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Tiwi Islands Cultural Immersion: Aboriginal Customs and Life in Wurrumiyanga from Darwin
3.9
86 Ratings
Larrakeyah
Discover Tiwi Islands’ Aboriginal culture from Darwin. Experience unique customs, rich traditions, and unforgettable memories. Book your cultural immersion tour now.
Discover Tiwi Islands’ Aboriginal culture from Darwin. Experience unique customs, rich traditions, and unforgettable memories. Book your cultural immersion tour now.
Duration:
10 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Cullen Bay Marina - Head to the Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal, just a five-minute drive from the CBD, and embark on a 2.5-hour cruise aboard the Tiwi Mantawi to Bathurst Island.
- Wurrumiyanga - Meet your local guide who will take you on a tour of the progressive, modern Aboriginal community of Wurrumiyanga.
- Tiwi Islands - Explore the Museum,…
- Cullen Bay Marina - Head to the Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal, just a five-minute drive from the CBD, and embark on a 2.5-hour cruise aboard the Tiwi Mantawi to Bathurst Island.
- Wurrumiyanga - Meet your local guide who will take you on a tour of the progressive, modern Aboriginal community of Wurrumiyanga.
- Tiwi Islands - Explore the Museum, which features fascinating displays of traditional art and Tiwi ‘dreamtime’ stories, and visit the Early Mission Precinct with its distinctive Tiwi-style Catholic Church. Learn about the vibrant history of the early mission days and how the Tiwi people have integrated their culture with Christianity. Spend time with Tiwi women as they weave and paint, and enjoy local billy tea and damper. Your guides and the women will also demonstrate totem dances and perform a smoking ceremony, explaining their significance. Tour the Arts & Crafts Centres to see where the artists work, and have the chance to purchase Tiwi arts, crafts, and screen-printed fabric at local prices. Discover the intricate rituals of the Pukamani (burial ceremony) before returning to the ferry landing to board your vessel. Depart Bathurst Island for Darwin at 3:15 pm.
What's Included
- Morning tea with traditional billy tea and damper
- Round-trip ferry between Darwin and Bathurst Island
- Lunch included
- Explore the Tiwi Museum
- Guidance by an experienced driver
- Comfortable travel in an air-conditioned minivan
- Morning tea with traditional billy tea and damper
- Round-trip ferry between Darwin and Bathurst Island
- Lunch included
- Explore the Tiwi Museum
- Guidance by an experienced driver
- Comfortable travel in an air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Additional Information
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a modern-day Aboriginal community. It will provide you with an insight into the Tiwi people’s rich culture and lifestyle. The tour will reveal scenes seldom seen by many outsiders and will leave you with a lifetime memory. Many cities are blessed with island destinations close by, but only Darwin has the…
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a modern-day Aboriginal community. It will provide you with an insight into the Tiwi people’s rich culture and lifestyle. The tour will reveal scenes seldom seen by many outsiders and will leave you with a lifetime memory. Many cities are blessed with island destinations close by, but only Darwin has the Tiwi Islands.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Location
Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal
Meet at Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal
Address: Ferry Terminal, Larrakeyah NT 0820
Return point: Returns to original departure point at 5:45pm
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.9
(86 Ratings)
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Kblackwellau
Aug 15, 2024
Valuable insight - Loved the fresh lunch, museum tour and after-lunch cultural activities. It all gave us a wonderful insight into the Tiwi Islands!
Review provided by Viator
Astha_f
Aug 11, 2024
The Tiwi Islands Cultural Experience is excellent value. - Our only disappointment was that the booking site says the ferry trip take 90 minutes but it actually 2hrs, 15 minutes. The tour games were excellent! This tour includes being able to see the locals paint their shells and you can buy directly from them for cash (be sure to bring cash, like we did). They also sell t shirts will local designs. You have plenty of time, as they are where buffet lunch was served and the wonderful dances and smoking ceremony happens. The Design Art shop takes a commission and sells the locals’ art for much higher prices. The museum is quite interesting and the toilets are very clean! We would love to go back again! A Bucket List item!!
Review provided by Viator
Terry_m
Jul 30, 2024
Culturally uplifting experience - Interesting hearing about the Tiwi cultural and history from some colourful characters. Lunch and the smoking and dancing which followed were particularly enjoyable.
