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Daintree Dreaming Traditional Aboriginal Fishing from Cairns or Port Douglas

4.8 (50)
Syndicate, AU
4.8 (50)
Syndicate, AU
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Immerse yourself in the natural beauty and ancient traditions of Australia on this Daintree Dreaming Traditional Aboriginal Fishing tour. Explore the breathtaking Daintree Rainforest and uncover the secrets of Australia's indigenous heritage with a knowledgeable Aboriginal guide. Start your journey at Cooya Beach, where you'll learn traditional hunting and gathering techniques from the local indigenous people. Afterwards, venture into the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest and witness its captivating beauty. Indulge in a delicious lunch at Mossman Gorge and choose between a guided rainforest walk or an upgrade to the Ngadiku Walk with an Aboriginal guide. The tour culminates with a coastal and cultural walk, where the Kubirri Warra clan will teach you traditional fishing techniques. Taste the fruits of your labor as you savor a freshly cooked meal on the shores of Cooya Beach. With limited group sizes, this immersive experience is perfect for those seeking a deeper connection to Australia's rich Aboriginal culture.

About this experience

  • Free Cancellation For a full refund cancel at least before the start of your booking
  • Admission Included
  • 11 hours
  • Suitable for 1-15 Participants
  • Private Tour, Small Group Tour
  • Guided Experience
  • Traditional Aboriginal fishing and gathering techniques
  • Delicious lunch at Mayi Cafe in Mossman Gorge
  • Aboriginal Welcome to Country smoking ceremony
  • Guided rainforest walk in Mossman Gorge
  • Coastal and cultural walk with Kuku Yalanji people
  • Lunch
  • Pickup and drop-off
  • Travel by air-conditioned coach
  • Two-hour coastal and cultural walk
  • Local knowledgeable guide
  • Mossman Gorge Rainforest
  • Gratuities
  • Drinks

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More about this experience

Introduction

Experience the wonders of the Daintree Rainforest and immerse yourself in Australia's rich Aboriginal culture with the Daintree Dreaming Traditional Aboriginal Fishing tour. This full-day tour, available from Cairns or Port Douglas, offers a unique opportunity to learn about traditional hunting and gathering techniques from an indigenous guide. Step into the ancient world of the Daintree Rainforest and gain insight into Australia's indigenous heritage while marveling at its natural beauty.

What to expect?

During the Daintree Dreaming tour, you can expect an unforgettable day filled with cultural experiences and exploration. The tour begins with a visit to Mossman Gorge, where you'll enjoy a delicious lunch at the Mayi Cafe and witness a traditional Aboriginal Welcome to Country smoking ceremony. You can then choose between a guided rainforest walk or the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk led by an Aboriginal guide who shares captivating Dreamtime stories and deep knowledge of the land. The highlight of the tour is a 2-hour coastal and cultural walk at Cooya Beach, the traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people. Here, a member of the Kubirri Warra clan will introduce you to their traditional fishing and gathering techniques. As you explore the diverse ecosystems of the beach, mangrove, and coastal reef, you'll have the opportunity to catch crabs, mussels, and fish, which will be cooked up and shared with homemade damper on the shore of Cooya Beach.

Who is this for?

The Daintree Dreaming tour is a must-do for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Australia's indigenous culture and a desire to connect with nature. It is suitable for travelers of all ages and backgrounds, as the experience is not only educational but also highly engaging and interactive. Whether you're a history enthusiast, nature lover, or simply curious about different cultures, this tour promises to be a fulfilling and enlightening experience.

Why book this?

Book the Daintree Dreaming tour for a truly authentic and immersive experience that combines nature, culture, and adventure. This tour stands out as a unique opportunity to learn directly from the indigenous people of the region, gaining insights into their traditional way of life, hunting and gathering techniques, and the profound connection they have with the land. The coastal and cultural walk at Cooya Beach provides a rare chance to participate in ancient traditions and taste the flavors of the catch, reinforcing the authenticity of this experience.

Good to know

It's important to note that the Daintree Dreaming tour is limited to a small group of only 16 participants, ensuring a personalized experience and ample opportunity to interact with the indigenous guide. Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent are recommended for this outdoor adventure. Additionally, please inform the tour operator of any dietary restrictions or special requirements beforehand, to ensure they can accommodate your needs.

