08 November 2021
The summer school holidays are fast approaching, and we are all excited to get out and start having family adventures again. And while travel plans are tricky at the moment, we have plenty of fun, educational and exciting activities right here in Queensland. Activities to keep the whole family engaged, places where you can just let kids be kids and have fun learning about Aboriginal culture. Here are our picks of the best Aboriginal activities in Queensland to entertain the kids and the whole family over the school holidays.
Dive and Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
Discover the blue world! The Great Barrier Reef is definitely a must do Australian travel experience but when you add Indigenous culture it elevates discovering the reef to a life changing experience. On this day tour you will cruise the outer reefs with Indigenous sea rangers learn about the world’s oldest living culture and see some of Australia’s most amazing marine life. The rangers share stories on Gunggandji sea country including the reef creation story as well as song, dance and music. You will visit two spectacular Outer Great Barrier Reef sites, Milln and Flynn Reefs. Dreamtime even offer guided snorkel tours perfect for beginners, these small groups are led by a Marine Naturalist and explore a sheltered coral lagoon with expert snorkelling assistance and instruction available at all times.
Live and Interactive Aboriginal Theatre
Give your kids a front row seat to history. Named Queensland’s best tourism attraction by travel company RACQ for 2020, Spirits of the Red Sand is a must do school holiday activity. Spirits of the Red Sand is an Aboriginal live and interactive theatre and storytelling experience which takes you back to 1800s Queensland when British and Aboriginal ways of life collided. The story is told through song and dance and follows the lives of three Aboriginal brothers. And this experiences includes a bush food feast for dinner! The kids can enjoy piping hot damper, try char-grilled kangaroo, emu and crocodile and homemade lemon myrtle cheesecake is sure to be a hit for dessert.
Pamagirri Mini Mob
The award-winning Rainforestation Nature Park is located in Kuranda’s World Heritage rainforest in Tropical North Queensland. Pamagirri is a family friendly experience where you can learn about the world’s oldest surviving culture. Walk through the rainforest, watch a traditional dance performance, see a spear presentation, be blown away by a didgeridoo performance and try out your boomerang throwing skills. Parmingarri offer a special family’s only experience, Pamagirri Mini Mob, a fun and interactive experience specifically designed for children and their family. And the kids get to paint and take home their very own didgeridoo!
Cultural Beach, Mangroves and Mud Flat Tour
Head North and get the kids out on Rainforest and Reef Country. Join one of the Kubirri Warra brothers, Linc and Brandon Walker, on their beach, mudflat and mangrove walk at Cooya Beach in Tropical North Queensland. This unique coastal area has three diverse ecosystems -beach, mangroves and coastal reef – that are connected to each other by the ever-changing mudflats and tidal lagoons. The kids can explore this magnificent landscape as well as learn how to throw a spear, hunt whilst stalking and observing wildlife and country, and how to track coastal resources. The kids might even catch a mud crab!
Turtle Discovery Ecotour
Take the kids on a marine odyssey and learn about biology and culture surrounded by turquoise water and white sand. Did you know the Great Sandy Biosphere on the Fraser Coast is one of the most significant ecological and cultural sites in the world? The Biosphere includes K’gari (Fraser Island) and the Great Sandy Strait and was highlighted by UNESCO in 2009 in the same class as the Galapagos Islands, the Central Amazon and Uluru. And who better to show you the spectacular and complex environment of the marine park than the regions Traditional Owners the Butchulla. Visit coral reefs, see turtles, dolphins, seabird colonies, reef sharks and dugongs. Absorb the local Butchulla culture of the region. Discover the Butchulla names and meanings of local landmarks, visit culturally significant sites and hear the Butchulla creation stories.
Cultural Whale Watching
Give the kids a school holiday experience they will never forget, get up close with whales on a Cultural Whale Watching Experience. This is a whale watching and wildlife tour like no other – you’ll get up close with some incredible wildlife on the stunning Sunshine Coast. The experience goes one step further making the magical experience of whale watching even more special. Your local Indigenous guides will share with the kids the ancient stories, and deep connections the local Indigenous people have to these majestic ocean dwellers as they migrate along our beautiful coastline. Availability July to October due to Whale Migration Patterns.
Now there’s no excuse not to have an Indigenous experience these school holidays!
*All bookings are subject to relevant Queensland health restrictions and conditions. Please check relevant restrictions and conditions at the time of booking.
