6 DAY - 2009 ABORIGINAL CULTURAL STUDY PROGRAM

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DAY 01: TO ALICE SPRINGS – WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Arrernte country, Alice Springs. Your group will be met on arrival and transferred to an indoor and outdoor cultural centre, where you will be shown a range of quality desert art. This centre is the oldest Aboriginal art gallery in Alice Springs exhibiting over the years many of Aboriginal Australia’s leading Western Desert artists. A brief tour of Alice Springs with an Aboriginal guide to discover the town an Aboriginal and modern day perspective. This afternoon travel west through the MacDonnell Ranges to Ipolera Aboriginal Community, where three generations of the Malbunka family are working together through a community school and indigenous program. You will be welcomed by Herman & Mavis and after establishing camp, having dinner you can sit around the campfire and chat with family members as the day draws to a close. Also enjoy a talk on the southern skies with an Aboriginal interpretation.

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DAY 02: IPOLERA & HERMANNSBURG TO ALICE SPRINGS

This morning the Malbunka family will show you their community, bush tucker and maybe spend time with the teacher and students in the school. Then you will travel to the Hermannsburg Community and Mission, founded by the Lutheran Church in the 1870’s. Here you will learn more about the Hermannsburg potters and see dot painting. After lunch depart for return to Alice Springs detouring to visit Angkerie (Standley Chasm) administered by the Jay Creek Community. This afternoon visit the Royal Flying Doctor Base in Alice Springs. Overnight camp at Heavitree Gap Outback Lodge, Alice Springs.

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DAY 03: EXPLORING ALICE SPRINGS & ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CAMP OUT

Your first visit this morning will be the multi million-dollar Alice Springs Desert Park where your Aboriginal guide will take you around and share their stories. The park showcases the natural and cultural environment of Australia in three stunning desert habitats - desert rivers, sand country and woodlands. A visit to the School Of The air where you can view the teachers talking to their students on remote properties. After a picnic lunch depart for your Aboriginal cultural camp out, south-east of Rainbow Valley in the Simpson Desert Homelands. The off road journey to your Camp Out site is along bush tracks, over sand dunes and through mulga country – to the beautiful site for an overnight stay. We will rendezvous with our Aboriginal colleagues who will conduct activities such as guided bush tucker and medicine walks, boomerang throwing and didgeridoo playing. We will perhaps see a kangaroo being cooked in traditional style and enjoy singing, dancing and Dreamtime story telling around the campfire to conclude a wonderful afternoon and evening of learning and entertainment. Students camp out tonight under the stars – no tents. Bush damper for supper. Note: this campout activity may be combined with another group tour.

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DAY 04: TO ULURU KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast visit an Aboriginal family that is carrying out experiments for the CSIRO in arid farming practices. You will see (in season) watermelons, cauliflower, cotton, bush tomatoes and many other fruits growing on a trickle-feed water system. A little known and seldom visited property from which we can all learn so much. Macca, the custodian of this property, loves to share his knowledge and experiences. Cross some of the oldest river courses in the world – the Hugh, Palmer and Finke Rivers. At Mount Ebenezer Community Gallery see Aboriginal art and then it’s on to Uluru, briefly stopping to photograph unusual Mount Connor and the huge salt Lake Kalamurta. Stop at Curtin Springs Cattle Station and then its on to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. Overnight camp at Ayers Rock Campground for the next two nights.

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Day 05: EXPLORING ULURU KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK

Up early to view sunrise on Uluru from your campsite. Then it’s into Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park where you will visit the Cultural Centre and participate in a Ranger and Aboriginal community briefing on Uluru. Drive around the base of Uluru and walk into some of the many sacred sites. Out to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) – an unusual conglomerate mountain formation. Participate in a walk into Walpa Gorge. Return to Uluru in time for sunset. No activities have been included today with the Anangu – traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru (for further information on Anangu Tours visit www.ananguwaai.com.au). Overnight camp at Ayers Rock Campground.

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Day 06: AYERS ROCK RESORT TO HOME

A morning to relax, unwind, swim in the park pool, visit the Ayers Rock Resort shopping complex and Visitors Information Centre and generally re-cap on the activities in which you have participated in over the last five days before your early afternoon flight for return journey to Melbourne.

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Key:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner; T = Tent; CO = Cultural Camp Out

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If you have any enquiries about this tour please ring our Toll Free number
1800 335 009 or ring Georgia on 0422 092 070.

Additional Information

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