“There are many springs around Strangways, most of them close to the old Telegraph Station but some on the other (northeast) side of the old main Marree–Oodnadatta road, easily visible as the road approaches the Warriner Creek or Warditji Karla. Some of the mound springs are extinct and a few still active, but they all form part of the one mythological site Panki Warrunha ‘White Ribs.’

The myth to which this site refers is that of the two ancestral Snakes, Kukari the green snake and Yurkunangku the Red-Bellied Black Snake. They have traveled from far away …and they have had many adventures…. They are now travelling south from Toogamoona Creek Thungka-marna, having their mouths full of solanum berries. They camp overnight at Strangways and waking in the morning they say “ mathapurda ngunanayi arimpa pangki warru-thirnda-ki, warritharu yukarndinaru”

“Eh, old fellow, my friend, our ribs have turned white! It’s because we have traveled such a long way!”

The many mound springs around Strangways, both active and extinct, do in fact have bands of white silcrete that look like the ribs of snakes.

Quoted from SA Dept of Environment & Planning (1986) Heritage of the Mound Springs: The assessment of Aboriginal Cultural Significance of Mound Springs in South Australia prepared by Dr Luise Hercus & Dr Peter Sutton.

The two springs closest to the Peake are called Yardiya Parnda and Yardiya Kupa, meaning big and little spindle. The two ancestral snakes Yurkunangku the red bellied black snake and Kurkari the green snake camped at Yardiya “and spent a lot of time just sitting there and making hair string with a spindle. To stop the wind blowing away the bits of hair they were using, they built a wind-break of rocks which are still there. Finally when they had finished they walked on up into the range on their way south.”

This story was taken from SA Dept of Environment & Planning (1986) Heritage of the Mound Springs: The assessment of Aboriginal Cultural Significance of Mound Springs in South Australia prepared by Dr Luise Hercus & Dr Peter Sutton.

Yatjaparanha is where the Arabunna Fish History starts. Two huge ancestral Yellow- bellies appeared here and the Crane and other birds decided to drive them into the shallows by sweeping the water with bushes. They swept them along to Loudon Springs or Katirinha. At Brinkley Springs or Thurru-hurrunha one big isolated box tree next to the spring represents the wicked ancestral Crane Wurru. He was supposed to be in charge of the sweeping operation but was too busy making lewd gestures to his two daughters-in-law. On the upper Umbum Creek the Crane became so distracted that he let go of the bushes, and at Edith Springs or Mangkapil-jinha the fish escaped. A deadly curse was uttered which is associated with a red spring where nothing will grow, on top of the range not far from Mt Margaret. The two big Yellow-Bellies then went to Little Perry Spring and are still represented there by Markara-Pula. The two big lumps of this hill can be seen from far away. The Fish pursued by the Crane go through Primrose Spring or Papu-ngaljuru and camp at the two sandhills Mudlu-mudlu-pulanha to the north. They then split up and the two big Yellow-bellies go back north, and the Cranes go northeast to the lower Diamantina.

This story was taken from SA Dept of Environment & Planning (1986) Heritage of the Mound Springs: The assessment of Aboriginal Cultural Significance of Mound Springs in South Australia prepared by Dr Luise Hercus & Dr Peter Sutton.