Aboriginal Culture Discovery

• Learn basics of the Djabugay language
• Create your own dot painting under the tutelage of an Aboriginal artist
• Search the mangroves with Kuku Yalanji guides for “bush tucker”
• Discover Indigenous story places on an overnight camping trip
• Understand rainforest plants used for food and medicine
• Learn to throw a spear and observe how Indigenous guides catch their own food
• Observe how tradition and modernity combine in Aboriginal peoples’ lives
• Swim, snorkel and see  the Great Barrier Reef through Indigenous eyes

• Risk assessment
• Cairns airport transfers
• Small World Journeys guide days 1-2
• Aboriginal guides days 3-4
• Specialty guides and educators
• All activities and entrance fees as described in the itinerary
• Transportation to activities
• 3 nights at Cairns budget accommodation (4 or 6 share dorm rooms)
• 1 night bush camping (tents, sleeping pads and bags provided)
• All continental breakfasts
• All lunches
• All dinners
• A hand-painted piece of art made by you to take home
• Donation made to Rainforest Rescue on behalf of your group (we give you a certificate on your trip)
• Reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bag
• Donation made to Reef Restoration Foundation to the “Care for Coral” program on behalf of your group (we give you a certificate on your trip)
• Starting in 2024: we offset the carbon emissions from your trip activities AND your flight to Cairns!

*Two teacher rooms (private twin or triple share rooms) are included in the trip price for groups of 15 students or more. For trips with low numbers (10-14), one teacher room is included. A supplement is charged if an additional private room is required for the trip. If teachers are happy to share a room, no additional costs are incurred.

Small World Journeys reserves the right to change the order of activities for logistical reasons. Prices are valid for travel until 31 March, 2025.

• Airfare to Cairns
• Travel insurance (highly recommended)
• Personal expenses (phone, laundry, etc.)

• Community Service Project for Indigenous Women ($24 per person)
• Aboriginal Culture Great Barrier Reef Trip ($239 per person, includes snorkel gear and buffet lunch)

Planning Your Trip

ACCESSIBILITY MENU: Small World Journeys’ website provides an accessibility menu. Visitors to our website can click on the “person” icon on the right side of the screen to bring up this menu. Options include increasing/decreasing font size, increasing/decreasing contrast, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and the ability to hide images, among other things.

On each of our trip pages, we offer specific information about the activities we include and accessibility.

BOOKING FORM: On our online booking form, we ask all participants to list any special needs they have, be them medical, dietary, or accessibility needs. We also offer free sensory packs to our guests who are neurodivergent, which include headphones, a timer for transitions, a squeezy fidget toy, and other treats to appeal to the senses like flavoured lip balm.

WAIVER FORMS: We understand that not all of our participants’ parents have a strong command of written English and therefore understanding and signing our on-line waiver may prove challenging. We therefore have our wavier form available in the following languages on request: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

Arrival at Cairns Airport

ACCESSIBLE TOILETS: Public toilets are located throughout the terminals. Each toilet facility includes an accessible toilet suitable for wheelchair access.

TGSI and HEARING LOOPS: The Cairns Airport makes use of Tactile Ground Service Indicators (TGSI) and Hearing Loops to assist people with vision impairments and hearing difficulties, respectively.  For example, Braille is included on toilet doors/signs to assist a person with vision impairment locate the correct facility.

ASSISTANCE FOR HIDDEN DISABILITIES: If you or someone you are travelling with has a hidden disability, you can request a hidden disability lanyard through a form here.  Wearing a sunflower lanyard when you are at Cairns Airport is a discreet way for you to indicate to the airport team that you may need a little extra help, guidance or time with the airport processes. The airport team has been trained to recognise the lanyard and provide the assistance and support you may need. Some of the airport staff will also be wearing a Sunflower badge on their shirts or lanyards to help you feel a little more at ease.

VISUAL AND WRITTEN STORY GUIDES: Visual Story Guides are available for Domestic Arrivals and have been designed to help you to understand how an airport works and what to expect. Written Story Guides are also available for Domestic Arrivals.

Our Safety Talks

Our arrival safety talk is done verbally but is supported by cards that illustrate the main talking points. Similarly, our snorkelling safety talk is done in the same manner, supported by cards with pictures and illustrations.

We can provide a transcript of our safety talk to any hearing-impaired guest.

Transport

Our buses have two steps up of approximately 40 cms to get inside. There is no lift for a wheelchair or mobility device. Similarly, on occasion we hire large coaches for bigger groups and those buses also have two steps up of about 40 cms to get inside. All buses are equipped with seatbelts.

Presentations & Workshops

OUR OFFICE & PRESENTATION SPACE: We use the Small World Journeys office space for presentations, workshops and some community service projects. There is a rise of approximately 2 cm to enter the presentation room. We have one accessible, gender-neutral toilet block with shower.

