Marvels of the hidden Aboriginal world

The Aboriginal world is hidden, even to many Australians. But it is experiencing a renaissance.

In the Blue Mountains, we uncover the secrets of nature and pick up ancient wisdom while trekking to sacred places and waterfalls.

Our senses are filled as we nibble bush food, inhale forest scents and touch native flora during the award-winning Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout (www.bluemountains walkabout.com/frames.htm).

This expedition is a fresh facet of a week-long journey to Sydney and its nearby Blue Mountains and Central Coast.

"Feel as much as you can," indigenous guide Evan Yanna Muru encourages our group.

I chew a strand of mat rush, a tufted herb. It is bland, like most bush food (also known as "bush tucker") that is foraged for sustenance.

The lemon-scented teatree, with its intensely citrusy fragrance, is good as a fly repellent, antiseptic or deodorant.

The flamboyant Banksia Flower, which drips nectar and looks like a hairbrush, is used in dance ceremonies. We also see plants that are deployed as prebiotic, soap and toilet paper. The forest comes alive with Mr Muru's commentary.

These trails are not always benign. Leeches are pernicious and it is challenging to navigate the sides of waterfalls.

Mr Muru has prioritised safety from the start. "Walk like a penguin, take small steps," he instructs. "Feel the ground. Put your foot down softly, like walking bare-footed, and you will not trip even when you're not looking."

I tread lightly and he is right. I am steadier and slip less on the rain-slicked paths. Approvingly, he says I can take his walking tips anywhere. "You'll be a 'head up' walker and get extra enjoyment from life."

He also shows sacred places, and shares the Dreamtime stories and beliefs held dear by the Aboriginal people. We learn about the life-giving Rainbow Serpent and hand stencils in caves, for instance.

He talks about how after initiation rites, a new song spirit danced up in his life and he is now a prolific songwriter - mostly Beatle-esque pop-rock but also metal, the whole gamut.

I want to know how the Aboriginal ancestors would view crises like the global pandemic. "Without crises, there's no learning. There's no life," he begins, and philosophises about the wheel of destruction and renewal in life.

Among my fellow walkers is Ms Claire Jay, 30, who works in bushfire prevention in nearby Mount Victoria, in the Blue Mountains. The Australian has a keen interest in Aboriginal culture.

"The Aboriginal culture of Australia is certainly hidden even to Australian residents," she says. "I'd love for people to know more about it, but I also know the culture is quite secretive and would want to be sure people are going to treat it with respect."

The good news is that Aboriginal heritage is enjoying a revival.

The Barangaroo Reserve (www. barangaroo.com/visit/barangaroo-reserve), part of a new landmark waterfront in Sydney, honours the under-the-radar Aboriginal story of this world-class city.

Amid the picnic spots, pretty coves, walking and cycling trails and scenic lookouts of the waterfront, travellers can seek out Aboriginal culture tours.

My guide, Mr Timothy Gray, who is a Gumbaynggirr/Wiradjuri/ Bidjigal man, shows us a hive of the Sugarbag native stingless bees.

He brings out an array of implements, including a boomerang used mainly to hunt wild birds and a fishing spear he made after learning from an elder and fashioning it with power tools.

Most Aboriginal cultural activities ceased during the pandemic. But this is a big restart year and classes are being planned, such as boomerang-throwing and hut-making.

Along the way, he points out the golden wattle, the national flower and a symbol of unity.

The Aboriginal people produced a toffee-like snack from the gum and made weapons from the wood, among multiple uses for the flowering plant. Colonial settlers cultivated the golden wattle - the bark was used in the tanning industry and the blossom for honey.

It is a poignant symbol, given the fraught history of indigenous and colonial Australians.

Barangaroo itself is named after an Aboriginal woman who fought for the people and the land in the early days of European colonialism, according to accounts dating to 1790.

"She's like our first revolutionary and resistance warrior, unwavering in her culture and ways," Mr Gray says. "The other history of Australia is alive and well here even though this is a big city."

Moreover, the indigenous ideals of living sustainably and caring for the land are ever more relevant now. "Climate change is the biggest threat for Mother Earth."

Experiences inspired by the Aboriginal life can be found elsewhere in Australia. Here is another one to try: Scale the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an indigenous storyteller as a guide.

The three-hour Burrawa climb (www.bridgeclimb.com/climbs-prices/burrawa) is an immersion into Aboriginal stories and landmarks across the harbour.

It was launched by BridgeClimb Sydney in January last year, about two decades after tens of thousands of Australians walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the name of reconciliation.

