STRUTH BRUCE!
I ain't dun nun!! I have a boomerang somewhere - and a set of "Opera House; Koala bear" coasters - oh and a kangi-fur purse. However, . . . Have a look on here for starters then:
Examples of items available from GBR Internet Shopping
 cuddling koala and vegemite set ($US6.66) |  Kangaroo scrotum pouch ($US10.78) |
AUSTRALIAN SOUVENIRS
Maori Organisations of New Zealand
A Touch of New Zealand (gifts and souvenirs)
Something on Kangaroo's scrotums, should you be curious!
There are a couple of legends associated with skippy's scrotum - and they are regarded as lucky. ("A little romantic gift with sentimental value" :S) The following was taken from the Australia Gift Shop, who not only sell Kangaroo scrutum pouches (in sizes, small, medium, large and the rare to find enormous, which is considered a great gift to give a golfer to keep his balls in - this is what it says!). The site also has hints on how you might attract a member of the opposite gender by placing one of these cute little items on your car mirror. OK!
Kangaroo scrotum legends
Tamuddie and the Lucky Scrotum Pouch
Tamuddie was tracking a goanna through the bush when he came across an injured kangaroo. It had been speared in the shoulder. The kangaroo was Tamuddies totem, so by the law of his tribe his duty was to help the injured animal. He carried the roo back to his campsite, removed the spear, and gave him some water to drink.
For two days Tamuddie kept watch over the kangaroo, bathing his wound and feeding him. Eventually Tamuddie had to go and find food for himself. It was several hours before he returned with a fat goanna to cook. On his return he found only the burnt remains of his friend. Tribesmen had been and feasted upon the kangaroo while he was away. He looked in the ashes at the charred remains and noticed that a piece of the kangaroo had not been burnt nor eaten and that was the scrotum. Tamuddie cut it away, made a pouch out of it, and tied it around his neck.
On the way to his tribe he was stopped by men of another tribe. They argued over the kangaroo and one of the men threw a spear at Tamuddie, but the spear fell to the ground. This frightened the tribesmen and they ran from him screaming he was a demon.
When Tamuddie returned to his people he told them of the kangaroo and of the spear. An elder approached him with a knife and took his arm. Tamuddie grit his teeth knowing
the elder was about to cut him, but as the elder drew the knife across Tamuddies arm it did not cut. The elder looked strangely at Tamuddie for a few moments then said that because he had looked after the kangaroo, the pouch would bring him luck. The elder then declared to all the tribes people that Tamuddie would join with the elders. Tamuddie wore the pouch for many years and for many years it brought him luck.
Another Legend says:
Once upon a time there lived in the center of Australia an aboriginal boy. One day he came upon a small kangaroo in the bush, caught it by the tail, and made a purse out of its dear little symbol of masculinity. He gave it to his girl, and she kept seeds and berries in it.
Next he saw a large kangaroo. He caught it with a spear and made another purse from its thick symbol of masculinity. He gave it to his farther who kept stones and things of value in it.
Ever since then, male kangaroo scrotum purses have been popular amongst the aborigines. For women, the soft playable one; for men the strong, wrinkled one.
They became as important as one's own symbol of masculinity and were recognized as the brining luck items. That's why kangaroo scrotum purse is often called as "Lucky Bag" or "Lucky Pouch".
| | EXTRACTS FROM ENCYCLOPAEDIA MYTHICA by Dr Anthony E. Smith Bobbi-bobbi
One of the ancestral snakes of the Binbinga people of northern Australia, Bobbi-Bobbi once sent a number of flying foxes for men to eat, but these bats escaped. So the snake, underground, watching, threw one of his ribs up, where the men on the ground received it and, using it as a boomerang, slew the bats and cooked them. Later they used the boomerang to make a hole in the sky, and Bobbi-Bobbi, angered, took back his rib, dragging down into his mouth two young men who had tried to hold onto the boomerang.
Mangar-kunjer-kunja
The lizard creator god of the Aranda of Central Australia. It is said that he found the undeveloped first beings, the Rella manerinja, on the slope of a hill; these beings were in fact two fused together. Mangar-kunjer-kunja separated them with a stone knife, and cut the openings for their eyes, ears, noses and mouths. Next he presented the stone knife, fire, the spear, the shield, the boomerang, and a sacred object called the Tjurunga to his new creatures. Finally he regulated their marriage system.
(New Zealand - and not from "Mythica")
How the Kiwi Lost His Wings
One day, Tanemahuta was walking through the forest. He looked up at his children reaching for the sky and he noticed that they were starting to sicken, as bugs were eating them.
He talked to his brother, Tanehokahoka, who called all of his children, the birds of the air together.
Tanemahuta spoke to them.
"Something is eating my children, the trees. I need one of you to come down from the forest roof and live on the floor, so that my children can be saved, and your home can be saved. Who will come?"
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Tui.
"E Tui, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Tui looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Tui looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, dark earth and shuddered.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too dark and I am afraid of the dark."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko.
"Pukeko, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Pukeko looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Pukeko looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, damp earth and shuddered.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too damp and I do not want to get my feet wet."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Pipiwharauroa.
"Pipiwharauroa, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Pipiwharauroa looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Pipiwharauroa looked around and saw his family.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for I am busy at the moment building my nest."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke. And great was the sadness in the heart of Tanehokahoka, for he knew, that if one of his children did not come down from the forest roof, not only would his brother loose his children, but the birds would have no home.
Tanehokahoka turned to Kiwi.
"E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Kiwi looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Kiwi looked around and saw his family. Kiwi looked at the cold damp earth. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said,
"I will."
Great was the joy in the hearts of Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta, for this little bird was giving them hope. But Tanemahuta felt that he should warn kiwi of what would happen.
"E kiwi, do you realise that if you do this, you will have to grow thick, strong legs so that you can rip apart the logs on the ground and you will loose your beautiful coloured feathers and wings so that you will never be able to return to the forest roof. You will never see the light on day again."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
"E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Kiwi took one last look at the sun filtering through the trees and said a silent goodbye. Kiwi took one last look at the other birds, their wings and their coloured feathers and said a silent goodbye. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said,
"I will."
Then Tanehokahoka turned to the other birds and said,
"E Tui, because you were too scared to come down from the forest roof, from now on you will wear the two white feathers at your throat as the mark of a coward.
Pukeko, because you did not want to get your feet wet, you will live forever in the swamp.
Pipiwharauroa, because you were too busy building your nest, from now on you will never build another nest again, but lay your eggs in other birds nests.
But you kiwi, because of your great sacrifice, you will become the most well known and most loved bird of them all."
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