How to experience Aboriginal cultures when staying at a Luxury Lodge of Australia
The Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio includes some of the country’s most ravishing and remote properties – places that offer every comfort imaginable, but also a strong sense of place and culture. Check in to one, and you can also take a deep dive into the region’s strong Indigenous traditions on a Discover Aboriginal Experiences tour.
An aerial view of the El Questro Lodge in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia © Tourism Australia
From the Northern Territory to Tasmania, Australia has its fair share of opulent lodges – places that are far from cookie-cutter, and that embrace the destination and culture of the communities that they call home. Part of the Signature Experiences of Australia suite of offerings, Luxury Lodges of Australia unites these exceptional properties as a collective – all are located in an extraordinary region of Australia, all come with the niceties you’d expect of five-star accommodations. But Luxury Lodges of Australia are much more than just a place to stay – their real point of difference is connecting you to place, and in many cases, that means connection with Indigenous heritage. Here’s how you can check into beautiful accommodation, and then take a deep dive into Aboriginal cultures and traditions. The lodge: Silky Oaks This eco-lodge sits pretty in the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree Rainforest in Tropical North Queensland, overlooking the serene Mossman River.
Woman floating in an idyllic pool at Silky Oaks Lodge in Queensland © Luxury Lodges of Australia
The experiences: Silky Oaks collaborates with a number of DAE members to offer insights into local Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal culture. Sign up to join Juan Walker on one of his Walkabout Cultural Adventures, exploring Cooya Beach (his ancestral home), visiting Mossman Gorge, hunting for mud crabs in mangroves and tasting bush tucker. You can also opt to visit the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre on a Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk, combining a smoking ceremony to ward off bad spirits with a guided rainforest journey steeped in ancient culture. Brian ‘Binna’ Swindley operates Janbal Gallery in the area, the space dedicated to Aboriginal art. Silky Oaks can organise a visit that sees you get hands-on in a creative workshop decoding Kuku Yalanji symbols and painting techniques. And if you want a sky-high adventure, jump in a helicopter to an exclusive Cape York location to unravel the ancient stories of a 20,000-year-old outback museum with Jarramali Rock Art Tours.
Exploring Cooya Beach and learning how to catch mud crabs with Walkabout Cultural Adventures, Queensland © Tourism Australia
The lodge: El Questro Set on more than 400,000 hectares in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, El Questro is as remote as it is ravishing. Choose from various accommodation options, including the luxe Homestead. The experience: The Traditional Owners of the land that El Questro sits on are the Ngarinyin people, and their stories are revealed on the property’s Injiid Marlabu Calls Us tour. With an Aboriginal guide, be welcomed to country, learn Ngarinyin language and wander through a vast landscape discovering bush tucker and medicines as well as ancient, and spiritual, sites.
A woman relaxing beside a bath tub at El Questro Lodge in the Kimberley region of Western Australia © Luxury Lodges of Australia
The lodge: Bamurru Plains Bamurru unites style and sustainability in equal measure, providing a luxurious base for exploring the wild coastal floodplains of the Mary River delta on the edge of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. The experiences: When you stay at Bamurru Plains, you’re surrounded by rich Aboriginal history dating back more than 65,000 years. Join Kakadu Cultural Tours on a Guluyambi Cultural Cruise along Kakadu’s spectacular East Alligator River, taking in this World Heritage-listed landscape at a leisurely pace while learning about its Dreaming stories and abundant food chain from an Aboriginal guide. When you sign up for the Ultimate Luxury Safari Adventure with Lords Kakadu and Arnhemland Safaris, you also have the chance to stay at Bamurru over your six days exploring the Top End’s most fascinating Aboriginal cultural sites.
A luxurious glamping tent at Bamurru Plains in the Northern Territory © Luxury Lodges of Australia
The lodge: Longitude 131° Gaze upon Uluru from luxurious elevated tents on the edge of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Dotted among the red-rust dunes of the Central Desert, the 16 pavilions offer connection with the outback landscape and its heritage as well as a glamorous base from which to explore the incredible Red Centre. The experience: You may find it hard to tear yourself away from your Longitude base. But if you do, a immersive tour of the Gallery of Central Australia awaits. This introduction to Aboriginal art gives you the opportunity to learn about the symbols and painting styles used by local Anangu Aboriginal creatives in their artworks. Browse works, then purchase a piece to take home, knowing all profits go back to the artists that created them.
Sleeping under the stars beside a fire at luxury lodge Longitude 131 at Uluru in the Northern Territory © Luxury Lodges of Australia
