Indigenous cultural tour operator Lirrwi Tourism has announced a record number of departure dates for its itineraries touring the East Arnhem Land Yolngu homelands for the 2022 season. Special-themed single and multi-day tours offer visitors a swag of options for experiencing one of Australia’s most remote and undiscovered destinations and meet its Indigenous people.
Developed and operated by Yolngu traditional owners, Lirrwi’s immersive tours offer visitors an incredible cultural adventure and the chance to experience the Yolngu way of life. Itineraries welcome visitors to Yolngu family communities and are designed to be flexible to work with the flow of the natural environment, the climate and the community.
At the same time, the Aboriginal-owned initiative provides a sustainable economic base for Yolngu communities to remain on country while also preserving and sharing their living culture.
Multi-day adventure itineraries on offer include a Crossing Country Tour and a Women’s Tour, called the Gay’Wu or Dilly Bag Tour. Customisable experiences are also available for corporate retreats and school groups. Multi-day tours offer a rare and often life-changing chance for visitors to take time out from western routines and ‘go with the flow’ in Australia’s Indigenous heartland.
Each tour includes a Welcome to Yolngu Country, a guided experience of the landscape and an introduction to bush foods and traditional remedies, crafts and the stories of the land.
Spontaneous events are always a possibility and make Lirrwi’s tours so special; guests might learn basket-weaving or creating traditional spears, join in the gathering of bush foods and medicine, or make a stopover at the beach to catch a fish or mud crabs. Then there’s the chance to take part in traditional Indigenous methods of cooking and eating them!
A genuine adventure in culture, the five-day Crossing Country Tour visits remote Yolngu communities across East Arnhem Land with overnight stays at beautiful Bawaka Homeland and the more remote Bukudal or Ninyikay Homelands.
Next year’s Crossing Country departure dates are:
- April 8-12, 2022
- April 30- May 4, 2022
- May 27-21, 2022
- June 25-29, 2022
- July 9-12, 2022
- August 26-30, 2022
- September 9-12, 2022
- September 23-27, 2022
- October 7-12, 2022
- October 21-21, 2022
Lirrwi Tourism’s Women’s Gay’Wu Tour is named for the dilly bag’s importance as a cultural symbol, both for its practicality in carrying bush foods and medicines, and for its spiritual significance: for carrying knowledge. On this five-day tour, participants connect with Yolngu women to learn about traditions and links to the earth.
Next year’s Women’s Gay’Wu Tour departure dates are:
- April 1-5, 2022
- April 15-19, 2022
- May 7-11, 2022
- June 10-14, 2022
- July 2-6, 2022
- August 5-9, 2022
- August 19-23, 2022
- September 2-6, 2022
- September 16-20, 2022
- September 30-October 4, 2022
- October 28-November 1, 2022
Rates for both the Crossing Country and Women’s Tours are $2,399* per person twin share and include accommodation, meals, transfers and tours.
Guided single-day tours offer a great option as a taster or as part of a larger Top End itinerary. Day tours depart from Yirrkala (via Gove) and operate between July and October or by special arrangement. Tour options include the Bawaka Homeland Yolngu tour, a Gululu tour with visits to Daliwoi Bay, Maccassans Beach and Turtle Beach (known as Little Bondi) as well as art tours and as well as speciality tours like a Yidaki (didgeridoo) masterclass.
For bookings and more information visit www.lirrwitourism.com.au or call +61 8 8987 2828
*Subject to availability, conditions apply. Single supplement rates apply.
SOURCE: Lirrwi Tourism
