Where to Experience Aboriginal Life In Australia

One Of The Top Activities When Visiting Australia is to Experience Aboriginal Life.  Here are top spots to experience Aboriginal life in Australia while you’re on vacation.

When a guy from Perth decides to go on a vacation, I think the natural thing to do is look for something completely different to experience. My friend and I decided that Australia’s North Queensland or more specifically Cairns, would be the right place to look for that welcomed change of scenery. My friend suggested that Cairns has a “blend of modern and ancient with nice beaches, hospitable sea and lots of Sun”.  It was fantastic.

Of course, considering how long it had been since I had taken a proper vacation, I was bound to be thrilled unless I got shot, stabbed or bitten by one of the poisonous Aussie animals, of which there are plenty. Never the less, I believe Northern Queensland would be equally enjoyable even if I went there every year.
The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park was one of several truly mesmerizing experiences.

Source : tjapukai.com.au

Hunting & Weapons

Have you ever thrown a boomerang? Have you ever been curious about it? If the answer is yes, you will be delighted with the window into Aboriginal way of life provided in the form of an interactive Camp Village near the oldest rainforest on Earth. Besides learning about the ancient ways of the Tjapukai or Djabugay, a once nomadic people that moved around within their tribal boundaries in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, you will have the opportunity to experience some of the aspects of their life and culture in an authentic traditional environment. Seeing I am a man, I believe it is natural that the most interesting part of the tour for me was the Tjapukai warrior demonstrating the use of ancient, 40.000-year old  weapons and tools in Aboriginal culture.  The word Tjapukai itself means “rainforest”. This fact alone proves how much they identified with the land they have lived on since long before the rise of first Asian and African civilizations.

Source : tjapukai.com.au

The boomerang and the spear were their weapons of choice for hunting and fighting. Although the experience of throwing the latter one is, as one of the guides said, “similar to serving in tennis”, it does take some practice to hit a very big target. However, the boomerang is a different story.

I always considered it a toy more than a serious weapon, but these boomerangs are not childish at all. They look and feel potentially dangerous if handled by someone who knows what they’re doing. It takes a lot of practice just to get it to come back to you, though, let alone to hit something smaller than an average size mountain or a hut that is 10 yards away. However, that didn’t spoil the fun for me at all.

Didgeridoo Journey

Source: didgeridoo.es

In case you are wondering what a didgeridoo is, don’t feel embarrassed because you don’t know. It is a pretty large traditional Aboriginal instrument that has been used in ceremonial fashion as well as for making (sort of) music for thousands of years. You will have a chance to try your hand at plying it at the Tjapukai Cultural Park, or rather in producing various very interesting noises that I would describe as primal by pushing air between closed lips like a child imitating a sound of a car. It sounds a bit silly, but it is very loud and unusual. The main part of the “Didgeridoo – A journey”, as it is officially called, will take you through a truly unique theatrical experience, showcasing the use of the didgeridoo in a traditional manner with various accompanying sounds and visuals.

The haunting, primal sound of the instrument will stay with you for a while, as the experience is not something you easily forget.

All things considered, Cairns is great destination to visit with lots of interesting attractions to see, without a doubt I would recommend it to everyone.

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About The Author: Bob Gorman is a computer engineer by profession and quick learner of new things related to software & technology. Enjoys travel & outdoor sports.
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