During the month of March, Cooks River People gather for Wurridjal Festival to celebrate the strong communities and ecologies along the river. In 2024, Wurridjal Festival was held from March 14 to April 7, with events from Gamay Botany Bay to the Yana Badu wetlands in Chullora.

The festival marks the start of a season when thousands of mullet – known as ‘Wurridjal’ in the Aboriginal languages spoken in the Sydney region – enter the Cooks River during their pre-spawning migration along the east coast of Australia. For thousands of years the river was healthy and a source of food for Aboriginal people. Wurridjal Festival aims to reconnect communities with First Nations knowledge and care for Country.

With 30+ free events throughout March and April, the festival highlights the incredible communities throughout the Cooks River catchment and the determination to regenerate it. With a wide range of activities from guided walks, river clean ups, bushcare, and cycling, to cultural workshops and panel discussions, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.