Visiting Aboriginal land
Whose Country each region is, the Aboriginal-owned operators we book, and how to visit sacred sites respectfully.
Country
In Aboriginal English, Country means more than land: it is the place a people belong to and are responsible for, with its law, stories, waters and sky. Every region on this site is someone's Country. Naming it is the least a visitor can do.
The names of peoples and the ownership of operators below are being checked with the communities and operators concerned before launch. Where a name or a spelling is wrong, we will correct it.
Before you go
Anangu closed the climb permanently in October 2019. The base walk goes all the way round.
Some sites, including parts of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, must not be photographed. Signs mark them. Ask before photographing people.
Aboriginal land such as Arnhem Land needs a permit, arranged through the land council or your operator. Stay where the permit says.
Don't take rocks, sand, shells or artefacts. Middens and stone arrangements are cultural sites, not curiosities.
Closed areas are closed for a reason, cultural or environmental. You don't need to know the reason to respect it.
Buy from community-owned art centres, where artists are paid fairly. Look for dealers who have signed the Indigenous Art Code.
Region by region
Traditional Owners
Gadigal people of the Eora Nation (central Sydney and the harbour); Dharug and Gundungurra peoples (Blue Mountains)
Good to know
Sydney Harbour is Gadigal Country. Rock engravings and middens survive along the foreshore and in the national parks around the city.
Rock engravings are fragile: walk around them, never on them.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Anangu (Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara peoples) at Uluru-Kata Tjuta; Arrernte people at Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and in Tjoritja (the West MacDonnell Ranges); Luritja people at Watarrka
Good to know
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is owned by Anangu and jointly managed with Parks Australia. The climb closed permanently in October 2019.
Some parts of Uluru are sensitive sites and must not be photographed. Signs mark them; so will your guide. Don't climb, and don't take sand or rock.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Bininj (north) and Mungguy (south) in Kakadu; Larrakia people at Darwin; Jawoyn people at Nitmiluk; Yolŋu and many other peoples across Arnhem Land
Good to know
Kakadu National Park is Aboriginal land, jointly managed by its Traditional Owners and Parks Australia. Entering Arnhem Land needs a permit from the Northern Land Council.
Kakadu has sacred sites that are closed to visitors; obey the signs. In Arnhem Land you're a guest on community land: your permit lists where you may go.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Many peoples, among them the Yawuru at Broome, Bardi Jawi on the Dampier Peninsula, Gija (and Jaru) at Purnululu, Miriwoong around Kununurra and Wunambal Gaambera on the north coast
Good to know
Large parts of the Kimberley are under native title or Aboriginal ownership, and some places need visitor passes from Traditional Owner corporations.
Some rock art sites on the coast are open only with a Traditional Owner guide or a visitor pass. Never touch the paintings.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Eastern Kuku Yalanji people in the Daintree and at Mossman Gorge; Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people at Cairns; more than 70 Traditional Owner groups along the Great Barrier Reef
Good to know
The Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef are both World Heritage areas with Traditional Owner management agreements.
Some sites in Mossman Gorge are off-limits; stay on the marked track, and ask your guide before taking photographs.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
palawa people, the Aboriginal people of Tasmania
Good to know
larapuna (the Bay of Fires) and wukalina (Mount William) were returned to Aboriginal ownership. palawa kani names are increasingly used alongside English ones.
Middens along the coast are cultural sites: walk around them and leave every shell where it lies.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation (Melbourne); Wadawurrung (Torquay to Lorne); Eastern Maar (the Otways and the Twelve Apostles); Gunditjmara (Budj Bim)
Good to know
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019, for aquaculture systems built by the Gunditjmara thousands of years ago.
At Budj Bim, stay on the paths and with your guide; the stone structures are fragile.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Kaurna people (Adelaide Plains); Ngarrindjeri people (the Coorong and lower Murray); Adnyamathanha people (the Flinders Ranges). Kangaroo Island, Karta Pintingga, holds significance for several peoples
Good to know
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park is co-managed with the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association.
In the Flinders, some rock art and engraving sites are reached only with a guide. Ask before you go off-track.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Baiyungu, Thalanyji and Yinigudura peoples (Ningaloo and Cape Range); Malgana people (Shark Bay, Gathaagudu)
Good to know
The Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area includes land returned to Traditional Owners and is jointly managed.
Some Cape Range caves and middens are cultural sites. Keep to the marked trails.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Traditional Owners
Wadandi (Saltwater) people, part of the Noongar nation
Good to know
Noongar Country covers the south-west of Western Australia, including Perth (Whadjuk Noongar).
Ngilgi Cave and others carry stories; your guide will tell you what may be shared.
Aboriginal-owned and -led operators
Acknowledgement
Outback & Reef acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Countries our travellers visit, and pays respect to Elders past and present. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
This page doesn't reproduce Aboriginal art or designs, and the site never borrows them. The Traditional Owners of each place decide how their culture is shared; the best way to learn it is from them, in person, on Country.
Get in touch
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Sydney time
Work Club, Barrack Place, 151 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia