Ahead of NAIDOC Week, the YES Adelaide team not only attended a cultural tour, they spent weeks preparing for it. 

Led by Courtney Young, the team explored what it means to connect with Country long before they stepped onto Kau

rna Country for a guided walking experience. Through reflection, conversation and shared learning, team members were encouraged to consider their relationship with the places around them and how connection to Country can begin with awareness, curiosity and respect. To support the experience, Courtney partnered with Kuma Kaaru Cultural Services to facilitate a cultural walking tour on Kaurna Country for the YES Adelaide team. 

For Courtney, the idea grew from a desire to create meaningful cultural learning opportunities for the Adelaide team & learnings from book recommendations from First Nations lead Toby Adams. 

As the only South Australian member of the RAP Committee, they had watched colleagues in other regions participate in community events and cultural activities and wanted to create a similar opportunity closer to home. What began as an idea for a cultural walking tour through Adelaide evolved into a broader learning journey for the team.  

 

 

Starting Before the Walk 

Rather than treating the walking tour as a standalone event, Courtney focused on helping the team build an understanding of connection to Country beforehand. 

Drawing on insights from The Dreaming Path, a book recommended by First Nations Lead Toby Adams, they facilitated activities that encouraged team members to reflect on the places that hold meaning in their own lives. Staff did an exercise where they drew a map of where they lived from memory, mapping significant locations, especially natural ones, and explored the idea that Country encompasses more than a physical location, but includes people’s connection to it.  

“I think doing that beforehand really helped,” Courtney said. “Connecting with Country seemed a little bit more accessible.”   

The preparation helped create space for reflection before the team came together for the walking experience, allowing participants to engage with the tour from a place of curiosity and openness. 

For Shannen, Operations Lead, the impact of that preparation was significant. 

“The Connecting with Country workshop was eye-opening. It made me realise how easily we can take for granted our connection to Kaurna Country, the beautiful land we’re lucky enough to live, work and play on. 

Having the workshop before our Walk on Country experience helped me see things differently. Instead of just going for a walk, I found myself slowing down, paying attention and appreciating where I was. 

It honestly felt like taking a deep breath of fresh air.”

 

 

 

Taking the Learning Onto Country 

Guided by local Kaurna cultural educators from Kuma Kaaru Cultural Services, the team joined a walking experience along Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens), learning about Kaurna stories, cultural landmarks, native plants and the history embedded within the landscape. 

When the team gathered at Elder Park for their cultural walking tour, they arrived with a shared foundation already in place. 

Guided along the banks of Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens), they learned about Kaurna stories, culturally significant sites, native plants, bush foods and the history embedded within the local landscape. What stood out for many participants was how much knowledge and culture existed in places they had passed countless times before.  

“A lot of people just didn’t realise how much history and culture is in such a small space that we walk through every day,” Courtney reflected. “It’s almost like you know it’s there, but you don’t know where to look.”  

As the group moved through familiar parts of Adelaide, ordinary landmarks took on new meaning. Native plants became sour

ces of cultural knowledge. Public spaces revealed stories that had always been present but often unnoticed.  

The experience also offered an opportunity to step away from the pace of everyday work and spend time outdoors together, learning in a different environment. 

Rosie, Peer Support Worker, reflected on the experience: 

“It was grounding and really informative. It was really nice to see the joy on all of my coworkers’ faces as our guide helped us notice and appreciate all the small details of the beautiful natural world around us. It felt good to slow down, be outside, and learn.” 

At one point, the group paused beside a quiet stretch of riverbank where the sounds of the city softened and attention shifted to the surrounding environment. 

“It really felt like you were immersed in Country,” Courtney said. “It was silent. All you could hear was bush.”  

 

 

A Lasting Shift in Perspective 

While the cultural tour was an important part of the experience, its impact has continued beyond the afternoon itself. 

Team members now find themselves noticing details they previously overlooked—the red gum trees lining familiar routes, native plants woven throughout the city and the cultural significance embedded within the landscape they move through every day.  

“It’s like when you’re looking for a new car and then suddenly see it everywhere,” Courtney said. “We’ve got that recognition now.”  

For the YES Adelaide team, the experience highlighted that connecting with Country is not limited to a single event. Through refle

ction, shared learning and time spent on Country together, the team developed a deeper appreciation of the stories, culture and knowledge that continue to shape the places where they live and work.  

Ahead of NAIDOC Week, their experience serves as a reminder that meaningful learning often begins with taking the time to listen, reflect and see familiar places through a new lens.