Arnhem Land community projects in Australia
| country: | Australia |
| location: | Northern Territory, Aboriginal tours |
| departures: | 2010: 4 Sep, 13 Sep |
| price: | From £1430 (7 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| more info: | Price includes: 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 6 dinners, guides and support staff, cultural tourism program, marine rescue project work with Laynhapuy or Dhimurru Rangers, all group camping equipment including tents, swags for sleeping (but not sleeping bags), catering & eating utensils, 4WD transport from Gove, vehicle supported camping throughout, all permits and camping fees, comprehensive group first aid kit, emergency radio/sat phone |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Arnhem Land community projects in Australia
The North East Arnhem Land Coast is one of Australia’s most beautiful coastlines, virtually free from development and enjoying the custodianship of the Yolngu Aboriginal Traditional owners.
This exclusive journey will travel to one of the most remote Yolngu Aboriginal communities, and be immersed in traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals. We may break in to men’s and women’s groups to share in the gender-specific aspects of culture and lifestyle. Men can learn traditional hunting and fishing and women can be involved in traditional bush medicine, bush food and handicrafts.
The virtually pristine Northeast Arnhem Land coastline is facing a significant environmental threat from marine debris washed in on the ocean currents. Discarded fishing nets, rubber footwear, empty bottles and plastic bags are all carried by these currents from throughout the South East Asian region and deposited on the Arnhem Land Coast. All of this waste is a major threat to the wildlife, as animals get caught up in the nets and choke on the plastic rubbish.
This project aims to work alongside and under the direction of and with Yolngu Aboriginal Rangers from Dhimurru and Laynhapuy Land Management as we together collect, catalogue and dispose of the marine rubbish. There may be opportunities to assist in releasing marine turtles through this program depending on seasonal conditions. Not only will we be using high-tech techniques for dealing with this modern problem, but also relying on and learning from Traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals.
Accommodation:
During the trip you camp with swags* and tents. You will be experiencing the outback style of camping, so your participation will be appreciated. The guides will prepare all the meals and run the camp, however you will be asked to contribute by putting up your own tents and rolling out swags. Participation around the camp will make for a more enjoyable experience for everybody.
We supply swags to sleep on. A swag is comprised of a three-inch thick foam mattress with a canvas cover to keep it clean – they are very comfortable. Your swag contains a pillow with pillow cover and one sheet. Swags are rolled out inside Mozzie Dome style tents, these offer sleeping under the stars while protecting from bugs and converting to weatherproof tents in case of rain.
What to expect:
The vehicles we use on our Northern Territory trips are Toyota Land cruisers. We take a maximum of eight passengers plus a driver. The rear seating arrangement is generally centre-facing ie. seating along each side of the vehicle. All our vehicles are registered as commercial tourist (passenger carrying) vehicles.
Our guides are very experienced outdoor leaders, so if you have not been camping before they will assist to make you feel comfortable. On this trip there will be one guide only. He/She will be driving the vehicle at all times, and is responsible for ensuring the safety of the group as a whole as well as the safety of individuals. Your guide will also be doing everything possible to ensure that you get the most out of your trip. Feel comfortable about approaching him/her if there is anything concerning you. Our guides are selected for their excellent local knowledge and outdoor skills.
He/she will oversee all food preparation, cooking and all camping arrangements, but you should come prepared to chip in and help where possible (food preparation, loading vehicles, washing-up, collecting water, etc.). Your participation in the running of the trip is not only encouraged, but will also ensure a rewarding trip.
This exclusive journey will travel to one of the most remote Yolngu Aboriginal communities, and be immersed in traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals. We may break in to men’s and women’s groups to share in the gender-specific aspects of culture and lifestyle. Men can learn traditional hunting and fishing and women can be involved in traditional bush medicine, bush food and handicrafts.
The virtually pristine Northeast Arnhem Land coastline is facing a significant environmental threat from marine debris washed in on the ocean currents. Discarded fishing nets, rubber footwear, empty bottles and plastic bags are all carried by these currents from throughout the South East Asian region and deposited on the Arnhem Land Coast. All of this waste is a major threat to the wildlife, as animals get caught up in the nets and choke on the plastic rubbish.
This project aims to work alongside and under the direction of and with Yolngu Aboriginal Rangers from Dhimurru and Laynhapuy Land Management as we together collect, catalogue and dispose of the marine rubbish. There may be opportunities to assist in releasing marine turtles through this program depending on seasonal conditions. Not only will we be using high-tech techniques for dealing with this modern problem, but also relying on and learning from Traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals.
