The best ways to connect with Indigenous culture in Queensland
Guide
By Danielle Reckless
Surviving over 50,000 years, Australia’s Indigenous culture is actually the oldest living cultural history in the world. In fact, aspects are sacred and still privately practiced to this day.
While you may think you can only admire this culture from behind the glass restraints of a museum display, the truth is, around these parts, you can experience culture first-hand.
From hunting and gathering amongst the mangroves, to discovering ancient rock art in our most remote and rugged corners, to the lush rainforests of the Wet Tropics where you can experience Aboriginal-inspired spa and massage treatments.
Check your Queensland holiday itinerary and add these Indigenous experiences to your list.
Indigenous culture in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
Queensland's tropical north has a lot to brag about. It's where the world's largest reef meets the world's oldest surviving rainforest. And it's also the only place you'll find both of Australia's Indigenous cultures. Here's a few of the best ways to experience Indigenous culture and history in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.
See a new side of the reef
You can’t come to the tropics without paying a visit to the world’s largest reef system, and you can experience it through the stories and history of a Traditional Owner with Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel. Before you dive in and explore with a master reef guide, the Indigenous Sea Rangers will share the Great Barrier Reef creation story, Indigenous history in the area and offer cultural performances.
Explore the Daintree
Is there a better way to experience the world’s oldest surviving rainforest than with its traditional custodians?
There are so many opportunities to connect with Indigenous culture while travelling in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. Explore Mossman Gorge on the Dreamtime Walk: you’ll visit sacred sites, hear ancient stories and witness a traditional smoking ceremony as you learn the local Kuku Yalanji’s strong relationship with the rainforest. Spend a day with Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours, immersed in the rainforest and pristine mangroves of Cooya Beach as you learn how to spear mudcrabs and hunt for shellfish, then feast on the spoils around a campfire.
Take a hands-on art workshop at Mossman’s Janbal Gallery to create your own art piece with the help of a Kuku Yalanji artist, or indulge in a luxurious, healing Indigenous-inspired spa treatment surrounded by ancient rainforest at Daintree Ecolodge. You can even dine in the Daintree: Flames of the Forest is an open air dining experience where you’ll feast on local produce and Indigenous flavours in an evening with the music and stories of Kuku Yalanji.
Remote tours and rock art
Even the most rugged and remote sides of Cairns & Great Barrier Reef welcome visitors to learn from our oldest cultures, thanks to the incredible ancient rock art galleries that remain carved into the landscape.
Tour the homelands of Cape York’s Balnggarrawarra Traditional Owners in an unforgettable day on Normanby Station, north of Cooktown. Join Culture Connect to journey into remote corners (and do a little hiking too) and witness rock art few others get to see; there’s multi-day adventures for those who want to really immerse themselves in country.
With Jarramali Rock Art Tours you'll tour the ‘Magnificent Gallery’, one of the Quinkan Rock Art sites, which earnt UNESCO status as one of the ten most significant bodies of rock art in the world. Check out this rugged part of the country by 4WD or scenic helicopter, with interpretive commentary from a Kuku Yalanji guide who translate the Dreamtime stories of the region. The tour winds its way to exclusive rock art sites only accessible to Jarramali guests, where you can bask in artworks sketched into the sandstone escarpments some tens of thousands of years ago.
Way out west in Queensland’s Gulf Savannah is one of the most soul-stirring Indigenous experiences. Yagurli Tours - an Indigenous-owned business operated by the Gangalidda and Garawa Peoples – share their stories through several different tours: fishing charters on the Albert River, 4WD adventures into the outback, sunset cruise, or learn about Queensland’s Indigenous culture from 22,000 feet on their hot air balloon tour. Get here with the outback road trip of a lifetime along Savannah Way.
Cultural connections in Cairns
Sticking close to the city? The family-friendly Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience awaits at Rainforestation Nature Park: join a local guide for Dreamtime storytelling, dance performances, ochre painting and learn about bush tucker amongst the rainforest of Kuranda.
Visit during Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (held annually in July) for a total cultural immersion. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are showcased through art in all forms over six days in an exciting line up of exhibitions, art sales and performances – be sure to visit these galleries while you’re here.
Here’s a few other Indigenous events to add to your calendar.
Journey to the Torres Strait
Travel past the tip of Australia and you’ll find a cluster of islands that make up the Torres Strait. The Indigenous people that inhabit and protect this part of Queensland have a unique cultural history that ties them directly to the saltwater around them.
Overlooking the ocean on Thursday Island is the Gab Titui Cultural Centre which preserves artwork produced by over 70 Indigenous artists. From traditional artefacts and remains to modern lino and print pieces, each item truly embodies Torres Strait’s cultural heritage and its evolution over the years.
The best way to explore further afield is with Torres Strait Eco Adventures. Run by a local couple, they’ll share their personal stories of life on the islands while visiting historic sites, sharing Torres Strait Islander history and heritage, or a first-hand look at pearl farming.
Every two years in September, the usually sleepy island town of Thursday Island comes alive as communities from all over the Torres Strait converge for the Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival.
This colourful celebration of dance, music and storytelling sees more than 400 dancers and musicians from the Torres Strait’s 18 inhabited islands gather to perform an array of traditional dances in elaborate ceremonial dress for thousands of locals and visitors. Prepare to be wowed by the performers’ elaborately feathered dhari headdresses, whirling grass skirts (known as zazi) and the ornate white makmaks encircling their ankles as you succumb to the hypnotic, pounding rhythm of the iconic warup drum and kulap (bean pod) shakers.
