Wandjina Art -Bigge Island – Wary Bay

Australia is home to the oldest living cultures on earth and Aboriginal guides across the country offer a real connection to the place and a new way of viewing it. Aboriginal culture dates back more than 50,000 years. It existed long before Stonehenge, predates the Pyramids and is older than the Acropolis. If that isn’t amazing enough, you can still be experience this culture today!

Every part of Australia is Aboriginal Country and every part of that country has a series of stories and experiences that are unique to it.  From gateway destinations like Melbourne and Sydney, to the Red Centre or the red earth of the Kimberley, Aboriginal people across the country are waiting to tell their stories and share the meaning of their cultures and way of life.  Learning, hearing and experiencing this can be an incredibly enriching experience.

The world’s oldest living culture

Australia’s Indigenous peoples have lived on the country’s vast lands for tens of thousands of years. They are the world’s oldest living culture, and their unique identity and spirit continues to exist in every corner of the country.  While ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’ may be used to describe Australia’s First Peoples, they see it differently. “We are one, we are different to each other, and we are many,”

Aboriginal culture is holistic, defined by its connection to family, community and country. In Australia, the idea of “being on country” is central to the Aboriginal worldview.

The land (or “country”) is what defines Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people from the coast describe themselves as “saltwater people.” Those from river areas are “freshwater people.” And those from central arid regions are “desert people”.

To Aboriginal people Country is everything, it holds their stories, their religion and their ancestors.  This is because Aboriginal peoples believe their ancestral spirits emerged from the earth and the sky. These ancestral beings are their hero-creators, and it’s through their journeys that Aboriginal people believe all living things are created. These creation forces are constantly present, hence the strong cultural connection between Aboriginal people, the land and place.

Guest being involved in the Island Stars cultural experience

Torres Strait Islanders

The Indigenous people from the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, are regarded as distinct from the Aboriginal peoples of mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Torres Strait Islanders come from the islands of the Torres Strait between the tip of Cape York in Queensland and Papua New Guinea and share many cultural similarities with the people of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.

Adding a memorable cultural experience to your Australian tour

Currently, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent less than four per cent of Australia’s population. So, an interaction with Australia’s First Peoples is not a given for most visitors. But it is an experience worth seeking on your visit to Australia.  And who better to introduce you to the world’s oldest continuous culture than somebody who lives, breathes and dreams it every day — an Aboriginal guide, one of Australia’s First Peoples, who call this vast continent their home.

Aboriginal guides are warm, welcoming and extremely generous of spirit. They are keen to share their story and give an insight into their cultures. They bring the landscape to life allowing visitors to gain a deeper appreciation of Australia.

The Aboriginal Perspective

Such an interconnected perspective is radically different to the West where the landscape is seen as separate — or literally outside — of the human experience as we know it. In Aboriginal culture, people and the land merge – they are part of each other.

This is exactly why an experience with an Aboriginal guide can be transformational – and reshape how you connect with the world.  Whether it’s through feeling the light strip of ochre across the forehead, or walking along the beach with an Aboriginal elder who can read the tides by how the birds call, or simply experiencing some of Australia’s iconic landmarks through an Aboriginal lens.

Experiencing Aboriginal Culture

Experience this unique culture at the Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, on a tour on Thursday Island tour or an indigenous walking tour of Brisbane to name but a few attractions available in tours we sell. Alternatively, touring the Red Centre is a great way to learn about Aboriginal culture.

Aboriginal people bring another side of Australia to life and we highly recommend incorporating this into any Australian visit. Talk to us about experiencing Aboriginal culture during your Australian tour experience.