Many points of connection emerged between the Aboriginals and the Maasai

For the "first Australians", this has been disastrous as their culture and way of life were wrapped up with the land.

Since the late 1960s when at last Aboriginals were recognised as citizens, they have been fighting in court and have had some success regaining rights over their traditional land.

Maasai tribulations

Maasais and Aborigines share a common struggle: Land rights

But for the Maasai the current situation is acute. Both government and private interests have appropriated land that the Maasai need for pasture - often in the name of conservation.

Most of East Africa's most famous protected areas - the Serengeti, Maasai Mara and Tarangire national parks - have been created out of what were traditional pastoral lands.

At Ngorongoro we heard how the Maasai who now live around a vast crater have been dispossessed of their lands twice.

In the 1950s they were evicted from the Serengeti, then in 1975 the same people were forced to leave the rich grazing land of the Ngorongoro crater so that it too could become a conservation area.

The conservationists see the Maasai presence as harmful to the wildlife. The Maasai deny this.

The Maasai have for years co-existed with wildlife

They say they have always co-existed with wildlife and showed us how their cattle graze alongside zebra.

In fact they argue that they have played a role in conservation - by keeping waterholes dug and effectively preventing poaching.

The Maasai say there were something like 200 black rhinos when they were living in there, whereas now there are only 15 or so.

'Win-win situation'

The Ngorongoro situation was of particular interest to Australian delegate Jo Wilmott.

She lives in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - home of Ayers Rock, one of Australia's most famous tourist attractions, now known again by its Aboriginal name, Uluru.

As she explained that park is now jointly managed by Aboriginals and white Australians. She described it as a "win-win situation".

The Aboriginal people continue to live in the park, to hunt and gather and perform their rituals and ceremonies.

They benefit from tourist revenue. The tourists meanwhile feel they have a more authentic experience because the park is still used traditionally.

It is a model of great potential relevance to East Africa.

Like the Maasais, Aborigines go hunting for food

While the delegation were aware of the deep differences between the economic and political realities of life in Australia and East Africa many points of connection emerged between the Aboriginals and the Maasai.

While cattle are at the heart of Maasai culture they have become a part of the lives of many Aboriginals.

Surprising similarities

In conversations about traditions it turned out that there were surprising similarities in the lives of the Aborigines and the Maasai - for instance in circumcision ceremonies.

While the delegation compared notes on individual land cases the trip also provided an opportunity to forge links which might advance both their causes.

As our host in Lorkisale, Tanzania put it; "It's the first time in this zone that we've had guests like this... sitting together, talking together, changing the ideas together... We're both traditional people and it's similar... There are Maasai in Australia!"