Review provided by Viator
Jan
Jul 4, 2024
Tiwi island tour - Was a wonderful day the Tiwi people are so welcoming a fantastic experience learning about their culture will treasure this forever
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maree_s
Jun 14, 2024
Tiwi hospitality - Whilst it was a long journey on the boat, the hospitality shown to us by the Indigenous community was well worth it. Lunch was lovely and our guides were great. Thank you to the Tiwis for making us so welcome.
Review provided by Viator
James
Jul 4, 2024
A Sound trip to the Tiwi with Authentic Aboriginal Guides - I enjoyed this pricy but very interesting tour. The Tiwi Aboriginal guides made it and were interesting funny great sensor of humour and caring.
The trip started off chaotically with the ticketing process which took too long. The boat trip was 3 hours and it was choppy. And likewise on the return. The crew were helpful in handing out bags to those feeling ill. The ferry was fully loaded.
On arrival the darlings customers were split into 2 equal groups and we proceeded with the tour. We wandered around visiting a good museum and old Catholic Church. The guide gave us some stories of founding of Christianity on the Tiwis and the relationship with the first priest and the islanders.
We then visited an art museum which you could purchase locally made items.
Lunch was a standard buffet salad and was very tasty. Tea coffee and water were supplied.
Then we had the guides paint themselves up and did some cultural dances. These were good and interactive.
Finally a bus tour around the town and before we knew it, it was time to farewell our guides.
It was a great experience and I felt enriched with knowledge about our First Nation People from the Guides.
The ferry trip was very quite choppy and there was some illness on board but sealink staff handed out sick bags it took 3hours.
Overall a great tie-me made special by the guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coral_v
Jun 21, 2024
The Tiwis - Very interesting visit to the crisis.
Excellent guides.
Fascinating history.
Museum was a highlight.
Review provided by Viator
Bob_p
Jun 11, 2024
Good and bad - The tour on the island, once we got there, was fantastic. We felt welcomed and included. The local guides, Roma, Fred and Steel, willingly shared their culture and historical insights of the island. Lunch was great too. They were very patient and forgiving with our lack of understanding of the local customs. Life on the island is so different from ours, going back thousands of years. The part they played in the Darwin air raids was very interesting so was seeing the places that Top End Wedding was filmed.
However, the lack of communication from the ferry operators spoilt it. People arrived on one day early to find out that the ferry had broken down and the tour was cancelled. They should have been told when they knew instead of letting them spend money on taxi fares and wasting their time when there is so much else to be done in Darwin. They were given credits for the next day but there were still problems with the ferry and we waited for over an hour, not knowing what was happening. We were told to turn up early and it was a classic case of hurry up and wait. Simple organisational skills like being directed to checking in and bag checking in the correct order would have been less frustrating. We have had experience with AAT Kings before and every time we have been mucked around. They lack communication and we would be very hesitant in booking with them again.
Review provided by Viator
Melissa
Aug 21, 2024
Overpriced tour for what you get and not really worth it. - Long ferry trip - 2.5 hrs each way. Island not well kept and not inviting on arrival. Tour was guided by local Tiwi who showed us what was described on the tour. Lunch was sandwiches and salads all fresh.
My Partner who came with me on this tour for a second time, took this tour 25 years ago and observed minimal significant improvements.
Disappointed as I wonder where the funds go to what appears to be an overpriced tour. I do hope some funds do go to the communities.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
797mareer
Jun 20, 2024
Sad and not worth $430 - Very disappointed in this tour.
Arrived ant the ferry terminal early as instructed. The boat operators were late, and then we had a lengthy check in process.
Arrived at Bathurst island, this tour had 40pax and only a bus for 22, so we wait again at the island terminal.
When we do get onto the bus, it’s not air conditioned
We spent almost an hour at a cemetery and there were people with mobility issues forced to stand for the whole time.
Then we were ferried to the arts centre, which felt more commercial than cultural.
Lunch was nice… fresh sandwiches you make yourself… then some traditional dancing.
Because of our transport situation we missed seeing the museum because it had closed.
The island itself is unkempt, uncared for and just sad.
Sadly, this was a disappointing trip.
Found out later you can just catch a ferry over for $90 return and walk around the island yourself. Wish I had had the benefit of hindsight.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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