Story: Koomal Dreaming
Airdate: Ep 4, 4th August, 2019
Presenter: Chrissy Morrissy

Chrissy discovers the history of Ngilgi cave and the cultural significance of the cave to the Aboriginal culture, with Wadandi custodian Josh Whiteland of Koomal Dreaming.

• For over 50,000 years, the Wadandi and Bibbulman people of the Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River areas of Australia’s south-west have walked this ancient land
• Together with other Aboriginal groups from an area that stretches from Kalbarri to Esperance, they are also known as Noongar. The Noongar culture is as rich and varied as the countryside itself, and their knowledge of the environment is incredible and fascinating.
• Based at Ngilgi Cave in Yallingup – this authentic Aboriginal experience is an amazing undiscovered tour that you must experience for yourself.
• Be moved by the skill and intensity of Josh’s didgeridoo playing and fire-making, taste native foods, discover bush medicine and meet the animals, plants and Dreaming spirits that have enriched the lives of Wadandi and Bibbulman people since time began.
• When only the Aboriginal people lived right through the south-west, at one point in time they believed that the evil spirit Wolgine lived in the cave and he would sit there in the dark, draw energy out of the crystal and at night time would come out of the cave, curse the water holes, food would become scarce and he would draw people into the cave never to be seen again.
• The Wadandi Elders then summoned the good spirit Ngilgi, who loved in the ocean and always kept a watchful eye on tribes in the area. With the aid of other good spirits, he came into the cave, confronted Wolgine and for three days they battled within the cave.
• Wolgine was then pushed out of the cave (creating the entrance we see today), beaten and frightened and begged for mercy. The spirits stopped the storm and NgiIgi told Wolgine he could go, providing he never returned to the area again and the cave became Ngilgi’s home, bringing food and water to the locals once again, and is now the resting place of the good spirit Ngilgi.
• There are 350 steps to the floor of the cave, a natural amphitheatre, which is just beautiful to hear the Digeridoo in.
• The cave is roughly 500,000 years old and all the caves in the region are limestone.
• When the water seeps through the soil, it mixes with the calcium limestone bicarbonate creating calcite crystal, growing a centimetre every 100 years, forming the Stalactites coming down from the ceiling and a stalagmite coming up.
• Take a full day tour, or the shorter 2.5 or 3 hour option, or if time is really tight there’s the Twilight Didgeridoo cave tour at only 90 minutes.. A tour to suite everyone’s needs.

To book your tour with Koomal Dreaming, visit www.koomaldreaming.com.au and experience extraordinary.

www.westernaustralia.com