Aboriginal Experiences: Tap into the world's oldest living culture

Australia is home to the world’s oldest living culture and, though it might not always be the lead reason to fly down under, Aboriginal customs can be central to an ‘experiential-based itinerary’, says

Alone domino sits on a rock shelf inside this cave in the sprawling bush of the Arnhem Land. This incongruous object isn’t a bizarre piece of tourist litter

–it was most likely received by Aboriginal people in a trade with Indonesian sailors.

I took a jeep and scrambled over boulders to get here, travelling from Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris’ lodge, one of the few accredited sites within this Aboriginal-owned land in the

Northern Territory. Besides some flustered bats, my guide and I are the only ones here, gazing on a site of huge historical and cultural importance unmarked by museum signs and ropes.

Covering a rocky outcrop are hundreds of overlapping ochre silhouettes, created by blowing powdery earth around overstretched hands.

They were left by generations of Aboriginal people who cooked, played and slept here.

Images of animals and fish show the ancient community’s food sources. There’s evidence of European contact: paintings depicting men with oversized hats and pipes – the artists having exaggerated what was strange to them.

Protruding from a rock ledge are skeletons balanced on shelves of spears. Some of the bones are wrapped in paper bark, some in traded denim – it was perhaps as recently as the 1940s before the burial site was abandoned.

Indigenous immersion

Aboriginal culture dates back over 60,000 years and travellers should not miss the opportunity to learn more about its customs and significance.

Though the Northern Territory is most associated with Aboriginal sites, the culture can be encountered throughout Australia.

Tourism Australia’s Aussie Specialist training scheme has a dedicated Discover Aboriginal Experiences module that’s a good place to start. It also promotes quality indigenous tours, activities and accommodation under the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective.

“From experience, customers don’t tend to focus and build their Australian holiday solely around indigenous experiences, but it’s certainly something they want to include as a part of their time Down Under,” says Travel 2 Assistant Product Manager for Oceania, Will McQuade.

The operator offers culture-related day tours; Jellurgal Journey and Currumbin

Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast is popular this year. For a more immersive experience, McQuade recommends tailormade adventures including Kakadu.

Local interaction and giving back is part of G Adventures’ ethos: “Unique experiences,