MEDIA INFORMATION ATE14 IMM Explore Aboriginal culture, art and history in Sydney and NSW Tours led by Aboriginal guides offer visitors to Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) a unique perspective on the history of Sydney and surrounds. Enriching Aboriginal cultural experiences in NSW range from guided walks and harbour cruises to bush food tours, dance, drama and art – some evoking the Dreamtime, the mythical period when the land was created. Galleries and art studios showcase the best of contemporary and traditional art, while specialist stores and boutiques allow visitors to browse and shop for Aboriginal art and artefacts. On the touring side, a new quad bike adventure tour takes visitors on a trip from bush to beach on a 400cc quad bike while learning about Aboriginal culture on the way. Gold award winner In February 2014, when the NSW tourism industry won more awards than any other state at the annual Qantas Australian Tourism Awards (Australia’s prime tourism industry accolades), Aboriginal tourism was among those operators at the forefront. Destination NSW Chief Executive, Sandra Chipchase, said, “The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards provide the benchmark for best practice within the tourism industry and acknowledge the hard work of individuals and organisations who strive for excellence.” Tri State Safaris/Mutawintji Eco Tours of Broken Hill took the National Gold Award for Indigenous Tourism. Small-group tours take visitors to the sandstone peaks of Mutawintji National Park. A centrepiece of the park is the Bynguano Range, where waterholes have created a virtual oasis for the local Aboriginal people, who left many examples of their art inscribed on the rock walls. The finest examples of this rock art are found in the Mutawintji Historic Site, a restricted area that can be visited only on a guided tour. Mutawintji was the first national park in NSW to be returned to Aboriginal custodianship, bringing further significance to Top: Bangarra Dance Theatre. this Aboriginal-guided tour. Middle: Mungo National Park. Credit: Don Fuchs, Destination NSW. Bottom: Aboriginal Heritage Tour at Royal Botanic Gardens. Art and culture stringent criteria, ensuring that the businesses being promoted are able to meet the needs and Sydney offers many opportunities to see expectations of trade and the international market. contemporary and traditional Aboriginal art and artefacts. At the Art Gallery of NSW, the Yiribana Experiences and tours Gallery is one of the largest spaces in Australia dedicated exclusively to indigenous art and Every Friday at 10am, an Aboriginal Heritage sculpture. Rover Thomas, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Tour is held in Sydney’s spectacular Royal Botanic Long Tom Tjapanangka and Ginger Riley Gardens. Led by an Aboriginal guide, the tour Munduwalawala are among the leading artists introduces visitors to some of the bush foods that represented in the permanent exhibition. were part of the diet for the Cadigal people, the original inhabitants of this area. The tour finishes at With words, images and artefacts, the Australian The First Farm & Cadi Jam Ora, a display garden Museum explores the rich diversity of Aboriginal planted with the very different plants used by local Australia, showing some of the changes that have Cadigal people and those planted by the first occurred and the impact of European society. European settlers. Each November, Corroboree Sydney celebrates Sydney’s The Rocks is where the history of modern Australia’s rich indigenous culture against a Australia began. Here on this stubby peninsula, the magnificent Sydney Harbour backdrop. Visitors can first European settlers established themselves more experience the best of Indigenous contemporary than two centuries ago. The area has a very and traditional, visual and performing arts on the different significance for Aboriginal Australians, as historic Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay. relayed during The Rocks Dreaming Aboriginal Heritage Tour. Led by an Aboriginal guide, the 90- Performance minute walking tour offers an intimate, revealing portrait of the area’s original inhabitants, the Dance is a powerful traditional medium of artistic Cadigal people, their heritage and their deeply expression for many Aboriginal people and the spiritual connection with the natural world of Bangarra Dance Theatre is Australia’s most Sydney Harbour and its surrounds. exciting Aboriginal dance company. Backed by an all-Aboriginal cast of writers, directors and The native Australian animals on display in performers, Stephen Page, Bangarra’s Taronga Zoo have special significance for the choreographer and artistic director, digs deep into Cammeraigal, the original inhabitants of this site. his culture to orchestrate powerful performances Nura Diya, meaning “this country or camp”, takes that explore contemporary Aboriginal social visitors on a fascinating journey through the zoo in themes. 