By far one of the best aboriginal tours in Far North Queensland is Walkabout Adventures with Juan Walker. It is informative, fascinating and gives you plenty of hands-on experiences as you learn all about Aboriginal culture and traditions.
Juan offers half day or full day tours. We opted for the full day experience and I am glad we did because it was even better than we’d expected.
Juan is a born storyteller and we really loved listening to him sharing stories passed down to him from his grandfather.
The stories Juan tells throughout the day about his ancestors, Aboriginal traditions and why their connection to country is so strong, are absolutely fascinating.
It gives you a much greater understanding of indigenous culture in Australia and especially in the Daintree region.
But what makes this tour extra special is experiences like being able to sample local bush tucker and have a go at spear fishing in the mangroves.
We were constantly learning new things and it was all set against some beautiful locations.
hands-on experiences
Unlike some tours where you just follow a tour guide around, hopping on and off a bus, Walkabout Adventures evokes all your senses by getting you to touch, smell, taste and really experience everything.
We collected almonds (nuts) off trees and cracked them open ourselves with rocks, we dug for pipis (shellfish) in the shallow water which Juan then cooked for us to eat and we tasted a variety of unusual exotic tropical fruits native to FNQ.
Juan also taught us how to throw a spear before leading us through the mangroves at Cooya Beach to search for fish and crabs to spear in the traditional way Aboriginal people hunt.
We did find a crab in the mangroves but he wasn’t big enough to eat, so we didn’t spear him and we let him go.
location, location, location!
The tour starts early in the morning in the Daintree Village, before heading to various locations throughout the Daintree to learn about bush tucker.
Then its off to the beach for pipis and spear fishing and then onto the beautiful Mossman Gorge for a private guided tour and a swim. You get to experience the best of the Daintree and learn about it’s history, it’s people and it’s food.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable day and our kids really loved the whole experience.
“This was a tour full of incredible experiences that will stay with us for a long time.”
travel nq fast facts:
- You can self drive and follow Juan’s vehicle or you can travel as a passenger in the air-conditioned Walkabout Adventures 4WD
- Lunch is included in the full day tour
- If you are worried about crocodiles or are uncomfortable spear fishing in the mangroves, you can stay on the beach during this part of the tour
- Walkabout Adventures also offer tours visiting some other Daintree destinations so check their website for tour details before booking – www.walkaboutadventures.com.au
