Protecting WA's 'place of the giants' at Crab Creek on Broome's outskirts
It's where residents and tourists in Broome, 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, visit to catch a glimpse of migratory shorebirds that dot the sand.
Others come to cast a line in an attempt to catch the abundant fish that ripple the still water of Roebuck Bay.
Most know the popular spot as Crab Creek, but for Yawuru elder Dianne Appleby it's Mangalagun, a place strong in resources and spiritual importance for traditional owners.
"It's very rich in culture, very rich in story, very rich in all the feeding for birds," she says, as she looks over the water.
As the setting sun peers through the red cliffs, Ms Appleby points to a rock separated from the rest, which she says is the beak of a giant bird.
"This is the story of Jibi, a big spirit bird for us and it looks after country for us," she says.
The spirit bird travelled throughout the night, searching for children to take "far, far away" if their parents weren't watching over them.
When Ms Appleby was outside as a young child, she says her mother would often think of Jibi when the sun would begin to set.
"'Hey, where them kids? Sun going down now', that's what my mother and father used to say," Ms Appleby says.
Ms Appleby says Jibi's dreaming story serves as an important lesson for families.
"Mothers we say, 'Look after your kids, don't neglect them,'" she says.
As Ms Appleby walks along the beach at Mangalagun, she says Jibi was not the only giant that once roamed the landscape.
She points out fossilised dinosaur footprints and other imprints, which she says belonged to giant beings.
"This is the place of the giants," Ms Appleby says.
"Yawuru has spiritual giants, physical giants, they are here to protect this country.
"This is the country of the giants. It was a forest of wonderful plants, animals and the flowing water, wulla means water."
While giants may no longer roam Mangalagun, today the area remains rich in bush tucker, which Ms Appleby collects.
Over a decade ago, a management plan published for Mangalagun identified an increase in extreme weather events, populations and industries were stressors to the environmental quality and cultural values of the area.
Ms Appleby says it is crucial the area is protected for future generations.
"Our people were giants, the spirits of them are giants … and we carry that in our hearts and have to look after it," she says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
FIFO workers are on alert after measles detected in the Pilbara and Perth
Fly-in-fly-out workers have been urged to get a measles vaccination after two new cases were detected in Western Australia. Authorities said the new cases were linked to a cluster that was identified in Perth and the Pilbara last month. WA Health director of communicable disease control Clare Huppatz said people travelling overseas or to mine sites should check their vaccination status. 'Measles is highly infectious and continues to pose a risk to non-immune people working on mine sites in regional WA,' she said. 'However, international travel is still the most likely source of measles.' Dr Huppatz said people aged between 30 and 60 years were most at risk and were less likely to have been fully vaccinated or previously exposed to measles. 'This is why I encourage anyone aged between 30 and 60 years, whether you are travelling for work or holidays, to check you are vaccinated against measles.' The measles vaccine is free to anyone born after 1965, offers a high level of protection against the disease, and prevents spread in the community and can be accessed through a GP or pharmacist. People can check WA Health for the latest exposure sites which included flights between Perth and Bali. 'Early symptoms include fever, tiredness, cough, runny nose, and sore eyes, followed by a red non-itchy rash three to four days later,' Dr Huppatz said. 'The rash usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body and people usually feel very unwell.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Nexus halts regional flights between Broome, Kununurra and Darwin
An airline linking Western Australia's Kimberley region with Darwin has announced it will halt flights on the route at the end of August. Nexus Airlines is one of two operators flying between the WA towns of Broome and Kununurra, and the Northern Territory capital of Darwin. Its presence in recent years, alongside competitor Airnorth, has helped drive competitive rates for customers, but there are fears that Nexus's back-step from the route will see prices jump. In the remote East Kimberley town of Kununurra — which is closer to Darwin than Broome — regular and affordable flights are a necessity for many residents, businesses and services. But connectivity has historically been a challenge. Nexus managing director Michael McConachy said low passenger numbers were behind the decision to suspend operations between Darwin, Kununurra and Broome, which were not profitable. Mr McConachy acknowledged competition from Airnorth had been commercially challenging. "The additional capacity they introduced and aggressive pricing have made it financially unsustainable to continue on this route and, despite Nexus taking a significant share of the market — ultimately they have deeper pockets." Airnorth and Nexus have been in a price war since the latter entered the market in mid-2023. Having a duopoly resulted in lower prices for residents and visitors, with Airnorth's Kimberley fares dropping significantly, by over a third in many instances. Mr MConachy said having two airlines operating on the route had also increased the overall number of passengers and services, especially during the traditionally quieter wet season. "The capacity has gone up by, in some instances, over about 300 per cent on the route," he said. "Whilst we've seen a definite increase in the number of passengers flying on that route, that's more in the order of sort of 30 to 40 per cent. The airline's announcement has triggered concerns prices for travellers may increase. Mr McConachy said he would like to see the route regulated. On regulated routes, the government steps in to ensure availability and affordability of flights to and from regional locations where demand is marginal. "That's really just to protect those that are flying on the service."
ABC News
5 days ago
- ABC News
Protecting WA's 'place of the giants' at Crab Creek on Broome's outskirts
During the dry season in Western Australia's far north, caravans crowd the dusty track that leads to a place where red dirt meets the turquoise sea. It's where residents and tourists in Broome, 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, visit to catch a glimpse of migratory shorebirds that dot the sand. Others come to cast a line in an attempt to catch the abundant fish that ripple the still water of Roebuck Bay. Most know the popular spot as Crab Creek, but for Yawuru elder Dianne Appleby it's Mangalagun, a place strong in resources and spiritual importance for traditional owners. "It's very rich in culture, very rich in story, very rich in all the feeding for birds," she says, as she looks over the water. As the setting sun peers through the red cliffs, Ms Appleby points to a rock separated from the rest, which she says is the beak of a giant bird. "This is the story of Jibi, a big spirit bird for us and it looks after country for us," she says. The spirit bird travelled throughout the night, searching for children to take "far, far away" if their parents weren't watching over them. When Ms Appleby was outside as a young child, she says her mother would often think of Jibi when the sun would begin to set. "'Hey, where them kids? Sun going down now', that's what my mother and father used to say," Ms Appleby says. Ms Appleby says Jibi's dreaming story serves as an important lesson for families. "Mothers we say, 'Look after your kids, don't neglect them,'" she says. As Ms Appleby walks along the beach at Mangalagun, she says Jibi was not the only giant that once roamed the landscape. She points out fossilised dinosaur footprints and other imprints, which she says belonged to giant beings. "This is the place of the giants," Ms Appleby says. "Yawuru has spiritual giants, physical giants, they are here to protect this country. "This is the country of the giants. It was a forest of wonderful plants, animals and the flowing water, wulla means water." While giants may no longer roam Mangalagun, today the area remains rich in bush tucker, which Ms Appleby collects. Over a decade ago, a management plan published for Mangalagun identified an increase in extreme weather events, populations and industries were stressors to the environmental quality and cultural values of the area. Ms Appleby says it is crucial the area is protected for future generations. "Our people were giants, the spirits of them are giants … and we carry that in our hearts and have to look after it," she says.
