A new selection of activities for visitors to Australia allow you to experience the country’s history and nature, with the added richness of Aboriginal culture.
Australia’s Aboriginal people are the island continent's original inhabitants, with a history that dates back over 65,000 years. That makes them one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures. A revival of Australian indigenous cultural practices, oral traditions, spiritual beliefs and recognition of their deep and historic connection to the land means visitors to Australia can enrich their trip with indigenous perspectives.
Here are new activities that include Aboriginal cultural contributions in some of Australia’s most iconic destinations:
Sunrise Journeys at Uluru
Where: Uluṟu / Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta, Northern Territory
The Experience: A pre-dawn, immersive, Indigenous laser, light and sound show at the iconic and deeply spiritual Aboriginal site of Uluru, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (The geological formation was previously known as Ayers Rock until it was officially returned to its original, indigenous name).
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia have launched Sunrise Journeys (pictured, top) at Ayers Rock Resort in Uluṟu. The show highlights the spiritual heart of Australia and the connection Aṉangu (the Traditional Owners of Uluṟu) have to the land.
The production is a collaboration between renowned leading Aṉangu artists and a leading visual experience creator. During the sensory display, the desert landscape is transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound. Brought to life with state-of-the-art animation technology, the two-hour Sunrise Journeys experience includes breakfast with “native inspired flavors,” and takes place as the sun rises on the spiritual site of Uluṟu.
Created in consultation with three female Aṉangu artists, the work, which translates to English as "our Country is truly beautiful,” depicts a modern telling of the artists’ shared connection to these lands. The experience is filled with messages of “hope, new beginnings and a bright future.”
Lady Musgrave Experience Whale Search Expedition
Where: Bundaberg, Queensland, in the Southern Great Barrier Reef
The Experience: Witness the majestic migration of whales along Australia’s incredible ‘Humpback Highway’ off the coast of Queensland, in the country’s Southern Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage area.
Lady Musgrave Island is a tiny, off-the-grid coral cay 5 hours drive from Brisbane and set on 3000 acres of living reef, surrounded by an extraordinary turquoise lagoon. It provides a wild backdrop for day trips and overnight glamping experiences with Lady Musgrave Experience, which holds Advance Ecotourism and Climate Action certifications from Ecotourism Australia.
Lady Musgrave Experience's citizen science-based Whale Search Expedition takes you on an unforgettable, half-day adventure to spot whales. Guests sail aboard a luxury high-speed catamaran while enjoying expert commentary from Marine Ecologists designed to engage visitors of all ages.
Beginning with a traditional Smoking Ceremony conducted by Taribelang Bunda custodians, guests set sail on the scenic waters and keep an eye out for diverse marine wildlife.
While the adventure promises an enriching and memorable marine encounter for visitors, the Lady Musgrave Island program also directly contributes to Reef conservation through activities such as Experiential Learning, Data Collection, Marine-Biologist-for-a-Day programs, Guided Snorkel Safaris, Coral Adoption and Transplanting, and Reef Health Surveys.
Algohgarrng Night Tours
Where: Kakadu, Northern Territory
The Experience: Explore the vast and mesmerising night skies of Australia’s outback. Kakadu National Park is a protected area and a World Heritage site about 100 miles southeast of Darwin.
Guests embark on an extraordinary First Nations guided journey of the night skies from the comfort of a “Yellow Water” vessel that is equipped with a retractable roof. During the journey, you’ll witness unparalleled views of the stars, planets, and constellations that illuminate Kakadu National Park, whose remote location means your views of the night skies are not dimmed by ‘light pollution’ from surrounding human settlements.
Guided by experts who intertwine astronomical knowledge with the rich cultural stories of the Gagudju people and even Greco-Roman mythology, you gain fascinating insights into the solar system, moon phases, and distant galaxies.
It’s a whole new way to experience Australia – and it’s perfect for astronomy enthusiasts, especially those who are accustomed to looking up at celestial bodies from the Northern hemisphere - as well as anyone curious about the ancient and Australian Aboriginal stories of the heavens.
Cunnamulla Hot Springs
Where: Cunnamulla, Queensland
The Experience: Immerse yourself – literally – in the newest artesian baths destination in the Australian Outback. Cunnamulla is in southwest Queensland, about 450 miles west of Brisbane on Australia’s east coast.
Following a wildlife-sighting rich road journey to where Australia’s thousand-mile ‘Adventure Way’ meets the 1300-mile ‘Mathilda Way’ in Australia’s Outback, guests settle into a retreat set along the region’s Warrego River.
There, you can soak in one of seven hot-spring pools filled with water from the Great Artesian Basin, one of the world's largest, deepest underground freshwater resources. There are also cold-plunge options as well as a Body Clay Ritual that combines playfulness and the healing powers of clay and mineral waters.
Local Indigenous groups host frequent food and storytelling events in the gardens surrounding the springs.
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Images courtesy of Australia Tourism/ the respective travel experiences.
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