Longitude 131°’s new bespoke Ernabella Arts Tour has been accepted into the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program (ITCP).

Guests staying at Longitude 131° have an exclusive and unforgettable opportunity to visit the artists of Ernabella Arts, the oldest, continuously running arts centre in Australia. The closed community of Ernabella is located in the Pukatja homelands in South Australia, one of the 13 homeland communities that make up the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) lands.

Participants of this private and personalised tour are able to meet the artists, gain an insight into the ancient techniques and stories which form the basis of the artworks and create their own ceramic tile to take home. Ernabella is a seven hour round-trip by car or guests can choose to fly by fixed wing aircraft.

To view a recent article written for Traveller click here.

For more information phone 02 9918 4355 or email reserve@baillielodges.com.au.

Located in the southern part of the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park, Mossman Gorge Centre is an Indigenous tourism development serving as the gateway to the lush rainforest environment of Mossman Gorge. A number of guided Indigenous experiences are available from the Centre allowing visitors to gain an insight into the lives, culture and beliefs of Australia’s Indigenous people and their connection to the natural environment.

Visitors staying in Port Douglas can now experience a half day Dreamtime Walk which includes return transfers from Port Douglas, 1.5 hour Dreamtime Gorge Walk with exclusive access to Kuku Yalanji land, stories of the Kuku Yalanji culture and traditions, traditional smoking ceremony, bush tea and damper.

For more information phone 07 4099 7000 or email Merryn.Andrews@voyages.com.au.

Songlines are cultural webs of memory, intricate maps in the mind of country. Like multiple weblinks, the songlines carry spiritual, ecological, economic and cultural knowledge between peoples across Australia, creating an Aboriginal voice map of country.

From 3 to 10 July, in line with the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee's  (NAIDOC) theme of ‘the living narrative of our Nation’, Tandanya will bring together words from artists on the APY lands, Ngaanyatjarra lands and the Western Desert region to demonstrate the storyline of of Kungarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Dreaming), its reach and ongoing importance to people across the country.

For more information phone 08 8224 3200 or email Tandanya@tandanya.com.au.

Wilpena Pound Resort will host a week of free activities from 3 to 10 July to mark NAIDOC Week. Activities will begin with a rousing Welcome to Country and an explanation of what NAIDOC Week means to the Adnyamathanha people. Visitors will have a chance to interact with members of the Adnyamathanha community with a morning tea and sample traditional camp cooking. They will hear Adnyamathanha stories about their land, beliefs and history and have the opportunity to stargaze at the famous Adnyamathanha night skies over Wilpena Pound Resort.

For more information, phone 0417 654 474 or email jill.collins@barkingowlcommunications.com.au.

Nitmiluk Tours has recently secured the management contract to operate the Cutta Cutta Caves located 30 kilometres south of Katherine. Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park lies within the traditional lands of the Jawoyn people and the Park contains evidence of a long history of human occupation, including campsites, stone artefacts and at least one cave wall with incised grooves. The Jawoyn name for the Cutta Cutta Caves area is Barrac Barrac, meaning Diver Duck (Darter) Dreaming.

Touring options include one hour guided tours of the caves departing daily. During the Wet Season (December to April) the caves may be closed due to flooding.

For more information phone 08 8971 0877 or email marketing@nitmiluktours.com.au.

Bangarra Dance Theatre has announced an extended season of their triple bill OUR land people stories with the last Sydney shows coinciding with NAIDOC Week. 

For more information, phone 0417 043 205 or email anna@bangarra.com.au.

Contemporary and traditional Indigenous art will light up Alice Springs from 23 September to 2 October 2016 when the inaugural Parrtyeme – a Festival in Light comes to town. This will be the first authentic Indigenous light festival of its kind in the world, featuring Australia’s biggest-ever light show installation, with more than 2.5km of the MacDonnell Ranges being illuminated as part of the event.

For more information phone 02 9292 7007 or email  sarah@accesspr.com.au.

TripAdvisor has awarded Certificates of Excellence to the following Indigenous Tourism Champions:

Mutawintji Eco Tours/Tri State Safaris
Lords Kakadu and Arnhemland Safaris
Dreamtime Southern X

Sand Dune Adventures recently hosted Channel 7's Sunrise morning team to showcase the beauty and history of the Worimi Sand Dunes. Respected Worimi Elder, Uncle Graeme Russell, spoke about the significance of the landscape and quad biking with Sand Dune Adventures was also highlighted in the coverage. To view click here.

In December 2014 the Olkola people of Cape York reclaimed more than 700,000 hectares of their traditional lands, one of the largest returns of land to Traditional Owners in Queensland history. A recent article in the Guardian online tells the story of how the Olkola people begin working with Intrepid Travel to open up their land to tourists.

Sydney Outback's Wilderness and Aboriginal Explorer Tour and Cruise was featured on Sydney Weekend recently. To view the clip, click here.

NAIDOC Week, 3-10 July 2016
NAIDOC Week is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. Various celebrations and activities take place around Australia.

Mowanjum Festival, 9 July 2016, Kimberley, Western Australia
The Mowanjum Festival is a one day, one night festival featuring over 100 Indigenous dance performers, boab tree nut carving, Didgeridoo workshops and magnificent corroborrees.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, 15-17 July 2016, Cairns, Queensland
The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) is the only art fair in Australia that exclusively sells and showcases art by Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The Fair includes public talks and forums, hands-on art activities, free Indigenous dance and a warm welcome from the traditional owners, the Yidinji.

Walking with Spirits Festival, 23 July 2016, Beswick, Northern Territory
This year’s Walking with Spirits Festival will feature corroborree, Didgeridoo workshops, weaving workshops and an evening concert showcasing rising stars Gawurra and Emily Wurramara. Beswick Community is located 107km south-east of Katherine.

Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, 5-7 August 2016, Darwin, Northern Territory
The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair is a unique opportunity for visitors to buy direct from more than 40 community-owned Aboriginal art centres from across Australia. See woven baskets from East Gippsland, Dreamtime dot paintings from Alice Springs; and the ochre-coloured canvas paintings produced by the Warmun artists of the Kimberley region.

Desert Song Festival, 9-18 September 2016, Alice Springs, Northern Territory
The Desert Song Festival celebrates the magic of singing, showcasing a diversity of works peformed by Aboriginal and community choirs. The organisers are also offering a Desert Song Ranges tour as part of the Festival. The tour includes three days of cultural experiences, bush tucker, bush cooking and cammping out under the stars.