To celebrate NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week, we have included the Top 5 youth hostels in Australia for travellers wanting to escape the city and experience indigenous culture.
1. Sydney and NSW are iconic in Aboriginal history. Walk the famous Bondi to Tamarama cliff path to see an ancient rock carving of a giant whale that portrays a character in the aboriginal legend of the arrival of the Dharawal. Bondi Beachouse YHA is located close to the coastal walk.
2. An Aboriginal bush tour through the spectacular World heritage Blue Mountains for a complete understanding of indigenous culture and experience the sites first hand. Stay at the Blue Mountains YHA in Katoomba.
3. Uluru or Ayers Rock as it used to be called, is the sacred site for the local Pitjantjatjara tribe that have lived in the desert encircling the rock for thousands of years. Locals believe that Uluru was formed from their ancestors during the Dreamtime. Alice Springs YHA is a great base to explore the area.
4. The Darwin YHA is destination to visit the thousands of year old aboriginal rock art of Litchfield National Park and Kakadu. Being taken around sacred sites by an indigenous ranger is an unforgettable way to see ancient engravings and paintings, including images of the indigenous people’s first contact with white settlers.
5. Travel to Cairns and tour the Tjapukai aboriginal cultural park. Located in the foothills of the Barron gorge rainforest, the Tjapukai are descendants of the world’s oldest living culture. There are opportunities to play the didgeridoo, learn to throw a boomerang and explore the bush, before checking into the award winning Cairns Central YHA.