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EXPLORING AUSTRALIA: PANDEMIC TRAVEL TIPS

While life in Sydney and the region is almost back to normal, pandemic travel will still require extra planning, paperwork and patience. That said, it is a seamless experience. Here is how to ensure a smooth journey to the Australia's New South Wales (NSW).

• Get your vaccination certificate digitally authenticated by logging onto the Notarise portal (www.notarise.gov.sg). Download a copy to your mobile phone or print it.

• Show proof, such as a doctor's letter, that you have taken either a medically supervised antigen rapid test (ART) within 24 hours of your flight or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours of the flight.

• Singapore Airlines has a useful webpage that lists current testing requirements for destinations on the vaccinated travel lane list. Go to str.sg/wnqT.

• Each Australian state has different testing and travel requirements, and rules can change. For NSW, get updated information at str.sg/wnqq.

• Submit the Digital Passenger Declaration form online within 72 hours of your flight to Australia. Go to str.sg/wnqc. Requirements include the flight number, travel history (14 days before the flight) and Covid-19 vaccination record or acceptable evidence that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, and a negative Covid-19 test result.

• Show proof you have obtained a visa. You can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to travel to Australia. Go to str.sg/wnqp. This service will cost A$20 (S$20). Once successful, the ETA is automatically linked to your passport.

• During my trip from late February to early March, I was required to take an unsupervised ART on my arrival day and isolate in my hotel room until my test showed a negative result. On Day 6, I took a professionally administered ART at Histopath, which has a test centre at Sydney International Airport. I booked my test online at www.histopath.com.au. The test cost A$59 and the result was e-mailed in about 30 minutes.

• Submit your Singapore health declaration online before you fly home. Go to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority website (str.sg/wnqG).

• Refer to the Safe Travel Concierge by Changi Airport Group for a checklist of requirements for entry into Singapore (str.sg/wnqN).

• Travellers on the vaccinated travel lane arrangement and low-risk areas can now take unsupervised ART tests within 24 hours of their arrival in Singapore. This new rule took effect last Tuesday.

Australia welcomed fully vaccinated international travellers on Feb 21, after two years of strict Covid-19 policies.

In NSW, restrictions were eased on the day I arrived on Feb 25, with masks required mainly for airports, hospitals, aged-care homes and public transport. QR check-ins are required only for nightclubs, strip clubs and music festivals with more than 1,000 people. Singing and dancing are permitted at all venues.

However, I noticed that many service staff at eateries were still masked. Australians are generally compliant with Covid-19 restrictions and law-abiding. Photojournalist Gin Tay and I felt at home and were often told we were among the first international visitors to return.

Vaccination rates are high. According to the NSW government, 94.5 per cent of the people aged 16 and above have taken two doses.

For Covid-19 information in NSW, go to its Ministry of Health website (str.sg/wnqx).

The new luxury hotel was once the premises of the Sydney Water Head Office, a 1939 Art Deco complex with striking Scagliola pillars.

The marbly pink pillars glam up the lobby, which has also kept the 1930s romantic aura. "Heritage with a modern edge" sums it up.

Whimsical wall art adorn guest rooms and I love the personal touches - a couple of limes on a tiny board, ready to zest my glass of water after a flight.

Chill at the 5pm Social Hour with complimentary drinks that may star boutique Australian wines. Borrow a Lekker bicycle to explore the city.

Chef Luke Mangan's modern Australian restaurant, Luke's Kitchen, is in the lobby. I relish creamy kingfish dressed with tender purple shiso, dashi, miso and Nashi pear. It is Japan on a plate with Australian verve.

Info: www.kimptonmargotsydney.com

Nestled in the Blue Mountains is a Palm Springs-inspired hotel that also hints at Old Hollywood glamour. A fresh-air retreat, it sits in bohemian mountain village Blackheath. Dotted with cool cafes, Blackheath is also a bushwalking base.

Originally a no-frills motel, Kyah now has stylishly decked-out rooms. Mine is furnished in an autumnal palette of olive and rust.

The in-house restaurant is the hyperlocal garden-to-plate Blaq (a stylised abbreviation of Blackheath) helmed by cool young chef Mate Herceg.

Info: www.thekyah.com.au

The lobby sits high up in the new 22-storey architecturally forward hotel that somehow induces deep calm, but also exudes indulgence. I love the two-bedroom suite, with a kitchenette and designer amenities, that I share with my colleague. The Sydney skyline and light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows are energising for a work trip.

Dean & Nancy On 22, where we have breakfast and, later, playful cocktails, is perfect for lingering at any hour.