MELBOURNE

What does reconciliation mean in Australia?

According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, reconciliation requires the recognition and respect of Australia’s First Peoples, the acknowledgement of past injustices and the ongoing inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and a commitment to working towards a more equal and respectful future. 

Issue nine of Connect to Country out now

In this edition we feature unforgettable family-friendly adventures, top coastal locations for cultural immersion and sustainable adventures designed with care for the environment and a deep respect for Country. Readers also have the chance to win an original artwork by Sarah Robinson, a third-generation artist from Central Australia.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences launches exciting new trade and media offerings for 2025

Discover Aboriginal Experiences has developed an exciting range of new assets for trade and media.

Discover the versatility of Australian bush foods

Join us as we explore the incredible world of native Australian bush foods with Dale Tilbrook from Dale Tilbrook Experiences.

Empowering Indigenous communities to share, practice and preserve their culture

Johani Mamid, owner and operator of Mabu Buru Tours, welcomes you to Broome / Rubibi in the stunning Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Discover Quandamooka Country

Elisha Kissick, a proud Quandamooka woman, invites you to experience the rich cultural heritage of Minjerribah / North Stradbroke Island.

Aboriginal-guided tourism experiences provide a richer, deeper connection to Australia

Join us as we hear from Juan Walker of Walkabout Cultural Adventures, to discover why experiencing Aboriginal-guided tours is a must when traveling throughout Australia.

About the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective

Learn how the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective came to be in this video.

8 ways to see northwest Australia in a new light

by Natasha Dragun

Whether you’re a foodie or a history buff, exploring the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia with an Indigenous guide deepens your visit and cultural understanding of this very special part of the country. Here are eight must-do experiences.

Aboriginal perspectives of the wet tropics of Queensland

The World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland stretches for 450 kilometres along Australia’s north-east coast. It’s a place where rivers charge through gorges, waterfalls drop from vertiginous escarpments, and thousands of plant and animal species – many of them endemic – thrive in one of the country’s oldest wilderness areas. Home to the Daintree Rainforest, its global significance is undeniable, but this ecosystem holds a into the significance of these landscapes, and the ancient Dreamtime stories they hold. particularly important place in Aboriginal cultures and traditions, and has done for millennia.

How to experience Aboriginal cultures when staying at a Luxury Lodge of Australia

by Natasha Dragun

The Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio includes some of the country’s most ravishing and remote properties – places that offer every comfort imaginable, but also a strong sense of place and culture. Check in to one, and you can also take a deep dive into the region’s strong Indigenous traditions on a Discover Aboriginal Experiences tour.

The unique Aboriginal stories behind Australia's islands

Whether you’re visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland or Coastal New South Wales, the Creation stories of Australia’s many islands – there are 8,000+ of them – hold a long and spiritual connection to Indigenous communities.  

Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective welcomes seven new members

The Discover Aboriginal Experiences portfolio continues to grow, with seven extraordinary new members welcomed into the collective in 2025, taking the total to 55 members.

Best ways to discover Aboriginal seafood experiences

Think of fishing and chances are you’ll picture a rod, line and hook. But spend some time with a Traditional Custodian and soon you’ll be seeing pronged spears gliding through the air to land with a crack in the carapace of a mud crab. You’ll discover toxins in native plants that can be used to stun fish in the water. And you’ll learn about ancient stone fish traps laid across waterways, sharp hooks made from shells, and even fishing lines spun from vegetable “hair”.

Cruise into Aboriginal Cultures

From the coast to lakes and rivers, Australia’s Aboriginal communities have the same affinity with waterways as they do with land. Cruising with an Indigenous guide is the ultimate way to take a deep dive into the significance of these landscapes, and the ancient Dreamtime stories they hold.

Issue eight of Connect to Country out now

In this edition, we invite Sab Lord, a seasoned expert, to settle a hypothetical contest between an Australian "saltie" and a US alligator—his surprising answer will intrigue you. Adventurers will find thrilling experiences like snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef with Indigenous guides and quad biking across vast sand dunes. Highlights also include a feature on tourism operators that are helping ensure that First Nations cultures remain strong for future generations, a journey into the Red Centre, and a feature on Tasmania’s award-winning wukalina Walk.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences spotlights Indigenous wellness ahead of World Mental Health Day

by Natasha Dragun

It's World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2024. And it’s evident that more than ever, we’re globally seeking experiences that soothe our soul, make us switch off, help us become more mindful and connect us to Country – and reconnect with ourselves in the process.

