Back in the early to mid 80's I read a trilogy based on Australian Aboriginal myth cycles.  Great read, if short, but I cannot for the life of me remember the author's name or the names of any of the books.  I can see the cover art clear as day, but that isn't much help.  I don't remember much of the plot, either, other than it was a classic young-man-goes-on-quest-to-save-world-and-becomes-unlikely-hero sort of thing.  There were elemental spirits involved - the one thing I remember fairly clearly (unless I'm confusing this with another book) was that at one point he captured a water sprite and bound her to be an earth creature by smoking her.  She's on the cover of one of the books.

Is this ringing bells for anyone?

No help from me, but now all I can think of is The Gods Must Be Crazy.

::: off to get a bottle of Coca Cola :::

<G>

I remember some cyberpunk author had a book about the dreamtime.  And it was quite different than her(?) other novels.  Sort of an end of the world with Aussie myths.

Okay.  None of these seem to be quite what you are looking for.  But a start...

Walkabout Woman by Michaela Roessner

Paul Brandon

Tom Gilling