The Walkabout The Australian Aborigine Walkabout is a rite of passage that predates recorded history. The Walkabout is taken by adolescent males of the tribe, as a path to transition from childhood into adulthood, at the tender age of thirteen. The ritual itself reflects how throughout time, their ancestors survived in the different environments in Australia. The Walkabout will take them as long as six months and will cover as much as a thousand miles of walking over harsh terrain as they trace their ancestors’ song lines or paths. This ritual begins for boys at the age of twelve, and is used to demonstrate their coming of manhood through their ability to survive on their own in the wild for six months. There is a sense of simplicity in …show more content…
These routes connect vital resources that are necessary for the boys to survive throughout the six month period, such as sources of water, shelter, important landmarks and food. Because of this “Most of the teenagers’ plans are to find a valley. The valleys are the safest and the easiest place to survive. Valleys are the key to survive because the water is near them.” (Inchaustegui) In addition to some of the aforementioned survival tactics, to be given their best chance for success many of the teens are hired a tutor to teach them what to do in some of the many situations they may be faced with such as a lack of water or threatened by an animal. They are taught to identify and harvest some of the tradition aboriginal wild foods such as “bush tomatoes, Illawarra plums, quadongs, lilli pillies, munthari berries, wattle seeds, kakadu plums, and bunya bunya nuts is part of the “walkabout” experience.” (Tourism …show more content…
It’s climate has been described as the Tropical North and Central Australia, both of which produce extremely harsh living conditions, the Tropical North consists of a multitude of regions but the most prominent being Arnhem Land, Top End, and parts of Katherine—“The average yearly temperature is 32 degrees Celsius, but humidity varies by season.” (NTTC) while on the other end of the spectrum the extremely dry region of Central Australia pertains to The Barkly Tablelands, Alice Springs, and a few parts of the Katherine area. Although instead of experiencing only two seasonal changes such as other semi-arid regions, it experiences all four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The aborigine teenagers can face many hardships while trying to trek along the paths they are expected to travel when their time comes from weather, wilderness, and hydration to the lack of a spiritual connection they are expected to create with the land and their ancestors. Upon their return after the six months they are given their position and role and responsibilities in the community as a man, as well as a much deserved celebration for completion of the