5 Day Crossing Country Yolngu Homeland Tour
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
This tour is fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader who will accompany you throughout the tour. If your tour includes multiple countries, you will be met by a new tour leader in each country and any internal flights included will be unescorted.
✓ All transport in the East Arnhem Region including airport transfers and ground touring
✓ All Meals
✓ Cultural Experiences on Yolngu Homelands
✓ All camping equipment and bedding in twin/share tents only. No single tents available.
✓ Yolngu driver-guides
✓ Homeland Fees
✓ Aboriginal Access Permits
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to East Arnhem Land! This tour visits a Yolŋu Homeland where you will stay with Yolŋu families and experience the traditional way of life lived on country for over 40,000 years. Each Yolŋu homeland has its own creation story, personality and landscapes.
You'll arrive at Gove Airport with Air North from Cairns. You'll be met on arrival by Lirrwi Tourism’s Yolŋu guide.
Head to Yirrkala to visit Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, one of the oldest and most respected Aboriginal art centres in Australia, located in the Yirrkala community. There will be a guided interpretation of historical Aboriginal Land Rights bark petitions. Local works are available for purchase and can be shipped anywhere in Australia.
Depart Yirrkala for Yolŋu Homeland. Upon arrive at the Homeland, you will receive a traditional welcome to country and general orientation. This afternoon the Traditional Owner or Elder will deliver a Yolgnu cultural class with your group, sharing and telling the story of the homeland.
The Yolŋu are widely regarded as the most culturally intact Aboriginal nation in Australia and as a result a major focus of tourism activity in the region is cultural awareness or immersion experiences.
Your indigenous cultural and nature-based awareness program continues today, covering areas including:
• Yolŋu culture and kinship
• Basic Yolŋu Matha language
• Yolŋu law
• Avoidance relationships
• Yolŋu sign language
• Activities such as spear fishing for men and weaving for women.
The cultural program continues in the morning:
• Women may partake in weaving, painting and other activities
• Men may partake in fishing, hunting, digeridoo making and other activities
Tonight, enjoy dinner and storytelling with Yolngnu families.
The cultural program continues in the morning. Then, depart from Homeland for Nhulunbuy. You'll have dinner at the Walkabout Lodge.
After breakfast, depart from Walkabout Lodge for Yirrkala. Bid farewell to your Lirrwi Yolngu guide at Gove Airport to board your flight to Cairns.
We hope you've enjoyed this inspiring journey.
Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.
We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.
Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support
We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head office located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.
Cooling off period
If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling off period. Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7 day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply.
Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to [email protected], including the reason for cancellation.
Deposit & Payments
Booking Process
Booking On Request:
COVID-19
Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be confirmed prior to departure.
Covid-19 Test
In order to participate in this tour you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, prior to joining this tour. To protect our vulnerable Yolngu communities, this is a mandatory requirement even if you have been fully vaccinated.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
Accommodation
Accommodation is simple, and shared, as are the bathrooms. You will be sharing a room, or a tent with other tour participants whilst you are staying on the homeland. You can however, pay a little extra to have a single room for the last night of the itinerary which is spent in Nhulunbuy.
Itinerary
The tour itinerary is not set in stone. The aim of the tour is to participate in the unstructured and less regimented Yolŋu daily life. Each Yolngu homeland offers a slightly different experience, and each time we visit we may be hosted by different family members. Your Yolngu hosts will lead each day's activities, so be prepared to be flexible, and expect the unexpected. Specific activities also vary depending on the season and availability of materials.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $166 per person in addition to the twin-share price. This single supplement applies to the last night of accommodation at Nhulunbuy only.
Triple Share
Not Available
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.
Tour Documentation
Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.
Group Size
Group size varies from package to package. Depending on the services provided, the group size might range from private 2 person experiences up to coaches of 50 people depending on your selected holiday.
Tour Type - Independant
On these packages you will travel from city to city on your own, exploring at your own pace. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible. The choice is yours.
Children
Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.
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