Walks

Anyone wanting to reshape their views of Melbourne should do a walking tour of the city with Dean Stewart from Koorie Heritage Trust. The tours are absolutely brilliant and definitely succeed in "stripping back the layers" of Melbourne, as Dean says he aims to do. Starting along the Yarra River opposite Crown, Dean paints truly vivid pictures of what Melbourne would have been like before, and at the point of, first European contact. You can imagine the local Aboriginal people camping along the banks of the river, crossing the river at the sacred waterfall that once crossed the Yarra, and gathering food stuffs amongst the reeds. Tours end near Fed Square, where I learnt for the first time that the MCG actually sits on a traditional corroborree spot where clans used to meet for entertainment - not much has changed in that department! The whole experience is both educational and entertaining, and Dean is a rivetting and passionate personality. Completely changed my views of Melbourne and gave me a new appreciation for what lies beneath our busy and noisy city!! For more info, visit www.koorieheritagetrust.com/education The website says the tours are only for groups of 15 or more, but I'm assured there are opportunities for individuals and I'll update this post when I get more info. (From Emma.)