Aardbulardoo ngayeye Garaan-ngaddim
Welcome everybody to Horizontal Falls
The Woongudd snake & the creation of Garaan-ngaddim
Garaan-ngaddim was created by the writhing body of the Woongudd woman, the spiritual snake.
The Woongudd crawled along, creating places by using her tail to hit or strike the Country as she moved. She dug holes for freshwater; she stood up and she looked about, creating other features. She went, and returned again, splitting up the Country, modifying the land and seascape.
The path of the Woongudd through Country can be seen on the rocks and land formations around Garaan-ngaddim and throughout Dambeemanggaddee Country.
We ask visitors to be quiet at Garaan-ngaddim, respect our cultural obligations to care for Country and culture, and keep you safe.
Lalai & Mamaa
To understand Garaan-ngaddim, you need to understand Lalai and Mamaa.
Lalai is our history. Lalai holds all the rules we follow, our songs, our Joonba (performances) and our stories of Wandjina and Woongudd creating our Country. We believe that Wandjina and Woongudd created the land, sea, and all living things. They made the law and rules by which we live. They set out the way we must look after our culture, plants, animals, people and Country to keep them healthy.
Lalai is found in the images of the Wandjina, Woongudd, Geeyorn and other beings in the caves and stone arrangements.
Mamaa means all Country is sacred. There are sites and stories everywhere. We, as Traditional Owners, have cultural responsibilities to care for them, respect cultural protocols and keep visitors safe.
Woongudd is powerful, a sacred life force.
This power is in the tides, the waves, the islands and the reefs. The Woongudd is the whirlpools at Garaan-ngaddim. Woongudd is moving and creating when the salt waters are moving. When the tide slows, Woongudd is at rest.
Garaan-ngaddim is mamaa, a powerful, sacred place. Our people lived there all year round and we still feel their presence. It is a quiet, calm place. But it can be dangerous. Don’t rush through it. We have seen how country responds when we don’t respect its power.
“Culturally, Traditional Owners would only travel through the gaps for a specific purpose and always at the right time; neap tides, smooth waters to show our respect for Woongudd.”
Wooloowa & ’Right Way’ Visitation
We have to work together with Wandjina and Woongudd in a respectful way to make sure that we as Dambeemangaddee people are safe, and visitors to our Country are safe, helping us to look after Country by following the rules from Lalai.
Wooloowa (smoking ceremony) is our law. It is a respectful custom that is important to our people. It is a protection and cleansing mechanism for people coming to Country.
There are different ways to make sure that visitors are safe, like when we welcome you and smoke your body and when people ask for permission to visit the Country.
We can’t always be on-County to provide Wooloowa, but by purchasing our Dambimangari Visitor Pass your tour operator is asking permission for you, their passenger, to visit our approved visitor locations.
It is important that when you are visiting our Country, you have permission, and come with a free spirit.
Visitor Pass
Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation has introduced a Visitor Pass to support the management of their unique culture and country in the Kimberley coastal region of Western Australia.
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Visitors Pass – Recreational Group
Private holiday makers can buy a Visitors Pass (From $38.50 inc GST/vessel) using a credit card. For group bookings, we require the name and details of… -
Commercial Tour Operators
Commercial Tour Operators should pay in advance based on the number of passengers on your tour, at $99 inc GST per head. You also need to… -
Kimberley Locals Special – Annual Pass (Calendar Year)
Kimberley Locals Special – Annual Pass (must be Derby or Broome residents and live in the postcode of 6725, 6726,6728 or 6765) Trailerable vessels up to…