The game pretty much steps you through EVERY action that you need to learn, so if you go slowly and steadily through the game, you will learn what you need to know long before you get to actually having to use it!

Y - talk
X - bite
A - jump
B - throw boomerangs
L - press and hold to aim boomerangs
C camera - look around

SWIMMING:
X - dive
A - swim (tap A to swim faster)

With 2 boomerangs: glide - A jump then press and hold A

When you die, you return to the nearest outhouse, or "dunnie" as they're called.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Walkthrough