Accommodation:
During the trip you camp with swags* and tents. You will be experiencing the outback style of camping, so your participation will be appreciated. The guides will prepare all the meals and run the camp, however you will be asked to contribute by putting up your own tents and rolling out swags. Participation around the camp will make for a more enjoyable experience for everybody.
We supply swags to sleep on. A swag is comprised of a three-inch thick foam mattress with a canvas cover to keep it clean – they are very comfortable. Your swag contains a pillow with pillow cover and one sheet. Swags are rolled out inside Mozzie Dome style tents, these offer sleeping under the stars while protecting from bugs and converting to weatherproof tents in case of rain.
What to expect:
The vehicles we use on our Northern Territory trips are Toyota Land cruisers. We take a maximum of eight passengers plus a driver. The rear seating arrangement is generally centre-facing ie. seating along each side of the vehicle. All our vehicles are registered as commercial tourist (passenger carrying) vehicles.
Our guides are very experienced outdoor leaders, so if you have not been camping before they will assist to make you feel comfortable. On this trip there will be one guide only. He/She will be driving the vehicle at all times, and is responsible for ensuring the safety of the group as a whole as well as the safety of individuals. Your guide will also be doing everything possible to ensure that you get the most out of your trip. Feel comfortable about approaching him/her if there is anything concerning you. Our guides are selected for their excellent local knowledge and outdoor skills.
He/she will oversee all food preparation, cooking and all camping arrangements, but you should come prepared to chip in and help where possible (food preparation, loading vehicles, washing-up, collecting water, etc.). Your participation in the running of the trip is not only encouraged, but will also ensure a rewarding trip.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-3: | Travel to Remote Community. You will be collected either from Gove airport or your accommodation in Nhulunbuy. We will travel by 4WD approximately 3 hours to a remote community. We establish our camp and meet our hosts. Our program for the next 3 days will be to experience authentic Yolngu Aboriginal culture and lifestyle, to gain a unique insight to challenges of living in such remote and changeable land. This community is recognised as one of the strongest for traditional Yolngu culture and your experience here will reveal both the richness of the culture and the challenges faced by Aboriginal communities throughout the Northern Territory. |
| Day 4: | Marine Rescue Site. We will depart the community this morning and take 4WD’s to our remote Marine Rescue Site, approximately 4 hours drive to the South. We will establish a base camp that will enable access to the beaches of the east facing Arnhem Land coast. Today we will meet the Aboriginal Rangers of the Laynhapuy or Dhimurru Land Management agency; they are our hosts and the traditional owners of this sea-country. We will work with them to deal with the problems of marine rubbish and ghost nets that have washed up on this coastline. |
| Day 5-6: | Marine Rescue Project work. From our bush camp on the East Arnhem Land Coast we will venture out each day in the company of the Aboriginal rangers of Dhimurru or Laynhapuy Land Management. We will travel by 4WD to remote beaches where we will undertake Marine Rescue Project work. This may involve scouring the beaches and dunes on foot clearing marine rubbish. We may come across trapped wildlife or washed up Ghost nets. One of the most important aspects of the project is removing these dangerous Ghost Nets as the have the ability to wash out to sea and continue their indiscriminate killing of marine life. The collected rubbish and ghost nets will be identified and included in a detailed survey so as to better understand the origins and assist managing the problem. Exploring this coast in the company of the Aboriginal traditional owners is also a cultural experience, we gain exclusive insights in to the life and sea country of our Yolngu hosts. We return to our base camp each evening (B,L,D). |
| Day 7: | Trip concludes. Our final day we clear up the last remaining Marine Rescue work and dispose of all the collected rubbish. We will drive back to Gove with an option of visiting the Arts Centre at Yirrkala. The trip concludes at our accommodation around 5pm. (B, L) |
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
The Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation works to manage and conserve the lands of East Arnhemland for the Yolngu Aboriginal traditional owners. Part of this work involves dealing with the marine debris that washes up on the shores. This community project involves working alongside the Dhimurru Aboriginal rangers to clear the coast of dangerous marine debris and rescue turtles and other wildlife from entanglement. The rubbish collected will be catalogued before disposal to provide a greater understanding of the source of the debris and how it can be better managed and prevented. Subject to weather conditions we may also be able to conduct a helicopter reconnaissance of the coast looking for turtles and other wildlife that have become snared in the nets. Where safe to do so we will land the helicopter to free the trapped animals. The natural landscapes we explore are some of the richest, often most challenging, yet at the same time some of the most fragile environments on earth. With education, experienced leadership and appropriate