What an adventure! The wawa biik team delves into the highlights of our first year of operation.

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February 2024 marks our wawa biik one year anniversary. One year on and we’ve been having a laugh about all the funny moments; thinking back to all the great yarns with our friendly guests and reflecting on the honour of being out on Country doing what we love. It’s no secret that running a successful tourism business is hard work at times and we have overcome some challenges in the past year. But our resilience shines through and we stay focused on the positives of what wawa biik has achieved and will continue to achieve for the Taungurung Nation.  Our team reveals all…..

Behind the scenes of wawa biik – a yarn with Sharna

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Sharna Crosbie is the Cultural Experiences Development Manager at wawa biik. Sharna is not a First Nations person but feels honoured to work alongside the Taungurung community in her role.  With an extensive career in tourism development and marketing, Sharna has led the small but deadly wawa biik team, through what has been a slow and considered start-up journey to bring wawa biik to life.  We yarn with Sharna about her learnings and the importance of First Nations tourism.

Communicating in ways that words cannot – a yarn with Hunter Callaghan

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Take a closer look at the beautiful images on the wawa biik website, and below. You may notice they communicate not only the warmth and excitement of the wawa biik journey, but also hint at the pride and connection that the photographer Hunter Callaghan has to his mob and Country. Hunter belongs to the Nira-illim Bulluk Clan of the Taungurung Nation and was born and raised in the western suburbs of Naarm, Bunurong Country. He works as a content producer for RMIT University but is also a freelance photographer driven to capture the faces and places that tell the Taungurung story.

In 2020, Hunter created a powerful photo–documentary book titled UNEARTHED. The black and white images are a stark reminder of a duality that exists between the proud and enduring culture created by Taungurung Ancestors, contrasted with the heavy impact of colonisation and the painstaking daily work needed to protect Taungurung cultural heritage for the future. Hunter’s images provoke empathy and understanding of cultural complexities but are also his personal way of deepening his own cultural knowledge and connections.

Image of Deb in possum skin cloak standing with wawa biik guide

All the ingredients for a strong partnership – a yarn with our caterer

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Debbie’s melt in your mouth lemon myrtle cookies have become a much-loved staple of our wawa Euroa experience.  Debbie Redding of Debbie’s Delights has been baking delicious food for over 37 years but more recently has enjoyed learning and experimenting with Indigenous ingredients, including our delicious wawa biik morning teas. Deb grew up on Wurundjeri Land but has raised her family in the tranquil town of Yea, Taungurung Country. Her and her family love sitting around the fire, feasting under the stars, swimming in the river and watching the seasons change. As a small business owner living and working on Taungurung Country, taking part in the wawa biik partnership program has given Deb the opportunity to connect with Taungurung Elders and deepen her connection to the land. Deb’s philosophy is all about sharing good food, laughter and quality time on Country with family and friends – we are delighted to have Deb as part of our extended team.

Noah and family

“Wealth is not about money” – a yarn with Noah

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Noah Honeysett is a proud Taungurung man, Collingwood supporter and recently became a Dad which means he can now share more of his Dad jokes! He’s always known his culture and been strongly influenced by the Koorie community around him.  Having worked off Country for most of his life, including a stint at a brewery, a chemist and as groundskeeper at a school, he’s found his calling working back on Taungurung Country, for and with his Community. Wealth in his eyes is not about money but about family, community and continuously learning.

Trawool Estate

wawa biik partner: Trawool Estate

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Trawool Estate is named after the Taungurung word Traawool meaning wild water.

Located on Taungurung Country in a breathtaking valley, it is a haven amongst the River Red Gums, expansive green acres, close to the Waring (Goulburn) River and located right on the newly launched Art on the Great Victorian Rail Trail which features works by Taungurung artist, Uncle Mick Harding.

With 20 accommodation rooms, friendly staff and excellent conference and event facilities, Trawool has been the venue for many celebratory events for the Taungurung community, including the launch of wawa biik in February this year.

