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The Daintree’s Kuku Yalanji Country

Explore the beauty of the Daintree Rainforest, with a local Aboriginal guide on Walkabout Cultural Adventures.

There is no better way to experience the region, one of the best biologically diverse rainforests in the world, and only place where two natural World Heritage sites meet – the Far North Queensland coastline and Great Barrier Reef meeting the edge of the Daintree Rainforest.

Your guides offer insight into the marine life along the beautiful coastline of the Port Douglas area and reveal local swimming spots in the rainforest. Juan, the owner is a Kuku Yalanji man from the Daintree Mossman area, with plenty of local bush knowledge and Aboriginal history to share. His aim is to preserve the knowledge and continue the connection between the people and the land by interacting with visitors and sharing the Kuku Yalanji history and cultural practises.

Experience the unique cultural connection to the land. Learn to throw a traditional fishing spear and have a taste of seasonal bush tucker, while seeing the best attractions on a half day or full day tour. The full day tour includes a guided rainforest walk, visit to Mossman Gorge and other culturally significant areas.

Adventure paddle with Aboriginal guides

On Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours, Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man Clark Webb and his fellow Aboriginal guides share ancient stories in the extraordinary natural landscape of Gumbaynggirr Country, on the New South Wales mid-North Coast.

Stand-up paddle boarding or kayak through one of three Coffs Harbour’s Solitary Islands Marine Park adventure tour locations (the Moonee, Coffs and Red Rock Creeks). Guest will paddle with direct descendants of the world’s first stand up paddlers and connect to land and sea through stories and language.

Visitors can jump aboard a full-day tour, which pairs a paddle with the Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience. The cultural offering is a walking tour through Orara East State Forest, with stunning views from the Forest Sky Pier and an opportunity to feel a deeper connection to the land. This tour takes place at an important cultural site of the Gumbaynggirr people with guides sharing intimate stories, songs and language and imparting their knowledge on the use of native plants.

By taking part in the experience, guests are making a direct contribution to the revitalisation of Gumbaynggirr language and culture and contributing to the well-being of the community. Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours work closely with the community and elders and this social enterprise provides an employment pathway for the youth and community through knowledge of language and culture.

Explore ancient landscapes in WA

Explore remote, ancient landscapes in Western Australia with Kingfisher Tours, with one day and multi-day expeditions of the Kimberley region with local Aboriginal guides.

Travellers can fly over the Bungle Bungles, walk in a World-Heritage listed landscape and visit remote communities with guides, who share stories of friends and families, and impart cultural knowledge. Learn about bush medicine, native plant identification, and be immersed in Indigenous storytelling by the Traditional Owners of these lands.

One of the most stunning tours is a Bungles Day Trek, flying over Lake Kununurra, Lake Argyle and the Osmond Ranges, and a Welcome to Country ceremony by a local Aboriginal guide. Visitors walk up the Echidna lookout, and hear stories of native animals, and then explore the spectacular chasm.

Guides sing traditional songs of the gorges that are thousands of years old and explain the cultural and geological history of the area. The stunning dome-like rock formations are estimated to be around 350 million years old. Aboriginal people have inhabited the area for 40,000 years and bring this stunning UNESCO Natural World Heritage site to life.

Get to know the Top End

Explore Arnhem Land, Kimberley region and Kakadu with one of the most recognised and respected guides in Australia – Sab Lord of Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris.

These Top End adventures allow the traveller a unique insight into Aboriginal culture, flora and fauna through the knowledge of traditional land owners. Sab and his expert guides host camping experiences at his permanent bush camp in Kakadu National Park. Or be one of the lucky one to join his accommodated safaris for private groups – he has permits to visit the beautiful Koolpin Gorge in Kakadu National Park, which few are fortunate enough to see.

Arnhem Land has always been Aboriginal land, and with permits having been required to enter since 1931, protection of Arnhem Land means that it has remained untouched and pristine. Sab works closely with other award-winning operators such as Bamurru Plains, Cicada Lodge and Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris to ensure that all tours are of a high quality.

These tours offer privileged access to the entire area and can generally take guests anywhere they want to go across the region, matched to the guests’ interest. This includes photography enthusiasts who want to photograph birds, culture and landscape, as well as those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the Indigenous people of the region. The rock art at Injalak Hill in particular is a sight to see and local guides explain its significance that dates back to between 100 and 8,000 ago.

Sab and his small number of guides operate exclusive and personalised private tours through Kakadu and Arnhem Land during the dry season – April and October. Accommodation options range from world class luxury lodges to comfortable private camps, with permanent tents, with floors, beds and solar lights and fans. Who says you have to rough it in the Top End!

Volcanic discoveries at Shikotsu-Toya

Located in south-east Hokkaido, Shikotsu-Toya National Park is a living breathing museum of volcanoes.

Experience seasonal scenery and encounter local wildlife at Shikotsu-Toya National Park at the two major caldera crater lakes, Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya, as well as volcanos Mt. Yotei, Mt. Usu, and Mt. Tarumae.

And no, you don’t have to be a volcanologists to enjoy Shikotsu-Toya National Park. There is so much too see and do here that you’ll be scrambling to get through it all. There are loads of activities and much to explore including a plethora of onsen (hot springs), paddling on Lake Shikotsu on a Canadian canoe, rowing across Lake Shikotsu on a clear bottom kayak, and freshwater diving in ice-free Lake Shikotsu.