Indigenous culture in Townsville
A stroll along waterfront pathway The Strand is an essential part of any Townsville holiday. At its northernmost reach on the Garabarra headland lies Jezzine Barracks. This headland was once a common food foraging area for the local Aboriginal people; nowadays you can wander the outdoor gallery to discover works by Indigenous artists.
For something truly special, take the scenic drive north to Ingham for the Mungalla Station tour. Learn stories and customs of the Ngwaigi people on this former cattle ranch, have a traditional kup murri feast around the campfire, then roll into your swag under a blanket of stars.
Indigenous culture in The Whitsundays
Of all Queensland’s coastal Indigenous experiences, a day exploring hidden islands and Indigenous sites in the Whitsundays has to be the most breathtaking – with paradisiacal views and culturally rich experiences waiting around every corner on the Ngaro Sea Trail.
But the Ngaro Indigenous Cultural Tour with Whitsunday Paradise Explorer will give you a whole new understanding of this tropical region, through the eyes of these ancient island sea people. Learn their customs, how they hunted and sourced bush tucker (and try your hand at traditional spear fishing), explore two islands and hidden Indigenous rock art.
Indigenous culture in Rockhampton and the Capricorn region
Rock art is a significant storytelling piece in Aboriginal culture; how elders pass down history and knowledge to younger generations.
You'll find two of Queensland's most impressive Indigenous art sites within spectacular Carnarvon Gorge. Deep in the rugged national park lies Cathedral Cave and Art Gallery, showcasing thousands of ancient orche stencils along its sandstone walls - and that's alongside the thriving flora and fauna. Get there on foot: the hike takes roughly 4-6 hours round trip.
Can't make it to Carnarvon? The Dreamtime Cultural Centre in Rockhampton allows visitors to interact with and understand these art pieces. Not only will you see traditional art, but you’ll also be invited to retrace the Darambal people’s powerful history across 34 metres of reconstructed sandstone caves. Delve deeper into the cultural centre and you’ll find replica burial and ceremonial sites from this vanishing culture of the Sandstone Wilderness
Indigenous culture on the Fraser Coast
The ocean is special to the Butchulla people – and while you might have come to the Fraser Coast to whale watch or explore K’gari, don’t miss the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of a local Aboriginal guide as they share their knowledge of the Great Sandy Straits on Hervey Bay Eco Marine Tours.
Take the turtle tour on a glass bottom boat through the marine park, with time to swim, snorkel, explore local islands and search for marine wildlife while listening to Dreamtime stories. Or jump on board a sunset cruise, feasting on local king prawns while hearing legends of the Butchulla and enchanting didgeridoo. There’s also an inspiring cultural walking tour for those who prefer to keep both feet on dry land.
Indigenous culture on the Sunshine Coast
Wunya Ngulum; you are most welcome here.
A moving greeting is the first of many incredible moments if you set sail with Saltwater Eco Tours in Mooloolaba, a tour that blends time on the water with rich cultural insights. Historic vessel Spray of the Coral Coast will guide you through the canals, as you feast on bush tucker, learn local Kabi Kabi Aboriginal stories and customs, and their connection to this land and surrounding waters.
On the Sunshine Coast you can spend the morning wandering through an Indigenous Fine Arts Gallery, and then end your day with a wander in Glass House Mountains National Park. Towering granite peaks dominate the hinterland skyline – but this spiritually significant land tells a story that dates back to the Dreamtime. There are various hikes and lookout points to explore, but you can’t beat hiking to the top of Mt Ngungun for sunset.
Indigenous culture on the Gold Coast
Burleigh Heads isn’t just a surf haven with a pretty view, it has a symbolic cultural purpose to the local Yugambeh people. In fact, it was once known as a feasting ground for Indigenous travellers passing through the region.
These historic Dreamtime stories of Jellurgal (Burleigh Headland) are preserved and shared at the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Take a guided journey to the ancient sites and middens to see where the ancestral Yugambeh people gathered and thrived for hundreds of years. The experience is both educational and enchanting.
Indigenous culture in Brisbane
Queensland’s capital is rich in indigenous culture, with so many experiences within easy reach of Brisbane city. There’s a little something for everyone, from moving theatre performances that recount the history and tragedy of local Indigenous people, to an inner-city gallery and café connecting you to Aboriginal art and flavours. Take a city walking tour through the eyes of Brisbane’s first people with BlackCard Cultural Tours or learn how to use traditional musical instruments at Riverlife Mirrabooka.
Venture into the Scenic Rim to experience cultural immersion while deep in nature with Yarriba Dreaming: a three-day journey led by the Mount Barney Lodge and local Indigenous guides through the foothills and forest of rugged Mount Barney, the second highest peak in South East Queensland. Learn traditional ways of living, share stories, walk through Country and camp among the bush - a unique way to consider your own place in nature while connecting with our oldest cultures.
Or take the ferry to Minjerribah to experience the Quandamooka island life, where spectacular island scenery, sacred spots and cultural heritage collide. Visit traditional sites like Blue Lake and Brown Lake, check out the Minjerribah Art Trail, or visit during Quandamooka Festival, when the spirit of the Quandamooka country really comes to life through song, dance and art.
