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going bush - travels around Indigenous Australia

By Arjun Ramachandran

26 March 2007 - Surrounded by the red earth of central Australia, Cathy Freeman flinches at the prospect of eating a freshly dug-up witchetty grub. "It's really slimy," she says, as an Aboriginal elder offers her the writhing creature. "I'm feeling a bit of pressure here." After a few trademark giggles and a "here we go", the 34-year-old takes an adventurous bite.

Back in more familiar city surrounds, Freeman speaks of the taunts she endured about witchetty grubs as a young Aboriginal girl growing up in Queensland. "There was this thing in my mind where I was kind of like, 'You know, so what if my ancestors ate witchetty grubs? What's wrong with that anyway? Here, I'll show you.' And that's what was giving me my strength. I've always been so proud of my heritage and so I finally got to prove to everyone, 'Look, I'm right in the thick of my culture and I'm loving it.' That day was one of the best days of my life."

The character-defining moment came during a trip through remote Australia late last year when the Olympic gold medallist was joined by another city slicker, 28-year-old actor Luke Carroll. The pair packed their swags and hopped in a four-wheel-drive to film the second series of SBS's travel series Going Bush.

During six weeks, Freeman and Carroll visited central Australia, Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands. Highlights included a rollicking ride across the desert in moon buggies, busting rap rhymes with kids from Tennant Creek and reef diving for crayfish on the island of Erub.

The pair also learnt the ways of ancient Aboriginal culture directly from Aboriginal elders. "I felt really privileged," Freeman says. "I felt a little bit sad that not more Australians are aware of how present the ancient culture of Aboriginal people is in Australia."

In the first series, Freeman's travel partner was AFI award-winning actor Deborah Mailman, a fellow Queenslander who Freeman describes as a "social animal". Travelling with Carroll was a different experience.

"He brought out in me a big-sister-type person," Freeman says, laughing. "I kind of felt compelled to [say], 'Are you all right, Luke? Make sure you drink enough water.' I tended to mother him a little bit, I think. I hope he doesn't mind me saying that."

To his detriment, Carroll failed to heed Freeman's advice on avoiding mosquitoes when the pair hunted mud shells in a swamp in Aurukun. "He wore this bright yellow shirt and three-quarter pants and had [arrived] spotless," Freeman says. "Meanwhile, I'd made sure I'd lathered my skin up with mud."

There were other times when the pair had to ham it up for the camera, she says, and Carroll would make her laugh with hilarious impersonations of Clint Eastwood and Rocky Balboa.

Onscreen, Carroll's boyish enthusiasm and ease contrast with Freeman's shyness but both are inquisitive and get the best from characters they meet. Many of the locals seem relaxed in Freeman's presence, despite her stature. "In the communities and the bush, people are so grounded and earthy," she says. "Aboriginal people are really aware that I am very much like them and I'm not showy or about being put up on a pedestal like I have been."

Other experiences bordered on the spiritual, Freeman says. "There were magical moments. We could feel ourselves get spellbound whenever we were learning something new like burning the land in Aurukun for regeneration of the land. And when we [saw] turtles lay their eggs up at Mapoon, that was just amazing. We were in the back of a ute making our way along the beach at nine or 10 at night and there'd be a full moon and you'd overlook the ocean - it was just magical."

The experiences gave Freeman a "whole new realisation" about Australia as a travel destination. There were also intense personal revelations for the former athlete.

"I was starting to get a little bit, not disillusioned, but ... [I don't] know exactly what my big passion is at the moment. Being in a beautiful place, being in a happy place, brings out the truth in you sometimes. Something just dawns on you. And lo and behold, I'm now really pumped about a foundation under my name. This is typical of just letting go ... and just knowing that nature somehow will bring the future to you."

There were other times when the pair had to ham it up for the camera, she says, and Carroll would make her laugh with hilarious impersonations of Clint Eastwood and Rocky Balboa.

Onscreen, Carroll's boyish enthusiasm and ease contrast with Freeman's shyness but both are inquisitive and get the best from characters they meet. Many of the locals seem relaxed in Freeman's presence, despite her stature. "In the communities and the bush, people are so grounded and earthy," she says. "Aboriginal people are really aware that I am very much like them and I'm not showy or about being put up on a pedestal like I have been."

Other experiences bordered on the spiritual, Freeman says. "There were magical moments. We could feel ourselves get spellbound whenever we were learning something new like burning the land in Aurukun for regeneration of the land. And when we [saw] turtles lay their eggs up at Mapoon, that was just amazing. We were in the back of a ute making our way along the beach at nine or 10 at night and there'd be a full moon and you'd overlook the ocean - it was just magical."

The experiences gave Freeman a "whole new realisation" about Australia as a travel destination. There were also intense personal revelations for the former athlete.

"I was starting to get a little bit, not disillusioned, but ... [I don't] know exactly what my big passion is at the moment. Being in a beautiful place, being in a happy place, brings out the truth in you sometimes. Something just dawns on you. And lo and behold, I'm now really pumped about a foundation under my name. This is typical of just letting go ... and just knowing that nature somehow will bring the future to you."

Source: Sydney Morning herald

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