Enjoy lunch, tasting traditional dishes, in a UNESCO Heritage Listed sandstone building in Victoria Park, land that once was used as an Aboriginal birthing site.

At the end of the journey, you will have learned how to travel through the country with deep respect and acknowledgement for its Aboriginal people, their history and spirituality.

Your favorite journey to Australia will be enhanced by this unconventional look at Sydney.