Dingo dreaming in the Great Western Woodlands

I was fortunate to go camping with some Ngadju elders whose families have lived in the heart of the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) for millennia.  

Early morning camp fire. Photo: Alexander Watson

We camped next to a natural salt lake, known as Lake Johnston, surrounded by pristine woodlands.

It was a fantastic trip that included exploring for bush tucker and artifacts, and long, fire-warmed conversations about managing what is now the largest temperate woodland remaining on Earth.

 My fellow campers were Indigenous elders representing each of the family groups within the Ngadju native title claim.

What quickly became apparent to me was their enormous pride because their land is still relatively intact and healthy.

Yet I sensed their feelings of urgency as we discussed the massive threats to the Great Western Woodlands that are looming.

We all agreed that the immediate threats, such as inappropriate fire regimes, weeds and feral animals, needed to be addressed quickly.

We also agreed that healthy, functioning ecosystems was the best way to combat against longer term stresses including climate change.

Ngadju elders looking over lake Johnston. Photo: Alexander Watson

For me, the highlight of the trip was a particular experience I'll never forget.

After a night of story telling around the campfire, snuggled deep in a sleeping bag with frost covering my swag, an eerie wailing jolted me out of my sleep.

As I listened intently into the silence of the night, I thought that perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me.

Then I heard it again: dingoes. They were calling to each other across the salt lakes. I had seen their paw prints in the salt earlier in the day –were they hunting?

It was just before dawn, and I must have laid there and listened for an hour before getting out of bed and stoking the fire. As I started to warm up, one of the Indigenous elders, Betty, also got up. “I’ve camped here many times and never heard dingoes,” I said. She responded: ‘they know their people are back on Country…”

Dingo. Photo: Lochman Transparencies

It is important ensure native title rights are appropriately recognised and respected and secure real employment opportunities for the Traditional Owners of this land.

The aim of the camping trip was to learn more about the ecology of the area from an Indigenous perspective; the result was the formation of lasting friendships and an excellent working relationship that collectively will look after one of the worlds’ most significant wild places.

 A story by Alexander Watson