The Yumba Interpretive Trail
The Interpretive Trail takes visitors through the land that provided food and medicine to Aboriginal people, to the camping ground and the sites of houses that have since been bulldozed, and finally to the old schoolhouse that has been transformed into a remarkable museum.
The Yumba Trail starts at the Mitchell caravan park, and takes the visitor past a series of bough sheds that each correspond with a particular yurdi or totem: Didhayn (Koala), Ulldi (carpet snake), Marul (sand goanna), Mapiyal (platypus), Baruda (red kangaroo), Guya (yellow belly fish), and Warramba (long neck turtle). There is signage to explain the significance of each yurdi, and of important trees and other natural features along the way. However a guided tour by Gunggari woman Saraeva Mitchell is a special treat – she has a vast knowledge of bush foods and medicines, and of the spiritual and cultural history of the Aboriginal people in this area, which she generously shares with visitors. Those who walk with her will learn about the tree that houses the spirits of all the babies yet to be born, the leaves of a small tree that can prevent dehydration, the bumble tree and the cypress pine that have many medicinal uses, and other bush medicines and spiritual practices that remain an important part of Aboriginal life today (https://www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/news/-/asset_publisher/yQ2H/content/australia-day-award-winners-2014-mitchell).
Yumba Interpretive Trail, Mitchell
A walk to the Yumba helps the visitor understand how Aboriginal people look at the land with a gratitude and appreciation that, in Saraeva’s words, ‘fills your heart with love’.
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