From the foot of Perth’s (Boorloo) soaring skyscrapers to the outback’s wide-open desert plains, ancient gateways to transcendent landscapes are hidden in plain sight all across Western Australia. To gain entry, the cast and crew of Walking On A Dream were centred and grounded in every film location with a Welcome to Country – connecting with the world’s oldest living culture, the traditional custodians of this land and the stories their Elders have shared for millennia.

Feature by: Jo Baker

Before the cameras roll on the first day of the Perth (Boorloo) shoot, the Walking On A Dream team walks down to the glittering shores of the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan) to meet Noongar guide Nick Abraham – owner and operator of Warrang-Bridil Cultural Tours.

Born and raised in Perth (Boorloo) and spending his teens on Country in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Nick’s cultural connections criss-cross Whadjuk, Yued, Ballardong, Wilmen, Wadandi and Binjerup Country, permitting him to share the ancient stories of all Perth’s lands.

Today, he’s performing a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony on the banks of the Swan River (Derbal Yerrigan) – the very spot where his ancestors hunted djildjit (fish) in the rushes and salt marshes.

^{Warrang Bridil Aboriginal Cultural Tours}

As the city of Perth (Boorloo) hums in the near distance, the outstretched wings of a giant, gleaming spirit bird pull the gathering in closer to quiet the mind, listen to its story and breath in the magic of this land, water and sky.

“We’re here at Elizabeth Quay, Goomup, on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja. Take a moment to feel that beautiful breeze that is flowing across our faces today. That’s telling us the spirit of this Country is still here, and it's appreciated,” says Nick, with a warm and welcoming spirit.

For him, feeling that connection to Country at any time of day or night in Australia’s sunniest capital city is so simple. It's just about acknowledging when the sun rises and sets, and the cycles between night and day.

^{Elizabeth Quay}

“Even when the moon is full, or when the sky is fully dark, there's so much light there to see on this lovely, beautiful Country.”

Now Nick has all eyes focused, minds and spirits follow as he tells the first stories of this land. Stories of culture and language, knowledge and wisdom, the values and shared purpose his people have carried and passed down through many generations.

“Sharing our culture, our past and the future makes my heart very, very strong,” says Nick, who purposely named his cultural tour company ‘Warrang-Bridil’ meaning ‘Enlighten to Acknowledge’ in Nyoongar language.

^{Walking On A Dream, Elizabeth Quay, Perth}

“I guess I just want to acknowledge that my people have lived on this Country for many thousands of generations, and we still want to share this Country with many people,” smiles Nick. “This sun goes all the way around the world, and every other nation shares that sun with us. But when they share it with us here, they can connect with this Country. And they can appreciate the commonalities we have as people.”

Published February 2026.