About Man-gala
Man-gala yingan manyja wula buru, yangarralanggan nyambanyurdany jirril wangal gun-gabu gularr wula yinagan nagulagabu. Wangal jarrangu wayangara.
Man-gala is the wet time, we know this by the strong north-west winds that bring rains from the sea. Cyclones may develop.
Wet Time
Man-gala yingan manyja wula buru, yangarralanggan nyambanyurdany jirril wangal gun-gabu gularr wula yinagan nagulagabu. Wangal jarrangu wayangara.
Man-gala is the wet time, we know this by the strong north-west winds that bring rains from the sea. Cyclones may develop.
Barn Swallows
Wiyurr yirr wanminy bana yingarrburlan galwara yingarraman Man-gala nyambagun yingan.
The arrival of the barn swallows and flies are indicators that Man-gala has arrived.
Paperbark Shelters
Walganyanyurdany yadiri mulug yagarrgarndanda nagulagabu yirr jimbin manggaja yagarrjinda, yagarramagurandajirra judlayin Laja. Yadirini yagarramaguranda gangajunu manggaja garnburrnyurdany.
Traditionally, we moved away from the coast and stayed within the paperbark shelters which we built towards the end of Laja. These shelters were constructed using the large paperbark.
Cyclones
Yardirini darndarn yagarramanda gamba manggaja mirrilyibarri yirragulunyurdany narliyirr yagarralanggan wangaljarrangu yimburlan. Wangal yinagurdinyjin yirr jirrilngany galawara yinaman nyambayi.
We would tighten down our shelters with rope made from the pindan wattle if we knew a cyclone was coming. The change in wind direction and intensity was an indicator of this.
Waterholes
Jarrinygunburu wula yinyjalgun wanyji yinajarrmbulan gamba buru yirr jila yingarrbardigan.
The constant rain soon soaks the ground and waterholes fill up.
Waterholes
Jarrinygunburu wula yinyjalgun wanyji yinajarrmbulan gamba buru yirr jila yingarrbardigan.
The constant rain soon soaks the ground and waterholes fill up.
Waterholes
Jarrinygunburu wula yinyjalgun wanyji yinajarrmbulan gamba buru yirr jila yingarrbardigan.
The constant rain soon soaks the ground and waterholes fill up.
Frogs
Walag yingarraman jimbu jilagun yirr lirrigun. Nyangajunu wanggarrngara guninyguniny gambayi jibilyurr wanggarrarli.
Frogs lay their eggs in the waterholes and resting water. These become the tadpoles that the ducks feed on.
Cicada Lava
Bina gambayi lirr miliya yardab yingarrajun galbu gunurrungan yirr dumbarrji yingarrajun. Gaw yingarraran wanyji yingarrabardigan gamba wangal. Warany jurru jinybalgangarru yirr ngiyigarang gangajunu manyja waranybardu. Ngiyigarang yingarraman jimbu lirrigun yirr jilagun yirr wanyji wanggarrngara manyja ngurru.
The larvae of the cicada now crawl up the eucalyptus trees and they start to fly. Their piercing calls soon fill the air. Other insects like the grasshopper, mosquitoes are abundant too. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the resting water and waterholes and they soon multiply.
The larvae of the cicada now crawl up the eucalyptus trees and they start to fly. Their piercing calls soon fill the air. Other insects like the grasshopper, mosquitoes are abundant too. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the resting water and waterholes and they soon multiply.
Lizards
Jurru yingarrburlan birdigabu yirr yingarrjinngany wubagarra. Lalga yingarrjin miliya. Man-gala judangan lidabarri wanggarrngara walag gabunyurdany yingarrjin yirr ngarrungunil wayrrbangngara gangajunuyi.
Lizards have come out of their holes and have their young. They are skinny now. Towards the end of Man-gala they will become fat from feeding on the frogs and people may hunt them
Green Turtles
Nagulagun gurlibil mulugji yingarrgarndan janigabu, jimbuyirr guyarramurungu janidany. Nyangajunu wanyji wanggarrmijala yirr jalygurr gurlibil yardab wanggarraju jimbin nagula.
In the sea, the green turtles start moving away from the coast, but their eggs may still be found along the beach. These will soon hatch and the baby turtles will crawl into the sea.
Stingrays
Birndany yirr jurrawayi lidabarribardu yingarrjin. Warany birndany ngarrungunil yingarrarlin: jayiya, yubugurru yirr jangabarri. Girngirn marlu yagarrarlinjina malin yingan.
The stingray and sliteye shark are still fat. The different types of stingrays the people eat are: coachwhip stingray, cowtail stingray and oysterback stingray. The blue-spotted stingray is not eaten as it is believed to be poisonous.
Mangroves
Gundurunggun, janga, bunymin, jirrinygiliny yirr wanggaja lalga yingarrngaran. Ngarrungunil yingarrajun gamba wulani yinamaguran gangajunu buga.
In the Mangrove, the oysters, hairy mussels, mud cockles and mud crabs are becoming skinny. People say that the rain makes them “rubbish”
Sandpaper Figs
Man-gala judlayin wula yinyjalgun wubardujina, wayajalgu waranyjarringal nilan-gun jid yiburru wanagaju. Gundurungu yirr lanyjilanyji bububarri yingarrngaran. Birragun minyjuru, ngamarnajina yirr yugulu yingarrjinngany manyja bubu.
Towards the end of Man-gala, the rainfall becomes inconsistent and may fall only once a week until finally it stops altogether. The light green leaf mangrove and the spear pod mangrove start to flower. In the bush the wild prune sandpaper fig and love vine are in flower.