Visit the heart of Arnhem Land
From the air, Arnhem Land is full of grand gestures: the glint of serpentine rivers winding their way through ancient gorges, a flash of terracotta earth slicing through arboreous countryside, swathes of azure ocean washing up against white sand. On the ground, the experience is no less dramatic as wetlands vibrate with the beating wings of thousands of waterbirds, while dolphins, dugong and manta rays frolic in the waters the Cobourg Peninsula.
This is Yolngu Country, one of the most remote and culturally significant regions in Australia. From Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land, it stretches west across the Top End almost as far as Jabiru, covering a distance of 97,000 kilometres. The Arafura Sea along the northern coastline offers some of the best barra fishing in the country, while rocky shelters inland protect rarely glimpsed art that's thousands of years old. And that's just the beginning of what you'll experience on Outback Spirit's 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife Tour.
Country, culture and adventure
The tour begins in Nhulunbuy, following a short two-hour flight from Cairns arriving at Gove Airport. Built in the 1960s as a service hub for the local bauxite mine, Gove is a buzzy regional centre and an idyllic gateway to the region. Over two days in Nhulunbuy, you'll experience a special Welcome to Country ceremony on Wirrwawuy Beach, learn about Yolngu culture and bush medicine, and visit the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka (Yirrkala) Art Centre, whose artists are internationally recognised for their remarkable paintings done on bark and totem poles. This is also the seat of the Aboriginal Land Rights movement — in 1963, it was from Yirrkala that the 'bark petition' was sent to Federal Parliament in Canberra.
The tour then ventures deeper into Arnhem Land, to the spectacular Arafura Swamp. Home to as many as 300,000 waterbirds, the swamp is a haven for birdwatchers. Onboard a scenic cruise, spot brolgas wading alongside black-necked storks, and listen for the distinctive honk of magpie geese. Later, a 4WD tour around the swamp offers the chance to hear First Nations guides share Dreamtime stories of Country and culture.
After two nights at Murwangi Safari Camp, you'll head north-west to Maningrida on Kunibídji Country, where Arnhem Land Barramundi Lodge is your home for the next couple of days. The eponymous barra are a big attraction around these parts and there's plenty of opportunity to cast a line as you cruise the Liverpool and Tomkinson Rivers (plus you'll pick up a few tips from the expert fishing guides along the way). If you're not keen on fishing, exploring the gently winding waterways under the shade canopy of the Ocean Master vessel can feel almost meditative.
Later, a visit to the Maningrida Arts and Cultural Centre and Djómi Museum is an opportunity to see and learn about local artists, whose painted and woven works have been highly collectable for decades. This includes the art of Yirawala (1897–1976), the first Indigenous artist to have work included in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
There's more to come for art lovers as the tour moves from Maningrida to Mount Borradaile, where you'll jump in open-back vehicles to explore the hidden rock-art galleries that depict traditional Aboriginal life over thousands of years. Here, you'll witness the breathtaking Rainbow Serpent, the largest known depiction of this powerful creation spirit in Australia, stretching over six metres. This more-than-50,000-year-old painting was kept secret by the local Amurdak people until its reveal in 1987.
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Visit the heart of Arnhem Land
From the air, Arnhem Land is full of grand gestures: the glint of serpentine rivers winding their way through ancient gorges, a flash of terracotta earth slicing through arboreous countryside, swathes of azure ocean washing up against white sand. On the ground, the experience is no less dramatic as wetlands vibrate with the beating wings of thousands of waterbirds, while dolphins, dugong and manta rays frolic in the waters the Cobourg Peninsula. This is Yolngu Country, one of the most remote and culturally significant regions in Australia. From Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land, it stretches west across the Top End almost as far as Jabiru, covering a distance of 97,000 kilometres. The Arafura Sea along the northern coastline offers some of the best barra fishing in the country, while rocky shelters inland protect rarely glimpsed art that's thousands of years old. And that's just the beginning of what you'll experience on Outback Spirit's 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife Tour. Country, culture and adventure The tour begins in Nhulunbuy, following a short two-hour flight from Cairns arriving at Gove Airport. Built in the 1960s as a service hub for the local bauxite mine, Gove is a buzzy regional centre and an idyllic gateway to the region. Over two days in Nhulunbuy, you'll experience a special Welcome to Country ceremony on Wirrwawuy Beach, learn about Yolngu culture and bush medicine, and visit the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka (Yirrkala) Art Centre, whose artists are internationally recognised for their remarkable paintings done on bark and totem poles. This is also the seat of the Aboriginal Land Rights movement — in 1963, it was from Yirrkala that the 'bark petition' was sent to Federal Parliament in Canberra. The tour then ventures deeper into Arnhem Land, to the spectacular Arafura Swamp. Home to as many as 300,000 waterbirds, the swamp is a haven for birdwatchers. Onboard a scenic cruise, spot brolgas wading alongside black-necked storks, and listen for the distinctive honk of magpie geese. Later, a 4WD tour around the swamp offers the chance to hear First Nations guides share Dreamtime stories of Country and culture. After two nights at Murwangi Safari Camp, you'll head north-west to Maningrida on Kunibídji Country, where Arnhem Land Barramundi Lodge is your home for the next couple of days. The eponymous barra are a big attraction around these parts and there's plenty of opportunity to cast a line as you cruise the Liverpool and Tomkinson Rivers (plus you'll pick up a few tips from the expert fishing guides along the way). If you're not keen on fishing, exploring the gently winding waterways under the shade canopy of the Ocean Master vessel can feel almost meditative. Later, a visit to the Maningrida Arts and Cultural Centre and Djómi Museum is an opportunity to see and learn about local artists, whose painted and woven works have been highly collectable for decades. This includes the art of Yirawala (1897–1976), the first Indigenous artist to have work included in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. There's more to come for art lovers as the tour moves from Maningrida to Mount Borradaile, where you'll jump in open-back vehicles to explore the hidden rock-art galleries that depict traditional Aboriginal life over thousands of years. Here, you'll witness the breathtaking Rainbow Serpent, the largest known depiction of this powerful creation spirit in Australia, stretching over six metres. This more-than-50,000-year-old painting was kept secret by the local Amurdak people until its reveal in 1987.
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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. 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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: 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 lifestyle@ 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.
