10 best Indigenous experiences around Australia

Angela Saurine
August 24, 2019

Help your kids get a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture with these awesome and immersive activities.

1. Dot Painting Workshop at Ayers Rock Resort - Uluru, NT

Sit with Anangu Indigenous artists in a Maruku Arts Dot Painting Workshop and learn about the different symbols depicting Creation Time (Tjukurpa) stories before creating your own dot painting. The are held every morning and afternoon near the Town Square Lawn Area at Ayers Rock Resort.

After the class, check out the Indigenous Art Markets to see local artists at work and perhaps buy an authentic piece of art or craft to take home. Other free cultural activities for your family trip to Uluru include didgeridoo workshops, a native food experience, and bush yarns learning about weapons used for hunting and gathering bush tucker.

LEARN MORE: Indigenous author THOMAS MAYO shares why families should visit Uluru

2. Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours - Coffs Harbour, NSW

Paddle along a creek with the descendants of the world’s first stand-up paddle boarders with Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours at Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast. Don’t worry if you’ve never tried SUP before – no experience is necessary. The 2.5-hour tour begins with a brief demonstration.

Guests will hear stories about the area from an Indigenous guide, learn about the local language and collect and try bush tucker. The tours are held at three locations depending on guests and the tides. Including Coffs Creek, Red Rock and Moonee, with the latter giving kids the chance to backflip off a rope swing into the water.

KEEP EXPLORING: 15 fun things to do in Coffs Harbour with kids

3. Hunters Creek Tagalong Tour - The Kimberley, WA

At Cape Leveque in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, children are taught how to spear fish, search for mud crabs, and make whistles out of shells by the vibrant Indigenous guide Brian Lee.

Visitors on his tours, run from the remote Djarindjin roadhouse, also learn about the customs of the Bardi people and hear tales of European settlement on the Dampier Peninsula before gathering under a tree to cook their catch over an open fire.

4. Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute - Adelaide, SA

See a yidaki (didgeridoo) being played or a performance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers and hear their stories at Tandaya, Australia’s oldest Aboriginal-owned and managed multi-arts centre. Tandanya is a Kaurna word for ‘place of the Red Kangaroo’. The Adelaide galleries play host to at least 12 exhibitions a year.

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5. Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours - Port Douglas, QLD

Go mud-crabbing and gather food from the mangroves with brothers Linc and Brandon Walker at Cooya Beach, around 15 minutes drive north of Port Douglas. During your authentic Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tour, they will also teach you how to spearfish and share stories from their traditional land before returning to their family’s home to showcase Kuku Yalanji artefacts as they prepare the morning’s catch.

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6. Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness - Narooma, NSW

Spend the weekend visiting sacred and significant sites in the area around Narooma on the NSW South Coast with Indigenous guide Dwayne ‘Naja’ Bannon-Harrison of Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness. As well as learning more about the Yuin people’s creation stories, history and culture, the immersive tour also includes the rare opportunity to participate in traditional Aboriginal sunrise and beach ceremonies and yarning circles.

7. Dhawura Tours - ACT

If you’re keen to see Aboriginal rock art, the Canberra region has some easily accessible options. Dhawura Cultural Tours takes you to sites of cultural significance, including places where you can see grinding grooves, a canoe tree and a shield tree.

Experiences range from two-hour to full-day tours, including a swim at Flea Creek in Namadgi National Park. They also offer the chance to learn how to speak the Ngunawal language, participate in a traditional weaving workshop or join a bush tucker cooking class. Some tours are only suitable for children 12 and older.

DISCOVER MORE: 8 ways to learn about Aboriginal culture in Canberra

8. Dreamtime Walk in Mossman Gorge - Daintree, QLD

Learn about traditional plant uses and Kuku Yalanji culture during a guided Dreamtime Walk through Mossman Gorge in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park. The 1.5-hour tour begins with a traditional smoking ceremony that cleanses and wards off bad spirits.

The walk then meanders through the rainforest and takes in traditional huts or humpies. An Indigenous guide demonstrates traditional plant use, identifies bush food sources and provides an enchanting narrative of the rainforest and their special relationship with it. Also, learn how to make bush soap and learn about ochre painting before enjoying traditional bush tea and damper.

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9. Brambuk Cultural Centre - The Grampians, VIC

Experience everything from didgeridoo workshops to boomerang painting and throwing and bush food tasting at Brambuk Cultural Centre. You can also see two award-winning presentations in its Gariwerd Dreaming theatre.

The Gariwerd Creation Story depicts the Aboriginal legend of Tchingal, the giant emu and Waa, the crow, and the formation of the Grampians/Gariwerd mountains, while Gariwerd, a Cultural Landscape illustrates the geology, flora and fauna and Aboriginal and European history of the region.

10. Mandjoogoordap Dreaming - Mandurah, WA

If you find yourself on Western Australia’s South-West coast, don’t miss a tour with Indigenous guide George Walley from Mandurah Dreaming. The experienced educator, who grew up living with extended family in bush shelters, leads guests on the Mandjoogoordap Dreaming Tour along the foreshore as he shares his stories.

The tour starts and finishes at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on demand. Other tours, including canoe tours and cruises, are also available.

Angela Saurine

Angela Saurine is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer and proud mum who lives in Bangalow, in the Byron Bay hinterland. She started out in journalism in local newspapers before setting off to explore the world for two years, living at Whistler ski resort in Canada and in London. On her return home, her passion for adventure led to a role as national travel reporter at News Corp Australia – a position she held for four years before embarking on a freelance career. She loves skiing, islands, expedition cruising, eco-tourism and Indigenous tourism.

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