Reel to real: experience Australia’s cinematic Country with Aboriginal guides
Whether it’s following in the sandy footsteps of Crocodile Dundee or dancing through a gorge like in Top End Wedding, Indigenous experiences offer a front-row seat to Aussie landscapes.
Discovering Indigenous artefacts with an Aboriginal guide from Nitmiluk Tours, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
From desert salt pans and tropical gorges to lush rainforests and coastal cliffs, Australia’s blockbuster backdrops are often just the opening act. Behind the camera-ready landscapes lie stories that have been shared for tens of thousands of years – and today, Aboriginal tourism operators are inviting travellers to go beyond the frame and experience Country through the eyes of its Traditional Custodians.
Whether it’s following in the sandy footsteps of Crocodile Dundee or dancing through a gorge like in Top End Wedding, Indigenous experiences offer a front-row seat to landscapes where cinema meets spirit – and every visit is unscripted.
Cruising through Nitmiluk Gorge with Nitmiluk Tours, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Top End Wedding
Where: Kakadu, Nitmiluk, Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory
DAE Experiences: Nitmiluk Tours, Tiwi Islands Aboriginal Cultural Tour, SeaLink NT Tiwi by Design
In the feel-good romantic comedy Top End Wedding, Miranda Tapsell’s character travels from Darwin through Nitmiluk Gorge and Kakadu in search of her mother – but what audiences really discover is a region rich in beauty and lore. Travellers can step into the same dramatic gorge country with Nitmiluk Tours, where Jawoyn guides share ancient rock art sites, Dreaming stories and cultural practices on the land and river.
Tiwi Islander with traditional face and body painting, Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory © SeaLink NT
The film’s emotional finale takes place in the Tiwi Islands, home to one of the most distinctive cultural identities in Australia. On a SeaLink NT and Tiwi Islands Cultural Tour, visitors can join a guided day trip to Bathurst Island, where highlights include meeting local artists, experiencing a traditional smoking ceremony and visiting the iconic whitewashed Catholic church featured in the film. The island’s mix of strong spiritual traditions, vibrant art and warm community spirit brings the screen to life – with culture woven into every moment.
Admiring waterfalls on El Questro in the Kimberley region of Western Australia © Tourism Australia
Australia
Where: Kununurra, Western Australia
DAE Experience: El Questro Aboriginal Experiences, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Baz Luhrmann’s sweeping epic Australia was filmed in the cinematic surrounds of Kununurra, where ancient ranges, boab-lined plains and ochre escarpments set the scene for the fictional Faraway Downs. Today, visitors can explore the town’s deep Aboriginal connections through Waringarri Aboriginal Arts – the oldest continuously operating art centre in the Kimberley. Located in the heart of Kununurra, this Indigenous-owned centre is a vibrant hub for Miriwoong culture, where travellers can meet artists, learn traditional techniques and see stories of Country come to life through canvas, carving and weaving. Also in the Kimberley, the vast beauty of El Questro is the setting for Injiid Marlabu Calls Us, a powerful two-hour immersion into the local Indigenous culture with storytelling, healing and music.
The vast landscapes of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Crocodile Dundee
Where: Kakadu National Park
DAE Experience: Kakadu Cultural Tours, Kakadu Tourism
This 1986 cult classic put Kakadu on the international map, but no amount of box office buzz can match the feeling of standing in this UNESCO World Heritage Site yourself. Kakadu Cultural Tours offers immersive, off-road access into Country, including the Injalak Hill rock art galleries featured in the film. Guests travel with Bininj guides who not only interpret the land’s deep-time stories, but connect them with ongoing culture, language and community. Kakadu Tourism also brings the landscape to life with a suite of Aboriginal-led experiences, from Yellow Water Cruises through crocodile-rich wetlands to guided walks through ancient stone Country, where every escarpment has a story to tell.
Taking in a spectacular view of Queensland's Burleigh headland with a Jellurgal guide © Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Elvis
Where: Gold Coast
DAE Experience: Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis may be about a music icon, but much of the movie was filmed on Bundjalung Country in the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers. To connect with the real rhythm of this landscape, visit the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Burleigh Heads. Guided by local custodians, guests walk along the oceanfront trails of Jellurgal (Burleigh Headland) while learning about traditional life, Dreaming stories, and the enduring cultural significance of the region.
Indigenous Burrawa Climb Guide points to Sydney Opera House, NSW © Tourism Australia
The Fall Guy
Where: Sydney
DAE Experience: Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Ryan Gosling’s high-octane action flick The Fall Guy catapulted Sydney Harbour and its surrounds into the spotlight. But beneath the stunts and skyline is a harbour layered with thousands of years of Gadigal history. To uncover it, scale the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, led by Aboriginal guides sharing stories of Country, culture and connection. Or explore the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney with a First Nations guide, where bush food trails and seasonal storytelling bring the harbour’s heritage to life.
