Aboriginal adventure tourism is taking off big time
It might be tempting to presume all Aboriginal experiences involve a serious appreciation of Indigenous cultures, its ancient ways and tens of thousands of years of history. But far from being restricted by the past, Aboriginal peoples are using their cultural backstories to enhance the fun of an ever-growing list of adventure activities.
As nature-loving, outdoorsy people, they relish the fast-paced action of quad biking, the gritty thrills of sand boarding, and the centring peace of kayaking as much as anyone. Yet they hold an ace up their sleeves: often, traditional land rights mean they have access to secret corners where others can’t go to; their shared cultural knowledge means they can find the way to hidden spots others don’t even know about, and they can see things others overlook.
For Aboriginal guides and those who join them, it allows people to walk among rarely seen rock art, spear and eat mud crabs using traditional tools, visit Aboriginal communities in remote areas and explore national parks in ways others simply can’t.
Take New South Wales-based Sand Dune Adventures, who rev 400cc quad bikes over the highest coastal sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere – measuring 12 to 30 metres (40 to 100 feet) high – and then invite you to sand-board down them. Tours weave in stories about the Worimi people and their long-running connection to the land, adding context to the adventure.
With Walkabout Cultural Adventures in Tropical North Queensland, you have permission to do something you’d never be allowed to do in real life: throw a spear. The traditional method of catching a fishy feed looks simple enough, but give it a go and it’s surprisingly challenging. Then put your new skill to use in the nearby mangroves, where a mud crab feast awaits nimble hunters.
Nitmiluk Tours, Northern Territory. Credit: Tourism Australia
A tranquil sea kayak in Western Australia with Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures becomes a wildlife education as you paddle above turtles, rays, sharks and perhaps even an elusive dugong in the World Heritage-listed waters. And peering into the rocky clefts and crevasses of Nitmiluk Gorge, in the Northern Territory, from a scenic cruise is one thing, but getting so close you can touch the age-sculpted wilderness from a Nitmiluk Tours canoe – then plunge into the water for a swim – is quite another. Or, raise the bar even higher by glimpsing the 70-metre-high landforms from a helicopter.
Then, in the state’s tropical wetlands, the crocodilian inhabitants become completely accessible on an aquatic safari. It’s a fitting introduction to lands where some of the most extraordinary rock art galleries in Australia are hidden in caves, visible only through Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris guides, who have special permission to share them. Aboriginal adventure tourism adds extra layers, making experiences as meaningful as they are memorable.
Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris, Northern Territory. Credit: Tourism Australia
Note: The NRMA is in partnership with Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences. We are committed to promoting First Nations culture and experiences.
