The Taste of Country: A Journey Through South Australia’s Aboriginal Experiences

Adelaide Botanic Garden

Kumarninthi Cultural Education: A Living Garden of Knowledge
       
Deep in the heart of Adelaide’s Botanic Garden, a walk with cultural educator Tjimari offers more than just a stroll among native flora. It’s a reconnection — to land, tradition and memory. Tjimari, a Kokatha, Narungga, Kaurna and Adnyamathanha man, leads the Kumarninthi Cultural Education sessions, where guests are invited to smell, taste, and learn from native plants in a way that celebrates and preserves ancient knowledge. This isn’t your typical garden tour. It’s immersive, intimate and deeply rooted in the understanding that Country is a living being.

Each step through the garden reveals a new story — how river red gums were shaped into canoes, how different plants were used as medicine, and how knowledge is carried through generations. Tjimari’s teachings offer a modern bridge to ancient wisdom, allowing guests to experience how connection to Country remains as vital today as it ever was.

Lakun Mara: Weaving Memory with Aunty Sonya

 Lakun Mara

Out on Narungga Country, overlooking the ocean hues of the Yorke Peninsula, the hands of Aunty Sonya bring ancient stories to life through weaving. Lakun Mara, meaning “Weaving Hand” in Ngarrindjeri, is more than a workshop. It’s a lesson in patience, presence and pride. With each thread pulled tight and each strand looped, participants sit with Aunty Sonya and absorb more than just technique.

The small hand-woven baskets you create carry more than shape — they carry legacy. Aunty Sonya, a proud Ngarrindjeri and Ngadjuri woman, has been teaching the art of traditional weaving since founding her business in 2019. Her guidance is gentle and rich with history. Sitting beside her, you begin to understand the power of storytelling through craft and how Aboriginal culture thrives through sharing.

Munda Wines: Tasting the Spirit of Land

Munda Wines

On Kaurna Country, another kind of storytelling awaits — this time, in a glass. Founded by Uncle Pauly, Munda Wines is an Aboriginal-owned wine label with a powerful message: every drop tells the story of the land it came from. The word Munda means “land” in Wirangu and Kokatha, and each bottle proudly bears the name of its Country of origin — from Kaurna to Peramangk.

The experience of sipping a 2021 Munda Kaurna Country Blewitt Springs Syrah is more than tasting a fine red. It’s tasting a place. Each wine carries bold notes shaped by the soil, the sun, and the spirit of its region. For Uncle Pauly, wine is a way to honour his heritage and show how deep the connection between land and life can run.

What Remains After the Journey

For Allira Potter, a Yorta Yorta woman and storyteller in every sense — whether through words, wellness or walking on Country — this journey through South Australia was a return to something profound. It’s in the quiet presence of Elders, in the native plants you crush between your fingers, in the fibres of a handwoven basket or the sip of a full-bodied Shiraz.

These First Nations experiences aren’t just for visitors. They are living testaments to culture, resilience and community. South Australia invites all who come to slow down, listen deeply and savour the simple but powerful pleasure of being connected — to people, to place, and to purpose.

Connect with the Experiences:

Kumarninthi Cultural Education: www.kumarninthi.com.au
Lakun Mara Weaving Workshops: www.lakunmara.com.au
Munda Wines: www.mundawines.com.au

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