The answer to managing Australia's bushfire risk could lie in traditional Aboriginal practices

by Natasha Dragun

Indigenous communities across Australia have managed the threat of bushfires in a sustainable way for millennia. And their knowledge of the land, and how to avoid disaster, is being preserved and put to use across the country.

Aboriginal Dining Experiences that Elevate Native Produce

by Natasha Dragun

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia, the bush is a veritable supermarket – if you know where to look.

Traditional Aboriginal Healing: The Ancient Art of Wellness

by Natasha Dragun

Think wellness is protein shakes, superfoods, day spas and mindfulness? Aboriginal cultures put another spin on what we perceive as a modern trend.

Step into Nature's Pharmacy on an Aboriginal Tour

by Natasha Dragun

Being amid nature makes you feel good – we’ve known it for centuries, and today science proves it. But for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, it heals in more ways in one, with many native Australian plants packed with medicinal qualities that will cure what ails you.

In the footsteps of the palawa on Tasmania/lutruwita's wukalina Walk

by Natasha Dragun

Tasmania’s/lutruwita’s Indigenous-owned tourism offering, wukalina Walk takes trekkers around a postcard-perfect patch of the state’s northeast. And if you needed extra incentive to try the experience, it has just been listed on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places List for 2024. Here’s what to expect.

Starry Nights: Aboriginal tours that offer overnight immersion

Daytime visits to Australia’s most culturally significant sites inspire when you’re in the company of an Aboriginal guide, but multi-day trips can take your experience to the next level. Here are just some of the Discover Aboriginal Experiences’ that take you on an overnight adventure. By Natasha Dragun

Exclusive places you can only visit with an Aboriginal guide

As vast and open as Australia is, pockets of the country are inaccessible because their sacred status requires they be visited only with an Aboriginal guide. This not only offers exclusivity, but also takes you on an immersive journey into Indigenous histories and cultures, with insights that reveal just how wide, wonderful and ancient Australia really is. By Natasha Dragun

5 uniquely Australian experiences for culture-loving couples

Date night in Australia isn’t limited to dinner and a movie. If you’re looking to spice things up, grab your partner and try one of these experiences spotlighting Indigenous cultures. By Natasha Dragun

How to explore Queensland in, on and beside the water – with Indigenous guides

From the Great Barrier Reef to Mossman Gorge, much of life in Queensland revolves around the water. The state’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities reveal their strong connections to the state’s rivers, waterfalls, oceans and inlets.

3 unexpected Aboriginal experiences in Queensland

Spanning immense distances and ecosystems – from the Torres Strait Islands at the top of the state to the outback, rainforest and reef – Queensland’s Indigenous cultures are diverse. Needless to say, the experiences you can have on Country are eye-opening, and often unexpected. By Natasha Dragun

Discover Australia’s newest World Heritage Site

Australia’s newest World Heritage Site reveals the 6,600-year-old ingenuity of the Gunditjmara people. By Natasha Dragun

Issue seven of Connect to Country out now

In this edition we feature a new luxury Tiwi Islands Escape and highlight some of the incredible Aboriginal-led experiences available in Broome. We highlight movie locations where you can learn some older, epic tales from the Traditional Owners of the land and then take the plunge into some special swimming spots, where culture and heritage collide.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences launches 4 member case studies on sustainable tourism for Earth Day 2024

A collective of quality, authentic, Aboriginal-guided tourism offerings, Discover Aboriginal Experiences (DAE) is delighted to launch four case studies on collective members going to extraordinary lengths when it comes to sustainable tourism, whether that relates to protecting the environment, community, culture – or all three.

How to experience regenerative travel on an Aboriginal tour

More than ever, tourists are conscious of the impact their presence has on the landscapes they visit – particularly when they’re travelling to fragile, far-flung environments. Welcome to ‘regenerative travel’, the concept of leaving a place better than you found it and the next step in sustainable travel.

Understanding Aboriginal etiquette

by Fleur Bainger

Did you know it’s impolite in Aboriginal cultures to look someone directly in the eye? Or that shaking hands isn’t always the done thing? How about that it’s taboo for women to play the didgeridoo?

