Great Ocean Road Aboriginal culture tours, Australia
| country: | Australia |
| location: | Victoria, Aboriginal tours, Great Ocean Road |
| departures: | Each tour departs 11am daily (other times between 9am-5pm by arrangement) |
| price: | From AU $19 (1 hrs 30 mins) excluding flights for bush and wildlife interpretations & volcano wildlife walks. Children under 12 years free. Group rates (for 10 or more people) from AU $32 (2 hrs 30 mins) - AU $36 (3 hrs). See below for details |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Nestled in the crater of a dormant volcano, this reserve, just off The Great Ocean Road, is a haven for wildlife, a fascinating ecological site and a showcase for local Indigenous culture. Within its broad crater rim a number of volcanic cones rise from a lake. Artefacts found in the layers of exposed ash show that Aboriginal people were living in the area at the time of the eruption, around 30,000 years ago.
Although the reserve was declared Victoria’s first National Park in 1892, the bush was eventually lost to farming and quarrying. A revegetation project began in the 1950s. Over several decades school children and other volunteer groups planted thousands of trees. As the bush returned, so did the wildlife.
Today, in co-operation with Parks Victoria, we have revitalised the area. It is now a thriving nature reserve and natural history centre where visitors can experience the bush, enjoy magnificent scenery, see Australian birds and animals in their natural habitat and learn about local Indigenous culture.
Nature walks: This is a nature lover’s paradise; get up close and personal with the emus – but keep your lunch out of sight! See a koala snoozing in the fork of a gum tree or a family of kangaroos lazing in a clearing. Magpie geese, possums, wallabies and echidnas are just some of the birds and animals you might come across on one of the five self-guided nature walks. Birdlife abounds. Watch from one of the many bird hides or take a stroll along the boardwalk. You might be lucky enough to see a spoonbill wading among the reeds, fairy wrens flitting across the water in search of insects, black swans nesting in the shallows or even a wedge-tailed eagle soaring overhead.
Indigenous cultural experiences: Take a guided walk with a local Indigenous person to discover bush food and learn about the Indigenous history of the area. Enjoy breath-taking views north to the rich farmlands of Koroit and south to Killarney and the Southern Ocean. You can also participate in the many other activities for a truly Indigenous cultural experience, such as:Spear throwing Painting Boomerang throwing Didgeridoo demonstrations Message stone painting Dancing Traditional ceremonies
We conduct an on-site cross-cultural program that caters for individuals and small and large groups. Specialist programs and tours can also be arranged for educational and corporate groups. You will also be given the oportunity to browse the exciting range of screen printed textiles and wooden artefacts made locally or choose from the selection of gourmet delights featuring indigenous Australian foods. All products manufactured by us carry a certificate of authenticity.
Bush cook & wildlife interpretations: AU $32 (2 hrs 30 mins) Interactive walk that informs participants about ongoing links Indigenous people have with the environment. Participants come into contact with native wildlife and learn about the land formations, wildlife, plant species, bush food and medicinal uses. At the conclusion of the walk have an Aussie BBQ consisting of homemade damper, tasty bush food condiments, sauces and spices served with a selection of traditional or contemporary meats. Vegetarian food is available on request.
Bush cook & volcano wildlife walks: AU $32 (2 hrs 30 mins) Interactive walk with experienced guide providing detailed knowledge about local geological history, flora and native wildlife. Learn about park management issues including the significance of natural habitat for hundreds of native species. At the conclusion of the walk have an Aussie BBQ consisting of homemade damper, tasty bush food condiments, sauces and spices served with a selection of traditional or contemporary meats. Vegetarian food is available on request.
Bush cook & night experiences: AU $36 (3 hrs) With an experienced guide and appropriate lighting undertake one of the above tours at nightfall to view wide range of nocturnal wildlife. You will better understand what happens in the animal world after dark and see how and where daytime wildlife exists at night. Please note Aussie BBQ will precede the activity.
Environmental options: We have an ongoing cultural and environmental interest in sustaining this unique site. You too can contribute by participating in an environmental program suited to group ideas and timeline. We ensure guide to client ratio is appropriate for the group size. Contact us to design your package.
Although the reserve was declared Victoria’s first National Park in 1892, the bush was eventually lost to farming and quarrying. A revegetation project began in the 1950s. Over several decades school children and other volunteer groups planted thousands of trees. As the bush returned, so did the wildlife.