Trawool Estate has been part of the inaugural wawa biik partnership program. For wawa biik, every partnership is developed with a mutual desire for learning, connecting and celebrating the Taungurung story through Taungurung-led visitor experiences. The team at Trawool Estate has been fully engaged in the wawa biik partnership program with an interest in deepening their relationship with the Taungurung community and supporting cultural aspirations. We love that they want all their guests to acknowledge that they’re on Taungurung Country and build awareness and respect for Taungurung People as the Custodians of the land. We yarn with GM Dave Burrows about this beautiful venue and what partnership with wawa biik means for him and the team.

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Bonnie standing besides the Nagambie lake

Home Ground Advantage – a yarn with Bonnie

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Bonnie Welch (nee’ Cavanagh) is a proud Taungurung woman, descendant of John Franklin, self-confessed sports tragic and the kind of deadly person you always want on your team. Growing up, Bonnie set her sights on being either a physio for the Geelong Football Club or a Forensic Investigator. She opted for the path less travelled and completed her criminal justice degree, going on to contribute fourteen years with the Victorian Police in the State Forensics Services Centre in Macleod – despite being told there was no way she’d get a job in Forensics. But she didn’t give up on her sporting ambitions either, she is still a mad Geelong supporter and has been involved – both on and off the ground, with her beloved Broadford Football/Netball Club for twenty years. Bonnie’s passion and determination is now focused on her family and her mob. As Mum to beautiful two-year old daughter Georgia Reign and as the Executive Manager of the Community and Culture division of the Taungurung Land and Waters Council and guide for wawa biik, her future ambition is clear and her drive is even more tenacious.

Brie standing by the water with her dog

A yarn with Brie…”Everything I do is for my community”

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We love to take you behind the scenes to get to know our team. Brie Antonopoulos is a proud Taungurung woman who has worked with the Taungurung Land and Waters Council for three years and provides both on-ground support and marketing for wawa biik. With Taungurung heritage from her Mum’s side and Greek heritage from her Dad’s side she believes she has the best of both worlds. Brie affectionately describes growing up with three annoying brothers in Hampton on Bunurung Country. At one stage her and her brothers all worked together for TLAWC which was a proud moment. She admits that it has only been in the last four years that she has deeply connected to her Taungurung culture, thanks to her work. We had a yarn to learn more of her story.

Aunty Jo wearing emu feathers

A yarn with Elder and artist – Aunty Jo

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Aunty Joanne Honeysett is a proud Taungurung Elder, wawa biik Cultural Tour Guide, mother, recent grandmother and is also an accomplished artist. Having worked in challenging community roles in the past, her love of painting provided a therapeutic outlet. With an urge to share her Taungurung identity and story, her paintings have become an important part of of her cultural expression. Her work has been commissioned for public murals and sold internationally but she also keeps a tightly-held private collection that is sacred to her and her kids. We yarn about her personal art journey, her art style and future aspirations for the Taungurung artist community.

Sammy Trist artwork at the Yea Discovery Centre

A closer look at the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre

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The Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre, in the heart of Taungurung Country is not only an accredited Visitor Information Centre but is also a multi-faceted learning experience on the importance of water resources and wetland ecology. It features interpretive displays, a gift shop, room hire and local information inside but the main drawcard is what is to be found outside. They have 32 hectares of wetlands and walking trails on their back doorstep offering recreational and educational opportunities in this unique habitat.

With strong family ties to the Yea area, Aunty Angela ten Buuren (Franklin), along with her family members have been heavily involved in the wetlands committee over many years. They are passionate about sharing the Taungurung story of this place and embedding Taungurung perspectives and culture into both the visitor experience and management of this important ecosystem on Country.

We yarn with Aunty Angela about the Taungurung aspects that visitors can engage with at the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre precinct, including the Franklin Trail, Taungurung art, Indigenous Garden, and new Taungurung art on display.