8 ways to experience Indigenous culture in WA

In a vast and ancient landscape, First Nations culture and stories, which stretch back through millennia in an unbroken line, are generously shared with those who seek them out.

While the fact that Australia is home to the oldest living culture in the world is a relatively recent discovery for many beyond our shores, the stories and histories and knowledge of this continent’s First Nations peoples have been carried and felt and handed down through generations like sacred totems over 60,000 years.

The vast expanse of the WA landscape is home to a united nations of peoples, languages and narratives that are joined together within the outline of the state, as if in a giant patchwork. Conscious exploration and a desire to hear and encounter Indigenous culture firsthand from the people empowered to share it pays rich rewards, with a roster of tours and experiences to delve into, from bush-tucker expeditions to staying on Country with the custodians of the land you stand on and the sky you sleep under. All you have to do is seek it out.

Terry Hunter of Borrgoron Cultural Tours, Indigenous Tours in WA — Terry Hunter of Borrgoron Cultural Tours shares stories of his history and culture. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

1. Camping with Custodians

A unique WA initiative, Camping with Custodians allows travellers to stay in quality campgrounds operated by the communities of the land they are situated on. Such privileged access affords the opportunity to interact and learn from the Traditional Owners through everything from tours to cultural experiences, and gives an insight into the importance of Country to those who don’t just live on it, but who come from it. The fees paid for campsite accommodations stay within the community, while the program helps to generate not just income but also employment pathways.

Bungle Bungle Range, Indigenous Tours in WA — Visit the beautiful Bungle Bungle Range with a Custodian for Country. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

There are currently six sites within the Camping with Custodians roster.

Imintji Campground and Art Centre

Imintji Campground and Art Centre is located on the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley, at the foot of the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges. The Imintji (Ngarinyin) people are gracious hosts, sharing Aboriginal history and culture and welcoming visitors into their colourful Art Centre to see artists from the community at work. The shaded wilderness camp also sits within easy striking distance of Bell Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

Mimbi Caves Tours & Campground

Mimbi Caves Tours & Campground is operated by the Gooniyandi people of the Mimbi community, for whom the surrounding landscape and caves are of deep cultural and spiritual significance. While the secluded campground at the foot of the Emmanuel Ranges – known as Jarlarloo Riwi (jarlarloo meaning coolamon tree and riwi meaning camp) in the local Gooniyandi language – has modern amenities, hot showers and a barbecue shelter, a stay here is all about exploring the landscape with local guides, including hearing Dreaming stories deep within the cave system itself.

Aboriginal Art work during Camping with Custodians Stay, Indigenous Tours in WA — A Camping with Custodians stay at Imintji Campground and Art Centre includes the chance to see local artists at work. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Peedamulla Station

In the Pilbara, the pastoral Peedamulla Station sits on 226,000 hectares of land some 75 kilometres outside of Onslow. Owned and operated by the Jundaru Aboriginal Corporation, the nature-based campsite includes hot showers, drinking water and gas barbecues.

Violet Valley Campground

Violet Valley Campground, off the Great Northern Highway near Purnululu National Park, offers 14 secluded campsites in a natural bush setting on the banks of the Bow River, the presence of which is helping the Gija people return to living and working on traditional country and re-establish connection with cultural and ceremonial sites.

Doon Doon Roadhouse

Doon Doon Roadhouse, owned by the nearby Woolah community, has both a caravan park and campground with powered and unpowered sites, as well as four air-conditioned cabins some 110 kilometres south of Kununurra.

The Djarindjin Campground

Owned and operated by the nearby Djarindjin community, the Djarindjin Campground, located on the newly sealed Cape Leveque Road on the stunning Dampier Peninsula, has 37 powered sites and 10 unpowered sites with hot showers, a large camp kitchen with gas barbecues, a sheltered dining area and communal fire pit.

Go culture, Indigenours Tours in WA — Explore various pockets of the city which showcases Indigenous culture and history. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

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2. Go cultural

Tour the land of the Whadjuk people with a Noongar guide to get a transfixing insight into Perth’s Aboriginal history and significant cultural sites. The family business of Walter and Meg McGuire, who work alongside their eldest daughter Lucy, Go Cultural share the first story of the Whadjuk people, detailing the traditional way of life and the spiritual connection to the country, river and the animals that inhabit Noongar Boodja. Tours explore various pockets of the city including Karrgatup (Kings Park), Goomup (Elizabeth Quay) and Goologoolup (Yagan Square).

