What it's like to visit Country for the first time and how to prepare

Australia Broadcast Center

28-05-2025

Earlier this year, I went to my mob's Country for the first time.
I had never known my connection to Country, as I grew up physically isolated in Lutruwita/Tasmania, with feelings of shame about being Aboriginal.
I knew that I had family living on Country in Far North Queensland, but both the people and the place felt so far away.
As I got older, I felt a blossoming urge to learn more about my culture.
I reached out to family, joined First Nations organisations, and also did an old-fashioned online search.
I learnt that the official name for my mob was Dulgubarra-Yidinji, which translates to "belongs to the rainforest Yidinji" in our language, which I am also now beginning to learn.
Finally, at age 27, I decided to travel to Dulgubarra-Yidinji Country.
I knew that when I visited for the first time, I wanted to understand how to do so respectfully. So, to prepare for my own journey to Country for the first time, I asked some experts for their advice on how to approach and prepare for the experience.
Visiting Country for the first time can be a profound way to deepen your connection to your heritage, according to Bardi Jawi First Nations culture consultant and writer, Bebe Oliver.
"Honestly, there's no stronger way to do that than to be surrounded by the land that raised your family and your ancestors," he says.
Mr Oliver grew up on Bardi Jawi Country in Western Australia's Kimberley region, swimming, collecting shells, and learning about the animals and the seasons, and felt a deep connection to his family.
When he later returned after living away for 20 years, he says it was like coming home to a place he never left.
He says reasons for visiting Country can vary and the experience will look different for every person and every language group; Some people seek a deeper connection to their family, while others may want to have a strong spiritual experience.
And, he adds, often, people find that they are connected to Country in ways they didn't expect.
"That happens a lot for Blak people because so much of our history has been disrupted through dispossession and forced removals."
Samantha Faulkner is the editor and curator of the book Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia, and a Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal woman, from Badu and Moa Islands in the Torres Strait and the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi peoples of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.
She says as a starting place it's important to "seek permission from the appropriate people or body [and] watch others and take your cues from them".
Ms Faulkner advises that the Torres Strait Regional Authority have put together a useful 32-page book that you can find on their website: www.tsra.gov.au.
It's worth checking online for relevant resources for the Country you are hoping to visit.
Mr Oliver believes that one of the most important aspects of visiting Country is connecting with local people and communities.
"Respect is a core value in Blak cultures, and it's something we need to bring with us every step of the way. That means speaking to the local mob first and foremost," says Mr Oliver.
Ms Faulkner recommends also planning time for space and reflection in your visit, to give you an opportunity to sit with your feelings about connection to family, Country and ancestors.
"It can be overwhelming at times, so take time out for yourself at the end of the day or find a quiet space to decompress," Ms Faulkner advises.
Visiting Country can have a significant effect on emotional and mental wellbeing. And that can look different for everyone, according to Dr Carmen Cubillo, a proud saltwater woman and clinical psychologist from Larrakia and Wadjigan Country in the Northern Territory.
Dr Cubillo had her own cultural journey coming to her Country at the beginning of her clinical psychology career.
She says that visiting country isn't like in the movies, and that it's normal to feel grief about being on colonised land.
However, Dr Cubillo also says that many have a positive experience coming to Country for the first time.
"You may have feelings of peace or yearning, to know more and be there more, to soak up the goodness of Country.
"There is a special energy that only you and Country can feel as a relationship."
She says that there is no one correct or appropriate way to feel when you visit country, but advises that if you feel you need support it is important to reach out to a medical or mental health professional to help process the feelings.
Have you had an experience of visiting Country for the first time? We'd love to hear from you. Email [e-mail]
When I visited Dulgubarra-Yidinji Country, it was just as the experts had said. I felt a smorgasbord of emotions.
I was nervous to speak with new family I had never met, overwhelmed by the cultural knowledge I learned, and in awe as I drove through the clouds on the side of a mountain.
In school assemblies, meeting and events I had always acknowledged the Traditional Owners of the Country I lived on. During my trip my Elders said that while my feet were on this land I was a traditional owner myself.
This was a very powerful concept and it evoked a lot of emotions that I processed both during and after the trip.
And while some of those feelings were hard, overall the experience was transformative.
My chest was filled with the strange sensation of coming home to a place I was visiting for the first time. This sort of feeling, of belonging to something I never thought I could connect to, was truly life changing.
Sitting with Elders, listening to my mob's stories, made me feel so lucky. I was honoured to listen as they spoke our sacred truths.
Under all my personal feelings for my new-found connection to Country, I didn't want to leave, because I know I have so much to learn.
I now have a sense that this place is, in many ways, my true home — a place I need to return to.