From fishing to eating traditional “bush tucker,” there are many North Queensland Aboriginal experiences.
North Queensland is rich in Aboriginal heritage, with groups like the Kubirri Warra and Tjapukai inhabiting the region for tens of thousands of years. Several tours give visitors a glimpse into indigenous culture through traditional hunting and gathering demonstrations, shopping for Aboriginal arts and crafts, eating “bush tucker” and learning Dreamtime stories amid some of Australia’s most stunning landscapes.
Held at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, the Tjapukai Night Tour begins with a lakeside ceremony, where guests hear Dreamtime creation stories before a celebration of music, chanting and dance. The event culminates in a fire show during which Tjapukai performers appear in a flame-lit canoe to escort guests to the Boomerang Restaurant for an international buffet seasoned with native ingredients.
More fire can be found at Flames of the Forest. Guests are offered sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres before being escorted to a silk-lined tent that sparkles with crystal chandeliers, fairy lights and candles. A seven-course dinner of such traditional dishes as salt and pepper crocodile, kangaroo infused with lemon myrtle and barramundi steamed in banana leaves is served with Australian beers and wines and set to Aboriginal music and storytelling.
Water lovers can drive to Cooya Beach where an Aboriginal guide will teach them how to throw a spear and stock fish, mud crabs and mussels the same way they have for generations. Then they’ll get to enjoy their catch on the deck of one guide’s family home. The Aboriginal Culture Daintree Rainforest Tour finishes inside the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest with a special-access dip in Mossman Gorge.
Check out our video of the Aboriginal Culture Daintree Rainforest Tour!
For more of North Queensland’s best Aboriginal experience, visit Viator.com.
—Serena Renner
North Queensland Aboriginal Experiences from Cairns & the Tropical North Things to Do