Spending time on Country can teach you a lot, but it’s always important to visit respectfully.
As we pull up to our camp on the Rodna Homeland, two-and-a-half hours west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), it feels like our group collectively slackens and softens into the space around us. We take in the sky’s vast blanket of blue, the red dirt underfoot, the tranquility.
‘Can you believe we do spreadsheets?’ someone comments. On Country, with no phone reception, no deadlines and little concept of ‘the time’, the trivialities of city life do feel a little absurd.
We’re here with our guide Benji Kenny, a Western Arrernte man and Traditional Custodian of the land we’ve been welcomed onto as part of Intrepid’s partnership with 100% Finke River, a First Nations-owned and operated tour company based in Australia’s Red Centre. Benji is a deeply curious cultural conduit who is more than happy to share his stories and wisdom with us as we hike through rust-red gorges, dip in freshwater swimming holes and visit the culturally significant sites on and around his ancestors’ homeland.
Our time on Country is brief but beautiful, and it teaches us a lot about how to respectfully engage with the rich, modern and continuing First Nations cultures in Australia. Here are some tips for first-timers (or old-timers!) when travelling on Country.
1. Understand the significance of Country
In First Nations cultures across the Australian continent, ‘Country’ means far more than simply the physical landscape; it encompasses the spiritual, cultural and historical connections that Aboriginal people have with their land and the land of their ancestors.
Benji shares a 1934 quote from anthropologist Ted Strehlow, who was writing about Arrente culture: ‘The whole countryside is their living age-old family tree.’ Understanding this relationship with the land can help you approach your travels with respect and awareness. And it’s not just the Outback either; no matter where you are in Australia, you are on someone’s Country, so it’s always a good idea to identify the Traditional Custodians of the land you’re on.
2. Be practical and stay safe
If you are heading to a more remote part of Australia, especially to freehold Aboriginal land, make sure you have the proper permits and permissions from the Traditional Custodians and that you’re taking all of the practical steps you need to stay safe.
‘Definitely do your research,’ Benji says. ‘Let your families know how long you’re going to travel, check the weather and any local warnings, stock up on your food, water and first-aid supplies. Sometimes people come out and they break down or get stuck, so make sure you have an emergency contact.’
Travel on Country with Intrepid
3. Respect cultural protocols
When visiting sacred sites or culturally significant areas, it’s important to respect local customs and protocols. This may include restrictions on photography, steering clear of areas that are off-limits depending on how you identify and avoiding disrespectful behaviors (including climbing on sacred sites). When in doubt, always ask for permission and, importantly, don’t take from Country what isn’t yours. Of course, respect plays a huge part in this, but so does spirituality. ‘Australia is a very spiritual place,’ Benji says. In fact, hundreds of rocks are sent back to Uluṟu each year, some by people who believed they’ve been cursed with bad luck for taking them.
4. Engage with local communities
Connecting with local communities of the Country you’re on – particularly being guided by a Traditional Custodian – can open your mind to things you may never recognise on your own. On our trip, Benji tells wandering tales of spirit ancestors and animal totems who shaped the land, the skies and the waterways around us, of yowies (mythical creatures said to roam the Outback) and of Western Arrernte foods, family trees, traditions and ways of life.
All of this wisdom is generously shared, and we leave camp more connected and contemplative than when we arrived. ‘I love to bring visitors here to show them this beautiful Country we have and the land we share,’ Benji says. ‘The beauty and the nature of Central Australia – I think people fall in love when they come and see this place. I also think a lot of our stories are being lost, so by having visitors out and sharing these stories, we’re helping bring them back to life.’
5. Accept what you won’t understand
When we’re on Country, Benji encourages us to ask questions about things we’re curious about and always answers them in good faith and humor. However, if you’re a non-Indigenous person (like me), many parts of First Nations cultures and the protocols within them may remain inaccessible or seem incomprehensible – and that’s OK. It’s a seductive idea, that everyone should have access to everything, or should be able to fully relate. But due to the urgent need to protect First Nations cultural and intellectual property rights, plus the ongoing effects of colonisation and the Stolen Generations, not all answers are simple. ‘Research is really tough work,’ Benji says. ‘Even finding your family tree is not easy.’
Rather than complete comprehension, focus instead on finding common ground. On sharing and connecting through conversation, food, walking. Through being open to the spiritual world that lives alongside the material one. Slow down, breathe deep, and let your soul replenish.
‘Being out on Country, it heals you,’ Benji says. ‘You’re not in the city, your mind is not focused on technology. Your brain starts to slow down, and it opens your mind. It helps you understand who you are.’
Learn more about First Nations experiences offered across Australia on Intrepid trips.
