Dawn. Congwong Bay, La Perouse

Tubowgule (tie-bah-gool) means the meeting of the waters in the Eora language. The Eora tribe inhabited the shores of Botany Bay before European settlement. In this dawn ceremony, the women called across the waters of Botany Bay to open the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival. After traditional singing and dancing, young men carried a raft of eucalyptus leaves through the surf and set it aflame.

Noon. Royal Botanic Gardens

In the Royal Botanic Gardens, there stands a magnificent old fig tree which was the site of ancient initiation ceremonies for the young men of the tribe. This noon ceremony featured traditional men's dancing and singing. But the highlight of the performance was a contemporary dance by a Bangarra Dance theatre man.

Dusk. Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.

Tubowgule culminated in a gala performance where all of the coastal tribes gathered to put on a truly spectacular show.