Tiwi By Design Day Tour: Glimpse into Aboriginal Community and their Rich Traditions

Explore Tiwi Islands’ Aboriginal culture with a local guide. Enjoy traditional tea, learn rituals, and join an art workshop. Limited tourism, unique experience.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • SeaLink Northern Territory - Servicing the Top end since 2013, SeaLink Northern Territory provides a safe, comfortable and reliable ferry service with state-of-the-art high-speed catamarans and friendly qualified crew.

Built especially for remote locations, the SeaLink NT ferries are capable of beach landings, carrying large numbers of passengers in comfort, and are all equipped with kiosks, men, women and disabled toilets, air-conditioned cabins, and spacious outdoor decking.

  • Tiwi Design - After a rest and lunch in the shade, it’s time to re-visit Tiwi Design and participate in an exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes’ screen printing workshop. Choose from contemporary or traditional Tiwi design to print onto a take-home t-shirt, tea towel or fabric – a wonderful souvenir of your Tiwi visit.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • On-board WiFi
  • Lunch
  • On-board restrooms
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Visit a traditional Aboriginal community on the Tiwi Islands, off the coast of Darwin. Accompanied by a local Tiwi guide, you’ll learn about local history and Tiwi rituals by visiting all the places of interest. Share a traditional morning tea with Tiwi Islanders before taking an art workshop taught by Aboriginal artists. Tourism is limited on the island, making this a rare chance to visit this Aboriginal community that holds on tightly to its traditions.

  • This is a walking tour, an easy stroll over short distances between the ferry landing, art centre and mission precinct. Please note that the Bathurst Island Museum is closed until 2022, and is no longer included in this tour
  • Covid Procedures: We have always had stringent and rigorous hygiene standards, cleaning procedures and health and safety practices. During this time, we have stepped our practices and procedures up even further. Where possible we have made additional hand sanitisers and cleaning stations available to our customers and employees to exercise good hand/hygiene practices. We have also placed hygiene communications in our vessels, vehicles, accommodation, food venues, shop fronts/counters/terminals from the relevant health authorities.
Location
Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal
Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal, at the end of Marina Boulevard, Cullen Bay, Darwin. 5 minutes drive from Darwin CBD, free all day parking in off-street carparks.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(144 Ratings)
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P416hbleeb
Jul 12, 2024
Very interesting History of Tiwi Islands - We’ve heard so much about Bathurst and Melville Islands but didn’t realise they were actually part of the Tiwi Islands. We had a long ferry ride from Cullen Bay but it was so worth it. Rocky and Buffy were our guides that introduced us to their Smoko ceremony followed by a trip to the museum, and historical. Lunch was later got but fresh and healthy after which we did some screen printing for ourselves for keepsakes. Some T-Shirts and some Tea towels. All in all, a long day but very informative, cultures we didn’t know and went away far more knowledgeable. Definitely worth a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Riverina54
Jul 8, 2024
Great relaxing trip. - Was an enjoyable trip. Lovely people on Bathurst Island. Remember to take travel sickness tablets beforehand in case of rough waters.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adelaidenow
Jun 24, 2024
Fantastic experience - We joined the trip today. Buffy and Rocky were great hosts. We really enjoyed the trip and felt we only got to experience a small part of the tiwi Islands. Ideally a couple of days on the Tiwi Islands would be much better and I’m sure we will be back. Not a cheap trip but I’ll remember the experience much longer than I remember the price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diaaj2022
May 24, 2024
Many thanks to Tiwi By Design Day Tour - We had a wonderful day at Bathurst Island. The crossing was smooth and we really appreciated our guide Vivian, the smoking ceremony and our walk around the town visiting among other things the museum and historic church. Lunch was scrumptious under the trees in the garden of the Arts centre, and then followed up with choosing a Tiwi Design and being involved with the process of screen printing the design on to a T shirt and a Tea towel for the two of us. It was great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_g
May 21, 2024
Crocodile rock - We really enjoyed the various animal dances. Welcome to Country and the smoking ceremony were inclusive. Screen printing was educational and fun. The staff were patient with the group.
Review provided by Viator
Z6938dxkarinb
Apr 29, 2024
A Must do don’t miss out on this - This is a must do. thank you to all the mob for welcoming us to your land. Such an amazing experience and full of history and culture so much to take away for this amazing experience. Our guide was just wonderful Viviam thank you so much for sharing your culture and land with us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Iwsdora
Apr 28, 2024
Special visit to an unusual place. Privileged to have visited. - Highly informative and enjoyable visit. Vivian (Buffy) was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Fantastic lunch. Great artwork Great experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sophie_b
Apr 16, 2024
Authentic, educational, Thankyou - Amazing day trip, local guides and artists, it felt authentic and its was super educational! Great lunch, Trip tan very smoothly I learnt so much!
Review provided by Viator
Marietherese_s
Jul 5, 2024
Tiwi in a day! - Wonderful to experience life on Tiwi at Bathurst Islands. Had opportunity to create screen print. Loved the museum and church(site of Top End Wedding). Great day exploring. Sadly the ferry rides weren't too flash but it couldn't spoil the beautiful day for us
Review provided by Viator
Kerrymb138rq
Jul 17, 2024
Disappointingly tour was cancelled.... - I booked, seeing a few reviews that this tour was cancelled at short notice on occasion, and hoped that wouldn't happen on this occasion. Sadly, I was also unlucky and the tour was cancelled the evening before. Communications cited "mechanical issues" but having seen that in other reviews and that it was late on a Sunday afternoon that they cancelled, I thought that was a bit suspect (maybe minimum numbers - not mentioned in booking - were not met). If you're keen to actually get to the islands, maybe try a different tour if available. Or when booking, knowing that there's a chance it won't go ahead and you'll be left disappointed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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