Whales migrating up the east Australian coast will be welcomed to Quandamooka Country this year on 2nd June with a major Quandamooka Festival event – Yura Yalingbila Yalingbila.
The Quandamooka Festival runs for three months with several events showcasing Indigenous culture and the natural beauty of North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah).
Yura
Yura means welcome and the Quandamooka people will be welcoming people to North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) on Saturday 1st June. During the day there’s the Yura opening event at Dunwich (Goompi) which features traditional dance, songs and stories together with Quandamooka cuisine.
Everyone is welcome to this free event which can easily be accessed as a day trip by water taxi from Toondah Harbour in Cleveland on Brisbane’s bayside.
An evening concert starts as the sun goes down with artists including Australian rap star Baker Boy, DJ Salty Beats and Nix. Tickets are $50/ ($20 concession).
Yura Yalingbila Yalingbila (Welcome The Whales)
Humpback whales undertake an epic migration every year from Antarctica to north Queensland waters protected by the Great Barrier Reef. A huge wildlife tourism industry enables people to watch the whales as they swim by many coastal towns on Australia’s east coast.
Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island is one of the best on-land whale watching spots. This is where the Quandamooka people, who have been watching the whales for 20,000 years, will welcome the whales in 2019.
The whales have made an early start this year so there should be good viewing at the official welcome event (Yura Yalingbila Yalingbila) to be held at Point lookout on Sunday 2 June 2019 from 10am – 2pm.
Buangan Biyigi (Dolphin Day) at Amity
Amity (Pulan Pulan) on North Stradbroke Island is well known for its dolphins and fishing. Dolphin Day on 6 July will be an opportunity to learn about the ocean and land wildlife of Quandamooka Country including including traditional songs and stories, dance, kids activities and environmental talks.
Amity is a good place to see koalas. Birdwatchers should see raptors including the resident Ospreys, Brahminy kites and White-bellied sea-eagles. If you know where to look, there are also some reclusive Beach stone-curlews to be spotted.
Jessica Mauboy and Dan Sultan at the closing concert
Music and dance will close the 2019 Quandamooka Festival with two events in Dunwich (Goompi) on Saturday 31 August.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers will perform at the Kunjiel (Corroboree) from 10:00am to 2:00pm, competing for the inaugural Quandamooka Festival Cup.
An evening concert featuring star performers Jessica Mauboy and Dan Sultan will close the 2019 Quandamooka Festival. Tickets are $50/ ($20 concession).
More information about Quandamooka Festival 2019
For more information check out the Quandamooka Festival website.
Redlands2030 – 15 May 2019
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2 Comments
I think it’s about time we scrapped the name Redlands and go with Quandamooka for EVERYTHING!
Like the Council, Police, Schools, Library …… most everything that is in the Redlands!
We white trash have done nothing for this part of Qld so time we all got the bullet!
We’re not a Redlander any more, we’re a Quandamookaron, got a nice ring to it!
Humpback whales make their annual migrations along the East Australian coastline each year and as long as we do not harvest them along their way, as happened at the Tangalooma Whaling Station between 1952 and 1962, the annual migrations will continue. Point Lookout has been a good viewing spot to see migrating Humpbacks and Minkes for many years and it is free for tourists. We do not want to see Cameron Costello and a couple of his money minded QYAC staff attempting to charge tourists to view these migrating whales, nor do we want to see them attempting to charge people for the Gorge Walk when they were not the ones who constructed the boardwalk. Many of the Indigenous people and other residents on Minjerribah signed a huge petition when the CEO of QYAC tried to have pegs for a whale centre building set on Point Lookout without consultation with residents. This indicates an element of distrust in the CEO of QYAC and certain staff. Even other members of QYAC were dismayed by this lack of consultation. As for the CEO’s involvement with the Walker Corporation and Jackie Trad on the Toondah Proposal, it once again shows a lack of consultation with his own people. Land and environment are very important to Aboriginal Elders and they do not appreciate being taken for granted by the current state government or by certain members of QYAC.