5-day itinerary: Discover the Indigenous culture of Brisbane and the Gold Coast

Take a short drive to Nudgee Waterholes (30-mins from Brisbane city), a place of spiritual significance to the local Jagera People. Listen to ancient stories as your Aboriginal guide from Nyanda Cultural Tours takes you on a journey through the wetlands.

You’ll taste local bush tucker and learn about the coming of age rituals for young Jagera men. Your journey ends at a sacred Bora Ring where you’ll hear the sound of a traditional bull-roarer, then be treated to a bush food-style morning tea: a hunk of wattle-seed damper baked over the campfire, served up with lashings of lilly pilly jam.

Private tour experiences only, must be booked in advance.

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If that bush tucker stirred your appetite, don’t worry – your day is just getting started. Art meets cuisine at Indigenous-owned and operated Birrunga Gallery & Dining in Brisbane’s CBD. Wander the gallery to view the ever-rotating exhibition of original artworks by First Nations people, then tuck into the café menu which features native ingredients alongside kangaroo, crocodile and other delights. You can even join them on Thursday and Friday evenings for Art Afterhours, when the bar comes to life too. 

Day 2: Meanjin to Minjerribah

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No Brisbane cultural immersion is complete without finding yourself at the city’s cultural beating heart: South Bank. And you can get to know it through an Indigenous lens on a 90-minute walking tour with BlackCard Cultural Tours. Their three walking tours aim to change the way people see Brisbane – and the Cultural Precinct tour will introduce you to artworks and spiritual sites you probably didn’t even know existed.

Head back to explore the twin galleries of QAGOMA (Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art). With a heavy focus on the contemporary art of Australia, Asia and the Pacific, QAGOMA is also home to the largest collection of contemporary Torres Strait Islander art in the world.

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Jump on the 45-minute vehicle ferry (or the speedier passenger ferry) and leave the city in your review mirror: it’s time to explore Minjerribah, land of the Quandamooka people. Also known as Straddie or North Stradbroke Island, this is the world’s second largest sand island and has an equally rich cultural heritage (even its own Indigenous festival, Quandamooka Festival).

Minjerribah is beloved for its lack of artifice and down-to-earth charm – but the fact that it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful and home to endless sandy beaches, glittering inland lakes and an abundance of native wildlife doesn’t hurt either.

Get on island time and book your stay with Minjerribah Camping: there’s six campgrounds plus two ‘wild’ beach camping locations around the island – and you can even check into your very own luxury eco-tent for a glamping experience at Adder Rock or Amity Point.

Then, strap on your walking shoes for a scenic hike along the craggy clifftops of North Gorge Walk – a significant place for the Quandamooka people who used it for hunting, gathering bush tucker and sacred rituals. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, manta rays and turtles and if you’re here between June and September, humpback whales.

Day 3: Meet your Quandamooka guide

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Today’s your chance to learn the history of Minjerribah with Yura Tours. A 100% Aboriginal owned and run business, Elisha and her family share their love for the island across a three-hour adventure. Experience a moving Welcome to Country at Bummiera (Brown Lake), explore sacred sites around the island, visit local makers and art galleries, and learn more about the Quandamooka people’s customs, food and creation stories.

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It’s time to hit the beach highway. Main Beach offers the ultimate 4WD beach cruising experience, with 32km of uninterrupted golden sands and ocean views to take in. Choose a secluded spot to while away a few hours with only the pelicans for company, or make like a local and dig for sand pipis at the water’s edge. Remember to pick up your beach driving permit on arrival from the Minjerribah Camping office in Goompie (Dunwich) and always keep an eye on conditions and tide times before hitting the beach highway.

No 4WD? Head to the sleepy fishing village of Pulan (Amity Point) and drop a line in off the jetty, then cook up your catch at a beachside barbecue picnic spot. Keep an eye out for the friendly dolphins who appear around the jetty at twilight in hope of a free feed.

Day 4: Get creative

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For an art experience with a difference, meet up with local artist Delvene Cocktaoo-Collins for a walking tour and workshop. Your creative morning begins with a wander around Goompie (Dunwich) to visit art installations, galleries, and murals by Quandamooka artists. After a local coffee stop you get the chance to be more hands on with a weaving session down by the beach.

Before you know it, it’s time to take the return ferry. 

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Once you’re back on the mainland, set your GPS to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. Check into your new home for the night, Bujerum Apartments, then kick back beachside with cocktails and Asian-inspired dining at beloved eatery, Rick Shores.

Day 5: From golden sands to Red Sands

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Kickstart your morning with a coffee by the beach: the final day of your Indigenous itinerary is a big one – and it starts with the biggest landmark.

Make your way to Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on Burleigh’s south end. This Aboriginal owned and operated tour group’s mission is to share the culture of the Gold Coast with visitors, and it’s the best way to explore stunning Burleigh Head National Park too. Immerse yourself in the story and customs of the Yugambeh people with a traditional smoking ceremony and ochre anointment, followed by a guided trek around the sacred Dreaming Mountain.

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Dinner and a show looks a little different at Spirits of the Red Sand, but it’s a moving experience and a must-do to end your time here.

Set inside the Beenleigh Historical Village, the immersive performance tells the stories of 60,000 years of Indigenous experience, customs and rituals. It’s a celebration of culture and an eye-opening recount of the heartache endured during European settlement. But you’ll walk away with a full heart and stomach.