2014, the company’s 25th year, sees the company of an Aboriginal guide to explore the Bangarra delivering an exceptional performance links between Aboriginal people, their culture and program, headed by Patyegarang, a work about a the wildlife. young woman of intense and enduring courage, an educator and visionary, that is touring nationally. EcoTreasures is a nature-based tour specialist that operates tours with Aboriginal guides. The A new Champions program Northern Beaches Cultural Heritage Tour is a walking tour that takes in rock art and engraving The Indigenous Tourism Champions Program sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Visitors (ITCP) is a collaborative national program also learn about traditional native bush medicines instigated by Tourism Australia and Indigenous and bush tucker, track native animals and find out Business Australia. The program looks to build a about some of Australia’s dangerous snakes and reputation of reliability and consistent quality in spiders on the one-day tour, with plenty of service delivery with support from Destination NSW stimulation for the mind as well as the body. and other tourism and employment organisations. EcoTreasure’s half-day Aboriginal Heritage The ITCP is achieving its targets through selective Harbour Walk takes in cultural sites including marketing of Indigenous products which have met middens and rock engravings, artwork and an Aboriginal view of the local ecosystem and native source for Aboriginal people who lived here wildlife. many thousands of years ago. Today, these dry lake beds provide a snapshot that Regional NSW highlights has helped unravel some of the mysteries of Aboriginal life. Based in the NSW town of Some of the memorable Aboriginal cultural Wentworth, Harry Nanya Tours has earned experiences on offer in regional NSW include: many accolades for its tours, which unravel some of the powerful mysteries of the A new and exciting way to tackle the vast Paakantgi people. sand dunes of Stockton Beach, north of Newcastle, is with Sand Dune Adventures Based at Narooma on NSW’s South Coast, (SDA). Owned and operated by the Worimi Ngaran Ngaran specialises in cultural Local Aboriginal Land Council, the tour immersion tours in Gulaga National Park. gives visitors insights into local Aboriginal Core to Ngaran Ngaran is walking tours of culture on quad bike riding adventures. the national park with a Yuin Aboriginal Guests ride safely from bush to beach on a guide. The two-day Gulaga Creation 400cc quad bike (no experience Dreaming Tour is designed for visitors necessary). SDA also runs Hummer Tours looking for a deeper experience, with for all ages. performances of traditional songs and dances. Guides operate under the A vivid celebration of Aboriginal life, art and supervision of Yuin elder Uncle Max culture, Waradah Aboriginal Centre at ‘Dullamunmun’ Harrison. Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, is an art gallery as well as a performance space, The Blue Mountains is one of the most which hosts dance and didgeridoo popular day trip locations from Sydney, and performances throughout the day. Muggadah Indigenous Tours gives visitors a view of this dramatic landscape The Aboriginal Blue Mountains from an Aboriginal perspective. As part of a Walkabout is a full-day tour winding half- or full-day tour, visitors hear stories of through a beautiful and secluded Blue the Dreamtime and learn about the bush Mountains rainforest gully, along the trail of tucker and medicine of the Gundungurra an original songline. Body painting, people. Short walks show the best of this Aboriginal songlines, bush food, native spectacular region, from the descendants animals and storytelling are woven together of indigenous people who have live here for to make this a magical tour, set against a 40,000 years. backdrop of rainforest and mountain streams. Discover the stories behind the Gumbaynggirr people who have lived in the Harry Nanya Outback Tours is an Coffs Harbour area for thousands of years, Aboriginal-owned operator providing on an award-winning Coffs Coast interpretative tours of Mungo National Park Aboriginal Discovery Tour. Activities and the Willandra Lakes World Heritage include canoe tours, 4WD tag-along tours, Area in Outback NSW. This is one of the bush tucker and night birdwatching in eight most remarkable parts of Australia – a wild, national parks in the area, including lonely moonscape of saltbush and sand Muttonbird Island and Bongil Bongil dunes with profound significance for the National Park. Stop off in The Yarrawarra indigenous people of the region. Before the Aboriginal Cultural Centre to learn more last Ice Age much of this area