Nhanda Billy Tea and Damper food van to run traditional bush tucker tour along the Murchison River in Kalbarri

A traditional owner has been approved to run a tour operation at the Murchison River, providing traditional-style billy tea and damper while telling local Dreamtime stories to visitors and school groups. Nhanda Billy Tea and Damper, run by local Nanda woman Jennifer Clayton, is a food van used to operate tours at the Murchison River where local Indigenous stories are told and food is cooked in a traditional way in a bush setting. The tag-along tour spreading awareness of the Nhanda Aboriginal culture was approved by Shire of Northampton in its recent meeting, following public submissions in support of the development. The application proposes the tour would begin at Gidamarra Spring, travelling north along the Murchison River to Long Spring, Paradise Spring, Paradise and stopping at The Sheoaks for morning or afternoon tea and finishing at a stop known as Gum Trees. The van will operate two tours a week, taking about two hours in duration, with a maximum of 12 people and five vehicles in the tag-along-style tour. Barbara Stoeckel-Clayton said that her sister, Ms Clayton, had fulfilled her dream of running her own business on the banks of the Murchison River. “Come and sample her billy tea and damper with quandong jam and maybe you’ll get a feed of delicious roo tail stew . . . best feed, great family around us and on our homeland beautiful country,” she wrote in a Facebook post. More than 80 letters were sent to land and business owners who had 21 days to respond, with the council receiving seven submissions back. The Nhanda Billy Tea and Damper mobile food van is approved to operate until April 19, 2024.