Description
Enjoy an amazing day trip to Arnhem Land – a sacred spot revered by the Indigenous Australian people, who have inhabited this area for tens of thousands of years. There are still 18,000 or so indigenous people living in Arnhem Land, making this tour a truly cultural experience.
Access to this area is highly restricted and by invitation only by the local Aboriginal people, so it is certainly a privilege to be able to tour this remarkable place.
Over the course of the day, you will experience traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture, learning about their fascinating – and sometimes confronting – history.
Despite a long history of interaction with non-Aboriginals cultures, the Indigenous people of Arnhem Land maintained their heritage and are still the dominant culture within the area. Apart from the obvious impact that the Europeans had on the people of Arnhem Land, an example of this interaction is with the Makassan people from Indonesia. The Makassan visited by boat from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and arrived at the shores of Arnhem Land over five hundred years ago for the purpose of harvesting sea slug, which were believed to have medicinal properties. While the Makassan left traces of their presence in the Arnhem Land people’s language, art, stories and food, the Indigenous people preserved their own tradition.
An experienced and friendly Indigenous guide will lead you through Western Arnhem Land, where you will have the opportunity to see amazing examples of traditional rock art paintings on Injalak Hill (Long Tom Dreaming), which show the incredible history of the Aboriginal people and depict scenes from the Dreamtime. This area has arguably some of the best rock art examples in in the whole of Australia.
At the peak of Injalak Hill, stop and admire the breathtaking view. You can see the vast expanse of floodplains and the majestic beauty of the nature around the Arnhem Land escarpment.
Your adventure ends at the award-winning Injalak Art & Craft Centre (Gunbalanya), where you will fondly farewell your Aboriginal guide. While here, you are free to browse or purchase goods from this not-for-profit community organisation, which supports the Indigenous artists of the area. At the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre there are displays and demonstrations by artists including traditional painting and pandanus basket weaving by the women of the area.
With its rich history, stunning scenery and abundance of wildlife, Arnhem Land is truly a place where you can feel a connection to the culture and history of the Northern Territory and its people.
Trip Includes
- Returns transfers from Darwin & Jabiru accommodation
- Arnhem Land entry permits & Aboriginal Guide
- View some of the best rock art in Australia at Injalak Hill
- Breathtaking views from the top of Injalak Hill out across the floodplains
- Visit to Injalak Art & Craft Centre
- Watch traditional Aboriginal people painting & see women weaving pandanus baskets
- Lunch and iced water
Duration
Departures
- 5.30am from Darwin (returns 7.30pm) & 8.30am from Jabiru
- Pick up from Darwin or Jabiru accommodation
- Operates daily (except Sunday) May to October
Other Information
- Be sure to bring with you good walking shoes or boots, 1L water bottle, sunblock, insect repellent, hat, camera, binoculars
- A level of agility is required to enjoy & make the most of these tours
- Pick ups available from Jabiru (Kakadu National Park) accommodation
- Suitable for active people
- Access to Arnhemland is by invitation by the local Aboriginal people & the traditional owners may deny access at any time
