I walked up onto the beach, glancing over my shoulder for one last look at Gruff as he became a mere dot on the horizon.   I sat down on the warm sand, Ti climbing out of my pocket to go sun herself.

So much had happened since I first arrived through the portal onto Rainbow Beach merely by taking one step after another and now here I was on Mudjimba.   Even though I was so excited to be here I decided to take a nap as I was dog-tired and there was no-one around.  I wanted to be refreshed before I set off to explore the island.

The next thing I knew I was surrounded by women chanting, their voices rich and sonorous, resonating deep within the earth.  We were walking uphill – I looked up and saw that the incline we were on was almost vertical, I wasn’t sure my legs would hold up but as we were taking a circulatory route I hoped the climb would be gentler than it looked.  We were surrounded by lush and verdant undergrowth, plants I had never seen before with the most wonderful brightly coloured leaves, some with spikes, some with flowers and others with what I assumed were fruits.   It was as if each one were trying to outdo the other in their splendour.   I was amazed they could grow so well from what appeared to be rock underfoot.  It was difficult to take it all in, the women, the scents, at once earthy, yet spicy and fruity, the sounds of their singing, the bird calls, the insect noises and so much colour – a total assault on the senses.  The women themselves were like the plant life in that they were many and varied in size, shape and hue although in terms of age they seemed to all be elderwomen.  No-one was speaking, not to me, not to each other…there was only the singing and the sounds of nature all around us.  In the distance I could hear the sea but closer to there was a roaring and whooshing that was clearly water and probably heralded a waterfall.  I wondered if that was where we were heading.

On and on we went, round and round, up and up…the roaring getting louder and louder.  To be perfectly honest I was getting a bit hacked off what with all the singing and no-one speaking to me but thought I had better keep my own counsel for the time-being, after all I had no idea what was in store for me.  I didn’t have long to wait.  We rounded a corner and came upon a large outcropping which overhung the path we were on almost obliterating the view ahead.  I watched as the women in front of me slipped into single file and had to flatten themselves to the ground to get through the small gap left by the rock…I followed suit as did those now behind me, we were like a string of snakes sliding through, although I suspect nowhere near as graceful.  No easy escape then should the need arise!

The waterfall was now before me, rising hundreds of feet into the sky – a magnificent sight.   At the base of the fall was a large lake from which, in turn, flowed a stream that I could see now meandered down the hill we had just climbed.   How odd that I had not noticed it on the way up, perhaps the plant life hid it.    The lake itself was surrounded by steps of land reaching up into the rock face either side of the waterfall.  Clearly these were cultivated in part, crops were visible on the far side of the lake.  On this side were what I assumed were dwellings, their homes.  There were many of them scattered over the meadow in front of me and on the steps behind. They were all of them round, somewhat like traditional hogans although nowhere near as big and looked to be woven from reeds or plants of some description, although I would have to get closer to be sure.  They would each accommodate two people at most I would think and those closest to the falls were sheltered from the spray by shrubs which had obviously been planted deliberately for the purpose, the leaves of which were enormous and acted as natural umbrellas.

Everyone was now through the natural gateway, or slither-way as seemed a more apt description and we wound our way into the village.  Still no-one spoke…this was becoming tedious, my impatience poking through my skin again – even in the midst of such an adventure I was still capable of being a pedant!  I chuckled, raising my eyebrows at myself.   As we approached a cluster of houses I could see there was a small group of  half a dozen or so women sat together on small stool-like affairs, the welcoming committee perhaps?   The singing gradually slowed to silence as we came close to these women, those around me receding leaving me standing alone in front of them.  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, bow, curtsey, genuflect…I had no idea, so I simply smiled.   The women before me were older than those that had accompanied me who were nearer my own age I guessed, although it is never easy to tell and at this precise moment I felt to be a child of about seven, a little anxious and shuffling of feet!  I wondered if these were perhaps the elders of the village, the old women from whom the island gets its name.    They smiled back at me, standing now, peering into my eyes as just about everyone I had met so far had done so before them.   They were certainly a mixed bunch, but it was obvious that theirs had been lives of hard work and learning, that much was clearly etched into their fabulous faces.

“You are mine”, so said the third one from the left.  “My name is Tuiren, I am your weaver and tomorrow I will take you to your tapestry.  Now it is time to welcome you.  All is prepared, tonight we shall feast and make merry until the moon disappears and the sun returns.  You will then rest, waking once the moon rises again into the sky when I shall take you to the weaving sheds.   All here are friends so go and enjoy yourself. “

The women seated themselves again and a couple  from the group that accompanied me on the climb took me by the hand, “We will show you where you are to stay”.  I bowed my head to the elders, thanked them and turned to go with these women.  “I am Kathla and this is Danu.  You will share our home for this part of your stay – we will have great fun tonight.”