Going on safari: Australia's wildlife through an Indigenous lens

Koalas. Kangaroos. Echidnas. Wombats. Without an Aboriginal guide, they’re fascinating creatures only found in Australia. With one, they become cultural Totems, food sources, the bearers of wisdom and guides to the seasons.

Australia’s unique wildlife and stunning natural attractions draw almost 70 per cent of the nation’s visitors, or about five million people each year, according to research, and nature is named as the most influential trip-planning factor for almost 40 per cent of inbound visitors. Experiencing both through the lens of an Aboriginal guide adds a layer of understanding that’s unobtainable in any other way.

In the tricoloured, World Heritage-listed landscape of Shark Bay, Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures provides a unique take on the dugongs, whales, dolphins and, yes, sharks clustering below the West Australian waterline.

As the red earth merges with bone-hued sand and turquoise ocean, guide Darren Capewell leads skimming kayaks or stand-up paddleboards across bountiful waters, sharing his people’s unbreakable spiritual connection to the ecosystem that has long provided their life source. His purpose is to get you to feel the country, rather than just see it.

Local guides enhance Kakadu Tourism’s Yellow Water cruises with their passed-down knowledge of the life cycles of the fauna living in the spectacular wetlands. They share stories as saltwater crocodiles emerge from motionless water in golden dawn light to the cackle of some of the 60 species of native bird.

Worn Gundidj. Credit: Tourism Australia.

Meanwhile, the guided walk through a rehabilitated wildlife reserve at Victoria’s Tower Hill with Worn Gundidj @ Tower Hill allows for up-close encounters with iconic Australian animals such as kangaroos, emus, koalas and wallabies. As they roam freely, you learn about bush foods and handle Aboriginal tools that were once a part of daily life in the dormant volcano surrounds.

Whales are sacred to many Aboriginal communities around Australia, featuring in numerous Creation stories. Not in the least the ones you’ll hear on a Yallingbilla Whale Watching Cultural Walk with Yura Tours on North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah. These seasonal experiences coincide with whale migration along the east coast of Australia (May through November, and give you the chance to spot these gentle giants alongside dolphins, kangaroos and all manner of native birds that thrive here on Quandamooka Country.

Yura Tours. 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.