Plus host of top cultural pursuits
LOOK out for jumping mullet on the Cooks River during this year’s Wurridjal Festival.
The festival, which marks the start of the season when thousands of mullet – known as ‘wurridjal’ in the Dharug or Eora Aboriginal languages spoken in the Sydney region – enter the Cooks River during their pre-spawning migration along the east coast, will also feature a month-long celebration during March with a range of exciting environmental events and activities.
Mayor Khal Asfour says the festival, coordinated by the Cooks River Alliance and its member councils including The City of Canterbury Bankstown, will draw on strong Indigenous links, and will help the community reconnect with the land.
“This is about recognising the river’s significance in Aboriginal culture. For countless generations, Aboriginal custodians have looked after the river and we are so fortunate to be able to help highlight and celebrate this,” he said.
“A huge range of fun activities have been planned for people of all ages.
“We’ve also got bushcare and clean-up events, and a number of free cultural educational tours on kayaks and bicycles along the Cooks River.”
Some of the many activities and workshops include: Bat Watch Picnic (Friday, March 6, 6.30pm), Cooks River parkrun (Saturday, March 7, 8am), Birdwatching with the Mudlarks (Tuesday, March 10, 7am); Riverside Yoga with Ariana (Wednesday, March 11, 8.30am), A cycle skills workshop followed by a guided Cooks River environmental tour (Sunday, March 22, 9-11am); Wolli Creek Full Walk (Sunday, March 29, 8am-12.30pm), A cultural kayak tour of the Cooks River (Sunday, March 29, 10am and 1pm); ‘2040’ film screening (Sunday 29 March, 5-6.30pm); and Bushcare with the Mudcrabs (every weekend in March). ‚Ä®For a full list of events and activities, and to register, visit cb.city/wurridjal