Reviews

Feedback from travelers who have embarked on the Daintree Dreaming tour has been overwhelmingly positive. Many commend the knowledgeable guides who take them on a captivating journey through Aboriginal culture and the remarkable ecosystem of the Daintree Rainforest. Travelers have expressed their appreciation for the hands-on experiences, such as fishing with the Kubirri Warra clan and enjoying the freshly caught seafood. Overall, reviewers have lauded this tour as an exceptional opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Australia's indigenous heritage and natural wonders.

How long before the event do I need to book?

  • You can book at any time before the event

Vouchers accepted in the following formats

  • Mobile

Is an adult required for the booking?

  • At least one adult or senior required per booking

Your Itinerary

Mossman Gorge

Enjoy a delicious lunch at the Mayi Cafe at Mossman Gorge. Experience a traditional Aboriginal Welcome to Country smoking ceremony. Book either: guided rainforest walk in Mossman Gorge rainforest with your driver guide, OR Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk in Mossman Gorge with an experienced Aboriginal guide. Select your choice upon booking.

Admission Included

Kuku yalanji cultural heritage beach walk

2 hour coastal and cultural walk. The traditional fishing ground of the Kuku Yalanji people has three diverse ecosystems: beach, mangrove and coastal reef. A member of the Kubirri Warra clan will introduce you to their traditional fishing and gathering techniques. Any catch of crabs, mussels and fish is cooked up to share with homemade damper on the shore of Cooya Beach.

Admission Included

Reviews

(50)

4.8 (50)

Katherine_M

We loved learning about native customs, traditions and the ways aboriginal people used resources from the forest for medicine, food and building materials. Our guide was terrific!

jimmZ1992TV

We had a great time on the Daintree trip. It was only our family of 5 departing from Cairns, so our driver Mark was a great private guide to help explain the local flora and fauna. On the drive home he stopped on the side of the road where he spotted some wallaby so we could get a closer look. The spearfishing portion was amazing with everyone able to stab some sand crabs for lunch. It was a long walk through shallow water with a muddy surface, so you need to be in decent shape, but worth it. We ran short of time during the fishing part, so didn't get to eat the crab, but we drove over to Daintree for a nice lunch there. We experienced the welcome smoking ceremony and were guided around a path through Daintree. The boulders up on that mountain rainforest are like something out of science fiction. All in all a great day.

Camverra M

Unfortunately I was only informed that the trip was cancelled the day before it was scheduled apparently because I was the only person who had booked it. This left me with no time or opportunity to book another tour option due to the busy period. Judging by some other reviews, I’m sure this tour would be amazing but perhaps the customer service needs to be reassessed. I’m not waiting a full refund which I hope I will receive as soon as possible.

Cara D

We had this tour booked for our first wedding anniversary. We had planned our whole trip around this tour, and they cancelled 330pm the day before. That leaves 0 time to book another activity given it is 3.30pm on a Friday. No explanation provided as to why. Extremely Extremely disappointing

toffee66_10

Started and continued the day right on time. Personable and very well informed guides. Loved the welcome to country ceremony and the walk through the rainforest to Mossman Gorge was exhilarating. There was an option to do traditional aboriginal fishing or aboriginal art & culture in the afternoon. Both were great and interesting options but we chose the art option. Our attention was held by Binna, the artist in residence at Janbal Gallery where the art option was held, as he spoke of the history of indigenous art. He also guided us through creating our own small canvas to take home. It was an amazing experience.

natalieliew

My mum and I had such a wonderful experience. Our guide Bridget was really knowledgeable not only just about the wet tropics but also the little things she knew about other parts of Australia too. The family we visited shared their knowledge of country with us and it was fascinating and truly enlightening. Highly recommend this experience for anyone from home or abroad who wants to learn about far north qld and what it has to offer :)