Meet the women leading the Aboriginal tourism charge

Much of the growth in Aboriginal cultural tourism has happened in the years since Sydney/Warrane hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and many credit Aunty Margret Campbell with spearheading the movement. An Elder from New South Wales’ Dunghutti-Jerrinja Nation, Margret has seen a huge shift in awareness over the last two decades.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences launches exciting trade and media offerings

Journalists and trade can take a deep dive into the DAE collective via the freshly launched 2024 Discover Aboriginal Experiences Media Kit, which contains a comprehensive portfolio of stories and ideas to inspire features and offer insights into Australia’s rich history and the world’s oldest living cultures.

Discover Aboriginal Experiences welcomes five new members

From Broome in Western Australia to a World Heritage-listed site in Victoria, the five newest members in the Discover Aboriginal Experiences portfolio offer a range of eye-opening experiences lasting from a few hours to a few days.

Seeing Uluru in a new light

by Natasha Dragun

We were there when Wintjiri Wiru launched in May this year, and enjoyed a fascinating panel discussion about the show.

Meet our newest member: Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours

by Natasha Dragun

From Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, Indigenous rangers take guests on an immersive ride to explore this country through Aboriginal eyes.

5 globally sought-after travel experiences elevated by Aboriginal guides

by Fleur Bainger

Australia lays claim to a world-renowned suite of tourism experiences. But it’s not as well known that many of these bucket-list activities can be experienced with an Aboriginal guide.

Uncover the deep cultural significance of Aboriginal place names

by Natasha Dragun

For more than 65,000 years, Aboriginal place names have carried knowledge passed down through generations. They’re symbolic of the Indigenous relationships to, and appreciation for, the land and water.

4 surprising facts about Aboriginal travel experiences

by Fleur Bainger

Australia is home to some of the world’s most outstanding Indigenous tourism experiences, but many are still relatively unknown to travellers, at home and abroad.

What is Australia Day?

Australia’s national day has evolved over time. Today it is observed across the country in a variety of different ways.

Guide to the barramundi in Aboriginal cultures

Prized by anglers for its fighting ability, barramundi is one of Australia’s most sought-after recreational fish. Delicious and well suited to a range of cooking methods, it’s also an Australian menu staple. But barramundi has deeper significance to Aboriginal peoples in northern Australia.

Guide to the boomerang in Aboriginal cultures

An international symbol of Australia, the boomerang is not just a hunting tool to Aboriginal communities, but also a representation of cultural endurance.

Guide to the cassowary in Aboriginal cultures

“You don’t want to touch those, let alone eat them,” says Kuku Yalanji man and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre guide Levi Williams, pointing to a bright blue egg-shaped fruit on the rainforest floor. “Cassowary plums are extremely toxic,” he explains. “Only the cassowary can digest them.” It’s just one fun fact you’ll learn about the culturally significant cassowary on an Aboriginal tour in Queensland’s World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest.

Guide to the didgeridoo in Aboriginal cultures

The world’s oldest instrument, the didgeridoo is arguably one of the most difficult to play. But when you hear a professional performance, it hits all the right notes and evokes the mystery and magic of the Dreaming.

Guide to the emu in Aboriginal cultures

A constant figure in Creation stories and an important source of food and medicine, the emu – Australia’s tallest native bird – features prominently in both Aboriginal cultures and diet.

Guide to the finger lime in Aboriginal cultures

The Australian finger lime is now found on restaurant menus and cocktail lists worldwide. But Aboriginal peoples have been enjoying ‘bush caviar’ for millennia.

Guide to the green ant in Aboriginal cultures

Found across tropical Australia, the green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) is a tiny master engineer with a big role in Aboriginal cultures, despite being just 5–7 mm long.

Why is there an Aboriginal Flag on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Linking the northern and southern shores of Sydney Harbour in a single span, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was heralded as a symbol of Australian progress upon its 1932 opening. The same can be said for the two flags flying at its summit: the Australian flag and the Aboriginal flag.

Guide to the Kakadu plum in Aboriginal cultures

One of Australia’s native superfoods, the Kakadu plum is not only tasty, but packs a punch when it comes to vitamin C. Which is why Aboriginal communities have used it for millennia as bush tucker and medicine.

Guide to the kangaroo in Aboriginal cultures

Australia’s most iconic animal, and pictured on the country’s coat of arms, the kangaroo is not only the world’s largest marsupial, but also an important part of Aboriginal cultures.

Guide to the saltwater crocodile in Aboriginal cultures

Found across the coastal waters and inland rivers and wetlands of northern Australia, saltwater crocodiles – also known as ‘salties’ – are the largest crocodile species and can grow up to seven metres long and weigh over 1,000 kilograms.