NAIDOC Week happens in the first full week of July every year, with a packed program of events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The theme this year? 'Our languages matter'.
One of the biggest drawcards of the week is NAIDOC in the City, which invites Sydneysiders down to Hyde Park for an afternoon of festivities on Monday, July 3. The event is a sensory delight (seriously). Underground earth ovens will be temporarily installed in the park, cooking up slow-cooked samplers of everything from kangaroo fillets to crocodile puffs and lemon myrtle barramundi. Rocks heated by fire cook the foods under a blanket of banana leaves, branches, wet hessian and sand.
While you're there, visit a gunya, a ceremonial site and shelter constructed from cane and bark. Watch traditional dance, try a didgeridoo workshop and settle in for storytelling sessions. There will also be a range of market stalls showcasing arts, crafts and books.
Image: Joseph Mayers.