Jill T

Great day out. We only had a couple of days in the area so this was a good way to combine the rainforest with the seaside. The rainforest obviously gets quite busy, but our guide Brigit was full of knowledge about the area which you wouldn’t get going alone. The beach combing was a really lovely way to spend the afternoon, finding out about foraging for food in the traditional way. We came from Cairns so were able to take in the spectacular scenery on the way our. A great day.

barbara b

My adult daughter Andrea and I went on the day tour to the Daintree Rainforest Tour November 14 and we were blown away! We had an absolutely fantastic time. It was so informative, and the forest break taking. Roy, the curator of the center provided a wealth of history and we were so honored to participate in the smoking ceremony. He is a true legend Our tour guide Bridget was A-MAZ-ING! She was so personable, approachable and knowledge and answered all our questions big or small. Our minds were blown with all the information she gave us as we walked through the rainforest. What a gem you have in her! I don’t know if I have enough superlatives to describe our experience. For me it was the best part of our 12 day Australian trip. Great tour! Great employees!

mothrunit

I had read many reviews about this tour and knew that we would enjoy it. But boy were we surprised! What an awesome experience and one that should not be missed. Guides Bridget, Keenan and Ryan provided us with a day that will surely not be forgotten.

kaenhu

I want to support everything aboriginal that I can so I feel a little bad giving this just a so-so review. Hopefully, my review can be used to improve this experience. So the drive up to Port Douglas was nice and scenic. We had some good photo ops in Port Douglas, including one with the 4 mile beach. We got to the Daintree Visitor Center and were received by Skip, our first aboriginal guide, who talked a little bit about the smoking ceremony and showed us a few things with paints and sassafras. This was pretty interesting and cool but really short. We had a brief walk in the rainforest, but not with our aboriginal guide. When we got to the Mossman Gorge, we were told that the Visitor Center and authorities of the Daintree Rainforest National Park strongly discouraged people from swimming the gorge. Too many fatalities in the past. This was pretty disappointing. They didn’t even want us to wade in the water. So after hanging around for a bit, we had lunch in the Cafe and had some time to shop. Then we were taken to Cooya Beach where we met Ryan, our second aboriginal guide. Ryan had spears for us and spent a few minutes showing us how to throw them. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon—at least an hour or so—walking around the beach at low tide, “hunting and gathering” bush tucker for our meal. Obviously none of us could find anything though Ryan finally found a sole fish. Then we walked back to Ryan’s home, where his family made a meal fo us while we sat out on his porch. We got to meet some of his family and ate some snails and crab cooked in a delicious broth, and the sole fish marinated in some sauce and tomatoes. His uncle showed us his music room and we messed around on his keyboard. The positives are that our non-aboriginal guide and driver, Andrew, was excellent. He had a lot of information and was super diplomatic and conversational. We really enjoyed chatting with him, even after his microphone malfunctioned. I was glad he let me sit up front with him so I could talk to him without having to take off my seat belt and lean forward. The Daintree Rainforest is amazing and the Visitor center is wonderful—I loved that it was 100% owned and operated by aborigines. It was also nice to meet Ryan’s family and have some eats. The things that should be improved: why not have Skip tell us more about other aboriginal rituals and customs? Why not have him give us the tour through the rainforest? Show us things that aborigines used to do and how they used to live. Tell us about some of the issues they face and how they are working towards resolving those issues. If this is to be a cultural experience, show us some culture. This was just too short to be a true cultural experience. I think walking around the beach with Ryan for over an hour was a waste of time. It is obvious none of the tourists can really hunt and gather. Show us how to throw a spear, let us practice that for a bit, show us a few things on the beach, and then take us back to the house to talk to the family and share a meal or snacks (from the beach) with the family. Or something else that is cultural. I don’t know enough about their culture to even suggest something but I think an extra activity needs to be added here. Lastly, since this activity is mostly for tourists, I think it would be good to advise the aboriginal guides and staff that if they are okay with photos to let the tourists know. I wanted to be respectful to them and the culture so I did not even ask to photograph and they did not offer, but I later found out that a lot of them are fine with the idea since they know it comes with the tourist industry. All in all, I felt that this experience could really be improved with more information and education about the aborigines, the rainforest and any ecological issues, and more hands on activities.
Collected by Evendo, Tripadvisor & Viator
2024-05-28 04:44