Go Culture’s Walter McGuire, WA Indigenous Tours — Tour the land of the Whadjuk people with Go Culture’s Walter McGuire, who provides insights into Perth’s proud Indigenous history. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Koomal Dreaming

Wadandi custodian Josh “Koomal" Whiteland guides his guests on a very personal journey through the histories, experiences and culture of the Wadandi and Bibbulman people who have lived in the Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River areas of Australia’s South West for thousands of years. On his signature Twilight Didgeridoo Cave Tour, Koomal leads a short bushwalk to discover traditional medicine plants and share local knowledge about the region, before heading to Ngilgi Cave for a live didgeridoo performance within the cavernous surrounds deep below the surface of the Earth.

Ancient traditions during Koomal Dreaming, Indigenous Tours in WA — Explore ancient traditions with Koomal Dreaming. (Image: Frances Andrijich)

4. Southern Cross Coastal Walk

On the four-hour Southern Cross Cultural Walk, Bardi-Jawi man Bolo Angus shares insights into his ancestral homeland at Lullumb, where the bush meets the sea in the Kimberley region. With knowledge passed to him by his grandfather and a passion for keeping these traditions alive for future generations, Angus and his family impart cultural knowledge on ancient hunting techniques, share insights into identifying bush tucker and bush medicine and demonstrate how to find fresh water. A delicious cook-up of the bush tucker collected and caught during the tour crowns the experience.

Bolo Angus of Southern Cross Coastal Walks, WA Indigenous Tours — Experience a Cultural Tour with Bolo Angus of Southern Cross Coastal Walks. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Ngurrangga Tours

Belonging to the Ngarluma/Yindjibarndi language group and Burungu skin group, Clinton Walker is a descendant of the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people, who are the Traditional Owners of the coastal and inland areas of the West Pilbara region. Having spent his life learning the traditional ways of his people, including speaking the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi languages, Walker’s tours aim to educate visitors in the ways of his culture and history, encompassing bush foods and medicines, ancient rock art, traditional stories and songs, and raise the profile of the little-known Burrup Peninsula, home to up to one million Aboriginal rock carvings, some dating back 40,000 years.

Ngurrangga Tours, Indigenous Tours in WA — Take a walk on Country with Ngurrangga Tours. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Borrgoron Cultural Tours

Operating out of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Terry Hunter is a fourth-generation pearler and proud Bardi man, who generously shares his story while exploring tidal flats, foraging for oysters and demonstrating ancient coastal hunting techniques on his Coast to Creek tour. You can also book a personalised culture and history tour for a walking Q&A session that allows you to dive deeper into Hunter’s cultural knowledge, as well as the landscape you are walking on.

Pearl shells from Indigenous tour in WA — Observe the tradition of carving pearl shells. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. Wala Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures

These on-Country tours explore the ancient cultural stories and practices of the Shark Bay region’s First Nations peoples, the Nhanda and Malgana. In a place that they know as Gutharraguda, owner Darren “Capes" Capewell, a descendant of the Nhanda and Malgana people, offers escapes to Wirruwana (Dirk Hartog Island), Francois Peron and Steep Point, as well as kayaking and wildlife adventures and an evocative Didgeridoo Dreaming Night Tour.

Bec Sampi of Kingfisher Tours in Purnululu National Park, Indigenous Tours in WA — Join head guide Bec Sampi of Kingfisher Tours in Purnululu National Park.

8. ROC-certified Kingfisher Tours

EcoTourism Australia’s Respecting Our Culture (ROC) certification is at the forefront of encouraging the Australian tourism industry to adapt practices and operate businesses in a way that shows respect to and reinforces First Nations cultural heritage, as well as the living culture of First Nations communities. ROC-certified operators make a commitment to “protecting cultural authenticity and integrity, developing sound business practices, environmental protection and acknowledging Indigenous peoples’ spiritual connection to the land and water".You can see this ethos firsthand with ROC-certified Kingfisher Tours in the Kimberley, whose tours to spectacular locations such as the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park are conducted by Custodian for Country guides like head guide Bec Sampi, who has also been assisted in establishing her business producing soaps using traditional bush medicine from the Purnululu area.

Trade early morning phone alarms and city chaos for bucolic serenity and gastronomic delights.

Peaceful birdsong and coastal winds meet rolling green hills and turquoise waters; there’s no better place to start your day than in Western Australia’s Denmark. This picturesque coastal town, a 4.5-hour drive from Perth along the pristine Rainbow Coast, offers bucolic bliss in spades.

A hidden retreat lies just a 10-minute drive from the town centre, inviting guests to slow down and connect with nature. At Heyscape Denmark, the ultimate refuge from the rat race and the perfect setting for a rural escape await.

Whether it’s for a refreshing weekend away or a regenerative week-long sojourn, this idyllic pocket of the world will leave you feeling anew.