Whether you are an ornithologist or just a nature lover, there’s plenty of wild birds to observe as Lake Shikotsu is the home to a third of all species of wild birds. There’s also the cute and adorable Hokkaido squirrel and deer to spot. Climb the rugged Mt. Tarumae with a professional guide and don’t miss the spectacular views of the national park from the summit! Other results of volcanic activity, including sulfuric eruptions and other geothermal phenomena can also be observed, earning the national park a reputation as a “museum of volcanos.”

The Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival is the cherry on top with intricate ice sculptures made with water blown by the wind from Lake Shikotsu, which freezes to create fabulous forms. The ice sculptures glitter “Lake Shikotsu Blue”during the day, and are illuminated at night with colorful lights. On weekends and holidays see fireworks displays after dark and when it’s time to unwind, there is no better place than the natural hot springs of Jozankei Onsen.

Dive into Gunggandji Sea Country

Explore pristine coral reefs and learn about the world’s oldest living culture in Gunggandji Sea Country, Queensland with Dreamtime Dive + Snorkel.

Traditional custodians have passed down their Dreamtime stories over tens of thousands of years including fascinating stories about Australia’s most amazing marine life. The Gunggandji Sea Country experience gives travellers the unique opportunity to gain an insight into a diverse ecosystem on two premium outer reef sites from traditional landowners.

Milln, Flynn and Thetford Reef, located on Gunggandji Sea Country are home to some of the most idyllic snorkelling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Travellers can snorkel right off the boat, join a guided snorkel tour or even try an introductory scuba dive. These reefs are chosen for their superior coral quality, colour and overall diversity of reef life.

Located further off-shore away from coastal rivers and streams, outer reefs are found in clean coral sea water with higher coral densities and less sediment (sand) resulting in maximum water clarity in all weather conditions. The Outer Reef Wall is a renowned dive location by local dive enthusiasts and keen snorkelers and reaches depths of over 30 metres.

You’ll be in good hands with the guides who have a special connection to the country, an insider’s knowledge of the reef, and a passion for sustainable tourism and educational adventures. After visiting the reefs, enjoy a live demonstration of traditional dance, and didgeridoo performance on the land. Dreamtime is the only Great Barrier Reef cruise that allows guests to interact with original clap sticks, and fire poles.

Remote heaven at MacEacherns Camp

It starts with a four-hour drive from Cairns, heading southwest to the Gulf Savannah. Once there, you’ll be welcomed to the country by local Gugu Badhun people and delivered to MacEacherns Camp, your home for the next four nights.

MacEacherns Camp is set on the 70,000 acre Kinrara Station where you will settle into a safari tent, complete with queen-size pillowtop bed and hot shower, on the edge of the wetlands then be ready to explore this immense landscape. Spend most of the day adventuring – swimming in waterfalls, kayaking, birdwatching, hiking, visiting the homestead – interspersed with excellent meals back at camp.

If you want to experience a slice of remote Australia, this is an amazing experience and the cherry on top is that it’s open to just 12 guests at a time during fewer than a dozen expeditions each year.

Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach

For a city that prides itself on its beaches, Sydney lets visitors down when it comes to hotels overlooking the waves. Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach is an oceanfront property in the eastern suburbs that isn’t new, but it has had a massive tart-up.

The upgraded rooms have a beachy feel with photos of the local area on the walls. Not that you’ll be paying attention once you pull back the curtains – just outside is the bay, with Wedding Cake Island at its heart.

It’s an easy commute into the CBD, but there’s plenty around Coogee to keep you busy, including long walks and good snorkelling. The hotel even has two restaurants: Shutters (top), with its Miami vibe, and Estate Taqueria.

Gone for a Song

According to oft-repeated hikers’ wisdom, cotton kills. It’s a dictum that rings true across most of Australia, as anyone who’s ever been caught out in a cold, wet t-shirt can attest. But on the Jatbula Trail, an outdoor-ed teacher named Elly has turned that belief on its head.

With the accumulated wisdom of a season spent in the Top End, she’s hiking across the southern edge of the Arnhem Land escarpment with an infectious grin and a cotton shirt that she drenches at every opportunity. “Cotton cools,” she says, extending her o’s with a laugh as she puts the sopping wet tee back on.

In nearby Katherine the temperature is close to 40 degrees. Here on the bare escarpment the rocky ground radiates the heat back up at us and it’s hotter still. For the first time I can recall, I curse my synthetic moisture-wicking shirt.

Thirteen days, 160 kilometres and the ancient mountainous region of the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd in the Jardwadjali language) in northwest Victoria. If you're looking for a less vigorous trek, make a plan to tackle Stage One, a two-night, 36-kilometre loop from Halls Gap to Bugiga Hiker Camp and back via Borough Huts Campground. There’s also the option of organising a pick-up from that final site to make it an overnight trip, which is my grand plan.

The hike shows off two of the park’s popular peaks, the Pinnacle and Mount Rosea, each of which comes with a steep climb rewarded with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and farmland. It’s a real tease, giving you a sneak peek into what will undoubtedly be a special experience when the full trail opens.