Today, in co-operation with Parks Victoria, we have revitalised the area. It is now a thriving nature reserve and natural history centre where visitors can experience the bush, enjoy magnificent scenery, see Australian birds and animals in their natural habitat and learn about local Indigenous culture.
Nature walks: This is a nature lover’s paradise; get up close and personal with the emus – but keep your lunch out of sight! See a koala snoozing in the fork of a gum tree or a family of kangaroos lazing in a clearing. Magpie geese, possums, wallabies and echidnas are just some of the birds and animals you might come across on one of the five self-guided nature walks. Birdlife abounds. Watch from one of the many bird hides or take a stroll along the boardwalk. You might be lucky enough to see a spoonbill wading among the reeds, fairy wrens flitting across the water in search of insects, black swans nesting in the shallows or even a wedge-tailed eagle soaring overhead.
Indigenous cultural experiences: Take a guided walk with a local Indigenous person to discover bush food and learn about the Indigenous history of the area. Enjoy breath-taking views north to the rich farmlands of Koroit and south to Killarney and the Southern Ocean. You can also participate in the many other activities for a truly Indigenous cultural experience, such as:
We conduct an on-site cross-cultural program that caters for individuals and small and large groups. Specialist programs and tours can also be arranged for educational and corporate groups. You will also be given the oportunity to browse the exciting range of screen printed textiles and wooden artefacts made locally or choose from the selection of gourmet delights featuring indigenous Australian foods. All products manufactured by us carry a certificate of authenticity.
group tours
Group rates (for 10 or more participants). Bush cook & wildlife interpretations: AU $32 (2 hrs 30 mins) Interactive walk that informs participants about ongoing links Indigenous people have with the environment. Participants come into contact with native wildlife and learn about the land formations, wildlife, plant species, bush food and medicinal uses. At the conclusion of the walk have an Aussie BBQ consisting of homemade damper, tasty bush food condiments, sauces and spices served with a selection of traditional or contemporary meats. Vegetarian food is available on request.
Bush cook & volcano wildlife walks: AU $32 (2 hrs 30 mins) Interactive walk with experienced guide providing detailed knowledge about local geological history, flora and native wildlife. Learn about park management issues including the significance of natural habitat for hundreds of native species. At the conclusion of the walk have an Aussie BBQ consisting of homemade damper, tasty bush food condiments, sauces and spices served with a selection of traditional or contemporary meats. Vegetarian food is available on request.
Bush cook & night experiences: AU $36 (3 hrs) With an experienced guide and appropriate lighting undertake one of the above tours at nightfall to view wide range of nocturnal wildlife. You will better understand what happens in the animal world after dark and see how and where daytime wildlife exists at night. Please note Aussie BBQ will precede the activity.
Environmental options: We have an ongoing cultural and environmental interest in sustaining this unique site. You too can contribute by participating in an environmental program suited to group ideas and timeline. We ensure guide to client ratio is appropriate for the group size. Contact us to design your package.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Our vision statement is too improve the economic and social well-being of local community members and their families through administration of socially acceptable and environmentally responsible employment and training projects.
We provide a job preparedness and employment service where Aboriginal apprentices and trainees are placed into partnered private sector jobs. To further our community partnership policy we administer Work for the Dole a non-indigenous employment & training program. This activity transfers skills and cultural tolerance whilst applying natural reconciliation. We also provide post-placement support to employers and employees. We currently have a caseload of 40 Indigenous clients that we are assisting to find employment. We enhance employment for Aboriginal women by producing high quality hand made contemporary items such as screen printed textile goods and other merchandise unique to our country. Our foods supply chain offers an early opportunity to position product brands and endorsements in this emerging industry, with a genuine equity and ownership position for Aboriginal communities.  In 1961, the reserve was declared a State Game Reserve and is now managed by Parks Victoria. Since then, more than 300,000 trees have been planted with the invaluable assistance of many volunteer and community groups. Revegetation has provided new habitats for many animals. You may see koalas, emus, kangaroos, Cape Barren geese, echidnas and possums, as well as waterbirds. The reserve’s koala population has succeeded so well that population control measures have recently become a necessity. Boardwalks, nesting boxes and a bird hide have been constructed. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |