Aboriginal Culture

Central Australia is one big cultural experience bringing you closer to the world's oldest living culture. The Dreamtime is fundamental to Aboriginal culture and is a complex network of the spiritual, natural and moral elements of the world. In Alice Springs learn the Yeperenye (Caterpillar) dreaming story from the Arrernte people and at Uluru join the Mala Walk and hear the Dreamtime story of how Anangu ancestors forged the mammoth icon.

If you are a lover of arts Alice Springs’ outstanding art galleries and cultural museums are the perfect way to see and learn how Dreamtime stories, ancient myths, symbols and images are illustrated in local Aboriginal artworks and performances. Head out to Ewaninga Conservation Reserve (south of Alice Springs) and view the thousands of years old rock carvings and petroglyphs marked into sandstone. Visit one of the many art centres or museums where local Aboriginal art and artefacts are on display.

A self-guided walking tour of the Araluen Cultural Precinct (in Alice Springs) will give you a better understanding of the connection Arrernte people have to the land. There are seven sacred sites in the Precinct including the 300-year-old Corkwood tree in the sculpture garden.

For special and rare experiences take guided tours that allow you to discover bush food, Aboriginal culture, Dreamtime stories, and engage with fellow travellers in a three course dinner infused with local bush foods. 

Please keep in mind that access to some sites with spiritual significance may be restricted, and some Aboriginal people have beliefs that mean they will not want their photo taken.