Where to stay

women on front deck at inside a cabin at heyscape denmar Western australia — Make the most of outdoor baths. (Credit: Jarrad Seng)

Located on the 880-acre Raintree Estate, Heyscape Denmark is an award-winning, off-grid cabin retreat ideal for anyone craving time in nature while also enjoying sustainable, luxury comfort. Just 15 are sensitively embedded in the rural environment, ensuring privacy and the perfect setting to switch off. Choose from one-bedroom, two-bedroom or 4-person cabins. Four-legged friends can also join in on the fun with pet-friendly cabins available.

inside a cabin at heyscape denmar Western australia — Check in, to check out.

The modern accommodations are well-appointed with queen beds dressed in lush linen and pillows; a bathroom with a warm shower, flushable toilet and botanical shampoo and conditioner; and an indoor kitchenette with a Nespresso coffee maker. Outside, find timber decks with seating to spot resident kangaroos from, Heston Blumenthal barbecues for whipping up delicious meals using local produce, and outdoor baths to soak up incredible nighttime skies – Denmark’s lack of light pollution makes it an exceptional spot for stargazing and viewing the Milky Way. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame sweeping Great Southern Ocean, William Bay National Park and Karri tree views.

Wellness is at the forefront of Heyscape Denmark with thoughtful touches including Note to Self prompts, gratitude cards and a botanical sleep spray ready to help you unwind. And for the ultimate weekend of R&R, two-bedroom cabins are fitted with saunas.

Where to eat

Heyscape’s Marron Catch & Cook Experience — Catch your own freshwater crayfish, then have a chef prepare it for you.

The Great Southern region’s Mediterranean climate and nutrient-rich soils make for some of the most incredible produce in the world – and a stay at Heyscape Denmark lets you sample the very best of it. The estate farms over 200 black Angus cattle, marron – a freshwater crayfish endemic to the South-West of Western Australia –, hemp and French black truffle.

Just steps from these cabins sits the estate’s paddock-to-plate restaurant, The Dam. Featuring lofty jarrah ceilings, polished concrete and expansive windows revealing calming dam views, it’s a stunning spot for lunch or dinner, alongside an outdoor playground to keep little ones happy and busy.

Acclaimed chef Jason Jujnovich utilises ingredients from Raintree Estate’s regenerative farm in his hyper-local, Modern Australian menu. Seasonally changing dishes include the likes of wagyu beef lasagna and pistachio crumbed chicken cotoletta. Or join in for pizza night on a Friday, where the mushroom and truffle pizza is an easy winner.

Meals are designed to be paired with sips from the property’s innovative Cannabis Botanical Distillery, which concocts house-made hemp spirits and seltzers using ingredients grown onsite. Taste unique drops such as the Sativa Gin with warm citrus and pepper notes and the Pineapple Passion seltzer.

Another stand-out gastronomic offering is Heyscape’s Marron Catch & Cook Experience, which lets you hand-catch freshwater crayfish from the property’s pristine dams and have them prepared and cooked to perfection for you by chefs. Those wanting to enjoy a meal from the comfort of their cabin can fire up the barbecue and grill their fresh catch or order a gourmet dinner box with mouthwatering wagyu steak and antipasti against golden peaceful sunset views.

Things to do

Lights Beach denmark western australia — Spend a day enjoying the idyllic Lights Beach. (Credit: Tourism WA)

There’s no shortage of things to do in Denmark, and basing yourself at Heyscape Denmark puts you within easy access to it all. Nature lovers are spoiled with unbeatable spots for swimming and snorkelling, plus coastal hiking trails at William Bay National Park – a protected coastal reserve with approximately 1734 hectares of stunning landscapes ready to be explored.

Hire an e-bike from the property and cycle just 15 minutes to the unbelievably clear waters and white sands of Greens Pools, a naturally sheltered beach. Or the idyllic Lights Beach, which features three beaches, dunes, natural wading pool and scenic walking trails. Keen surfers should turn their attention to Ocean Beach with its world-class surf breaks.

aerial Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk — Wander the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. (Credit: Tourism WA)

Stroll past towering Karri and giant Red Tingle trees on the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. The 600-metre walkway rises 40 metres above the ancient forest floor and meanders through the hardwood trees, endemic exclusively to the Great Southern region.

Denmark is also a haven for creatives, and Butter Factory Studios is a must-stop on any itinerary. The contemporary art gallery, working artist studio and gift shop are housed within a historic building where workshops and exhibitions support and showcase creators from the region.

With the winning trifecta of delicious food, a pristine environment, and secluded accommodation, Denmark proves to be the ultimate destination for relaxation.

Book your Denmark adventure today at heyscape.com.au.

8 ways to experience Indigenous culture in WA

In a vast and ancient landscape, First Nations culture and stories, which stretch back through millennia in an unbroken line, are generously shared with those who seek them out.