In the outside area of our office, planes fly overhead frequently and the noise can be startling and confronting. However, as part of the terms of construction, the entire building has sound mitigation devices (double glazed windows, etc.) which creates the opportunity for multiple breakout spaces for neuro-divergent people who desire a quiet space with reduced stimuli.

Our presentations are designed to teach using both visual and auditory methods. We can provide a transcript of our presentations to any hearing-impaired guest.

NOVOTEL PRESENTATION SPACE: We also use Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort for presentations at dinnertime.

Overall accessible resort information:

• All entries to the hotel are wheelchair-accessible
• 2 accessible spaces in the on-site car park, near lifts
• 1 accessible toilet in hotel lobby (hand rail | grab bar)
• Most walkways within the hotel are wheelchair-accessible
• Well-lit main areas
• All meeting rooms are accessible
• Braille call buttons for lifts on each floor (external)
• On-site restaurant & breakfast buffet is mostly accessible – Please ask for assistance at hot food station

Hotels

FLEXIBILITY WITH ACCOMMODATION: We have flexibility with the accommodation we choose; therefore if we know in advance that we have a guest with a wheelchair, mobility scooter or is short statured, we can choose hotels that cater accordingly.

PREFERRED HOTEL 1:  The reception and breakfast room are widely accessible through a double automatic door as there are no steps or thresholds. Accessible guest rooms are all on the ground level.  The staff are happy to move the furniture around if required, and the rooms are fitted with a zipped-together queen bed or two single beds depending on preference. The under-bed clearance is 40mm, and there’s around 1000mm of space between the side of the bed and the wall. Unfortunately, the balconies have sliding door tracks and may not be completely accessible. Light switches are all large dish-style type and located 1000mm from the floor in accessible locations. The air conditioning can be remotely controlled. Moving into the bathroom, Heritage Cairns boasts accessible showers and toilets that are hobless and fitted with a fold-down seat. Both horizontal and vertical grab rails are fitted and the shower is home to a hot and cold flick mixer tap. The lifts which provide access to the third accessible room provide ample space for wheelchairs, and also boast buttons fitted with Braille.

PREFERRED HOTEL 2:  With accessible rooms that boast a double bed and a single bed, the staff at Coral Tree Inn are also happy to move the room furniture around to suit guests who use a wheelchair or mobility device. With a coffee and tea making space and a small bar fridge at hand, the TV can also be controlled by the remote. It’s worth noting that at this hotel the air conditioning unit cannot be operated by a remote. There is an accessible combined toilet and shower facility fitted with grab rails and a fold-down set. The shower is also hobless for added accessibility. Unfortunately, the balconies have sliding door tracks and may not be accessible to all guests, and there are also no designated accessible parking bays. However, there is ample room for drop offs immediately in front of reception.

Entering the reception may also be a little difficult as the door is manual, but staff are always happy to assist (and man the desk 24 hours). There are wide paths that lead from the reception to every area of the resort, including the BBQ area, the pool and the adjoining dining room.

Meals & Restaurants

FLEXIBILITY WITH RESTAURANTS & CATERING: We have quite a bit of flexibility with the restaurants we choose; therefore if we know in advance that we have a guest with a wheelchair, mobility scooter or is short statured, we can choose restaurants that cater accordingly.

We offer flexible menu options for people who have food allergies or intolerances, and in many cases religious requirements relating to food.

Guests are given space on our online booking form to specify their allergy, intolerance or religious requirement. On arrival we then give them a bag containing, for example, lactose-free milk, nut-free cereal and snacks, and/or other food items that cater to this allergy or intolerance. Unfortunately, we are not able to guarantee catering for preferences like low carb meals or FODMAP.

Similarly, we inform all caterers and restaurants of our guests’ food allergies or intolerances.  Breakfast is typically served at the hotel, whilst lunches are often boxed lunches as we move around quite a bit on our tours.

Activities

Activities vary from trip to trip. If we are informed in the planning phase of your trip about  any participants or (potential participants) who have disabilities or special needs, we can suggest certain activities over others.  For example, one boat that travels to the reef has a lift for a guest in a wheelchair to get in and out of the water which is a great choice for guests with wheelchairs or mobility devices. Conversely, we know that the facilities on the boat that travels to the Fitzroy Island reef is not well set up for those with wheelchairs or mobility devices.  We also can include activities such as the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which recognises and supports the Sunflower program for people with hidden disabilities. This particular trip includes an overnight camping excursion, an art project, and a beach walk/muddy mangroves exploration with hunting and gathering, none of which have accessible toilets available nor have provisions for wheelchair or mobility device users. For activities that take place in the bush, there are usually quiet places available where a neurodivergent person could find with reduced stimuli.

Departure at Airport

VISUAL AND WRITTEN STORY GUIDES: Visual Story Guides are available for Domestic Departures and have been designed to help you to understand how an airport works and what to expect. Written Story Guides are also available for Domestic Departures.

