Walking in Gagadju Country

Exploring the Monsoon Forest by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long

When we go walking, we never know how long we will be, what we will hear and what we will see. We pack our bags with food and water, a billy and some matches to light the fire. We head off into the shady monsoon forest on the edge of the billabong.

Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long share their knowledge and love of the top end in this enchanting and accessible book about one of Australia’s most ancient and beautiful ecosystems.

Ben Tyler is the son of Jessie Alderson, a Traditional Owner of Murumburr Country.

Artist Bio

DIANE LUCAS spent her childhood exploring the bush in New South Wales before moving to Kakadu in her late twenties. There, she worked as a schoolteacher on an Aboriginal outstation, gaining valuable knowledge about the bush from the elders. From 1991 to 1996, Diane worked on a research project, documenting traditional resources in Kakadu. Encouraged by the elders, she began writing children's books about the land and its stories. Since her first book, "Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu," she has published six more works. Diane now resides just two hours away from Kakadu with her husband, maintaining a close bond with the people and the country. Traveling between northern Australia and Africa, she engages in botanical and fire ecology work, drawing inspiration from wild landscapes and the cultural significance of these places, as well as from observing how children explore and play in the natural environment. She finds solace in writing while journeying and walking in the bush.

BEN TYLER, a Bininj entrepreneur, established the bush food brand Kakadu Kitchen. While currently studying business at Charles Darwin University in Darwin on Larrakia country, he frequently returns to Kakadu during breaks to visit his family at their remote family outstation, Patonga Homestead, near Jim Jim Creek in Kakadu National Park. Ben shares a love for gardening with his mother Jessie and is thrilled that his sister Mandy has also taken an interest in gardening. The Kakadu billabong family community, including close relatives from Tiwi Islands, passionately cultivates a variety of tropical fruits, vegetables, and bush foods like pawpaw, banana, tomatoes, broccoli, citrus trees, mangoes, cashews, custard apples, tamarind, red apple, white apple, and native lemongrass. This warm and welcoming community has always embraced family, friends, and visitors, making their billabong home in Kakadu a lively and joyful place.

EMMA LONG, an accomplished artist, has showcased her art in numerous group and solo exhibitions across the Northern Territory. Her deep passion for creative arts led her to become an art educator in secondary schools and pursue academic qualifications, including a Bachelor of Visual Arts, a Certificate in Printmaking, and a Graduate Diploma of Education. Emma draws her inspiration from the fresh and raw beauty of nature, finding her true sense of belonging in the bush while painting. She resides in Darwin with her husband and four children, continuing her work as an illustrator and art educator.