The Sands of the Southern Cross

Here at Birubi, if you can,

Climb atop a dune of sand –

Then feel the waves, not of sea,

But silica coursing through your hand

If your heart is pure, these sacred lands

Will speak to you through every grain,

You can hear a time from long before

The world, a youth, a window-pane

And the shifting sands will whisper soft

In our shapelessness lies all our might

This too is freedom, don’t you see?

What is it then, that you hold so tight?

I understand, liberty cannot be bound

It is more alive in the dunes of sand,

So I try to break the chains I hold,

I bleed myself, I quench this land

Somewhere in the dark, collapses all

The tunnels of time, the sacred space

And I see myself surrounded by

The ancient elders of the Worimi race

They nod in approval, I have set it free

I have become worthy of the Southern Cross

Their starlight pales me in silver wash

An eagle now, I know no loss

My dreams break with a crash of the sea,

I am still aloft an erg by the bay

But they are shifting, turning, changing all

As the dark night inches on its way

I’ve learnt my lesson, I’ve become the sands

Moved by the gaze of a single star,

No kingdom set on land or sea

No borders left to need a war…

26^th December 2025

Lines inspired at Birubi Beach, Anna Bay, lined by massive coastal sand dunes, some of the largest in the world.

For travellers to Anna Bay and Birubi Beach, the towering sand dunes are one of the most striking natural features on Australia’s east coast, rising so high because they are part of an ancient, active dune system shaped over tens of thousands of years. Strong onshore winds have continually pushed sand inland from the beach, while changing sea levels during past ice ages supplied vast amounts of sediment, allowing the dunes to build upward and outward rather than stabilise. Unlike many coastal dunes that are anchored by vegetation, sections of the Birubi system remain mobile, meaning the sand is still shifting and reshaping itself today. This constant movement, combined with an enormous sand supply and open coastal exposure, is what gives the dunes their dramatic height and scale, creating a landscape that feels both vast and alive beneath your feet.

The beach, dunes, and nearby waters provided food, shelter, and important meeting places, and they hold spiritual meaning through stories passed down by Elders. During winter, Worimi people are understood to have travelled to this coastal area to gather and celebrate seasonal changes, including observing the Southern Cross in the night sky, which held significance for navigation, storytelling, and cultural law. These gatherings strengthened community bonds and reinforced knowledge of the land, sea, and sky, showing the deep and ongoing connection between the Worimi people and Birubi Beach.

The white-bellied sea eagle—watching where land, sea, and sky meet— is a totem symbol of the Worimi lands. It embodies ancestral guardianship and the enduring bond between people and Country.