Granite Island - Victor Harbor

As you travel around South Australia it's not hard to see why some of its most impressive physical features had a profound impact on this country's original inhabitants. From the steep cliffs of the Murray to the wide expanse of Backstairs Passage and Kangaroo Island beyond . . . it's a landscape which provided inspiration for the Ngarrindjeri people.

And featuring prominently in their Dreaming story . . . is one of this state's tourist icons . . . Granite Island. For many of us a walk around this rocky outcrop is a yearly ritual. And now. . . with the aid of guides from the Granite Island Nature Park . . . all of us can take in a truly ancient and epic Narrindjeri story about the creation of much of the south coast.

"Up here is Umbrella Rock and this is a part of the story of Ngurunderi".

It's a classroom with a difference . . . as these children crouch under the very same slabs of granite . . . where Ngurunderi . . . the ancient law giver rested as he continued a search for his two wives who'd run away. The journey started a long way up the River Murray when it was only a small stream.

A giant cod known as Ponde swam ahead of Ngurunderi, widening the river with sweeps of its tail . . . leaving the massive waterway that we know today. Ngurunderi then made his way from the Murray Mouth along the great expanse of coastline.

"At Port Elliot he camped and fished again without seeing a sign of his wives. He became angry and he threw his spears in to the sea at Victor Harbor creating the islands there."

And at this creation he finally came within striking distance of his prey.

"Ngurunderi heard his wives laughing and playing in the water near Kings Beach. He hurled his club to the ground . . . he created The Bluff - Longkuwar and strode after them".

The chase continued along some of the State's most rugged coastline until the two wives crossed over to Kangaroo Island . . . which back then was still connected to the mainland.

"Ngurunderi had arrived at Cape Jervis though and seeing his wives still fleeing from him he called out in a voice of thunder for the waters to rise and the women were swept from their path by a huge wave and they were soon drowned. They became the Rocky Pages Islands".

Ngurunderi knew it was time to re-enter the spirit world and crossed to Kangaroo Island from its western end and after throwing his spears into the sea, he dived in before rising to become a star in the Milky Way. It' an epic story which can't help but change the way we view this familiar piece of coastline. To join one of the daily Granite Island Discovery Tours contact the Island's Souvenir and Gift Shop. Videotaped copies of the Ngurunderi Dreaming are available at the South Australian Museum Gift shop.

For more information you can email: info@postcards.sa.com.au