equipment and techniques, it is possible to travel responsibly through these regions. For us, it is critically important that such wilderness travel experiences do not diminish the natural values of the environment. Our environmental sustainable principles: True sustainability is a guiding aspect in all aspects of our business planning and operations. Specifically our tour operations should be managed in a way where the natural and cultural values of the host region are undiminished in the long-term. Where possible, we engage in partnerships with local environmental groups and/or land managers to actively campaign for conservation or promote environmental protection and/or rehabilitation. Our Responsible Travel Guidebook: Our philosophy since 1975 has been to leave only footprints and take only photographs. To reiterate this, every customer who travels with us receives a copy of our award-winning Responsible Travel guidebook. This detailed book outlines our environmentally sustainable principles, and outlines how each customer can minimize their impact while travelling. Global Warming and Carbon Balancing: The root cause of Global Warming is society's dependence on emission creating fossil fuel. Planting trees is not going to reverse this trend or cancel our carbon emissions very quickly or effectively. We believe the way to reduce these dependencies is to create clean energy production. Therefore, we support renewable energy projects like wind and solar power, and we are aligned with Climate Friendly, the gold standard setter in effective, meaningful action addressing climate change. So, while we believe that tree planting can play a small role in greenhouse gas abatement, we have gone the extra mile in promoting a longer term solution. Is this cheap? No. Is it responsible? Absolutely! The Dhimurru and Laynhapuy Land Management Aboriginal Corporation works to manage and conserve the lands of East Arnhemland for the Yolngu Aboriginal traditional owners. The North East Arnhem Land Coast is one of Australia’s most beautiful coastlines, virtually free from development and enjoying the custodianship of the Yolngu Aboriginal Traditional owners. Discarded fishing nets, rubber footwear, empty bottles and plastic bags are all carried by currents from throughout the South East Asian region and deposited on the Arnhem Land Coast. All of this waste is a major threat to the wildlife, as animals get caught up in the nets and choke on the plastic rubbish. This community project involves working alongside the Dhimurru Aboriginal rangers to clear the coast of dangerous marine debris and rescue turtles and other wildlife from entanglement. To date we have assisted in the collection of more than 10 tonnes of debris. The rubbish collected will be catalogued before disposal to provide a greater understanding of the source of the debris and how it can be better managed and prevented. Subject to weather conditions we may also be able to conduct a helicopter reconnaissance of the coast looking for turtles and other wildlife that have become snared in the nets. Where safe to do so we will land the helicopter to free the trapped animals. The natural landscapes we will explore are some of the richest, often most challenging, yet at the same time some of the most fragile environments on earth. With education, experienced leadership and appropriate equipment and techniques, it is possible to travel responsibly through these regions. For us, it is critically important that such wilderness travel experiences do not diminish the natural values of the environment. Community: Not only will we be using high-tech techniques for dealing with this modern problem, but also relying on and learning from traditional Yolngu Aboriginal knowledge and understanding of the land, sea and animals. To ensure cultural sensitivity we may break in to men’s and women’s groups to share in the gender-specific aspects of culture and lifestyle. Men can learn traditional hunting and fishing and women can be involved in traditional bush medicine, bush food and handicrafts. Permission was granted to us from the traditional owners to assist with this project and we are proud that the indigenous Australians of the region have recognised our sensitivity and commitment to a sustainable travel approach by allowing us to work with them. Our responsible travel principles: Our company aims to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for host communities. This includes training and employment of local staff, using local suppliers and assisting in the development of sustainable local businesses. We actively minimise the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources. We provide opportunities for real cultural exchange, where locals and visitors alike can share and learn from each other in an environment of mutual respect. We contribute to the welfare of the host community. This is epitomised in our Community Project Travel program where we organise for our travellers to spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access. We strive to educate our travellers about the destination and its local cultures as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise impact. No local payments policy: Local cash payments are becoming increasingly popular with many operators in the adventure travel industry. This policy seems to benefit the tour operators more than the local economies or the travellers, as it avoids local taxes and transfers the costs and risks of cash handling onto the travellers. In accordance with our Responsible Travel practices, we have chosen a policy of not asking for such payments. |
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. |