Arrival: Welcome to the tropics!  You arrive in Cairns and are warmly greeted by one of our staff members at the airport and you receive a safety talk and orientation.  (Arrive before 1pm today).

Welcome to Country and Art Project with Indigenous Artist:  Next you participate in welcome to country ceremony to properly invite you to the land of the Gimuy Wallabura Yidinji people.  Then you meet an Indigenous artist and educator whose work has been shown around Australia. You learn what inspires her art, and a bit about her Indigenous roots.  You participate in an art project that reflects the spirituality and ties to land that her people are connected to. You are introduced to the concept of “totems” and you find the totem that most closely aligns with your personality.  The painting you do today echoes the unique style of Aboriginal art, and your piece becomes a souvenir to take home

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Rainforest Walk with Indigenous Guide:  Today you discover the Daintree Rainforest at Mossman Gorge, an area important to the Kuku Yalanji. Beginning with a traditional smoking ceremony, you wander rainforest paths, discovering with your guide how these Aboriginal people found their way through dense rainforest, made shelter and learned which native plants were tasty to eat and those that served as weapons and medicine.   As your guide shares his stories, you learn how the seasons dictated life, what falls under men’s and women’s “business”, how to make fire in the rainforest and how to make fish very easy to catch.   You then sample billy tea and wattle seed damper (bread) made on the fire topped with jam from rainforest berries.

Hunting & Gathering with Indigenous Guides: Next you walk with two gentle Kuku Yalanji Indigenous guides along the coast they’ve called home for thousands of years. Your Aboriginal guides teach you to throw a spear and observe your guide catching food the traditional way — hunting for fish, mud crabs, mussels and other “bush tucker” (food) along the beach and among the mangroves.  Along the way, your guides share their knowledge of country, wildlife and of local edible and medicinal plants. This is an authentic interaction with Aboriginal people that allows you to see how indigenous traditions are integrated into the modern world.   

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Aborginal Culture Experience: During this experience, you are led by Mandingalbay Yidinji people into their “country”, which straddles the Wet Tropics and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage areas.  A boat ride across the inlet takes you through intricate mangrove and freshwater wetland environments beneath rainforest draped mountains. With a traditional smoke ceremony, you are then welcomed onto Mandingalbay Yidinji land to a special site within the East Trinity Reserve. You learn how the Mandingalbay Yidinji people created pig traps to traditionally catch their food. Later you get an orientation to your site, set up camp next to the river under the melaleucas. Your hosts speak to you about their spiritual and cultural connection to country and gather around a campfire to discuss Mandingalbay Yidinji traditions and customs.

Accommodation:  Bush Camping (tents, sleeping bags and pads provided)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hiking and Bush “Supermarket”: You wake to birdsong in this secluded corner of the park. Through a walk and ranger talk this morning you learn some of the work that Indigenous rangers are doing to manage their land, through both traditional and contemporary methods.  As you hike to a set waterfalls in the national park, you learn how wind is important in hunting, how the Mandingalbay Yidinji people turned poisonous seeds into bread dough, and why and where they migrated with the seasons.  A host of edible and medicinal plants line the pathway, creating a virtual supermarket and pharmacy, and you can taste the tangy native coriander, smell the sweet scent of coconut laurel and wash your hands with the soap tree.   After lunch you have time for discussions on totems and the protection of animals, Native Title Acts and biodiversity surveys.

You are returned to Cairns in the afternoon having had an authentic experience with Far North Queensland’s Indigenous people.

Accommodation: Cairns 3-star hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

OPTIONAL Service Project for Indigenous Women: Today if you choose you learn to make “Moon Sick Pads” to distribute to women in need. These pads provide women with a healthier, more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to disposable sanitary products. This service project provides free reusable, washable menstrual pads to girls who miss school when menstruating and face other barriers during that time of the month!

During this activity you master some basic sewing skills, gain an understanding of the complex cultural barriers that affect women in remote communities in the world, and learn about the environmental and social benefits of reusable sanitary products.

The Moon Sick Pads are donated to the women in remote Aboriginal communities — places where costs of sanitary items are prohibitive and these products are gratefully received.  (Add $24 pp for this activity)

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast this morning you have free time for last-minute shopping or souvenir purchases and then you are transferred to the Cairns airport.

Alternatively, you can add on an optional reef trip:

Boat Ride to Reef with Aboriginal Culture: Your day begins with an air-conditioned boat ride to the outer Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World-Heritage site and one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet.  On the way, you are treated to the recounting of creation stories by the Aboriginal staff as well as a demonstration of Indigenous tools and instruments. A presentation by a marine biologist will help you understand the marine species you are likely spot today at the reef.

Snorkelling: Snorkelling can be done right off the back of the boat.  For snorkelers, giant clams, angel, butterfly and parrot fish, turtles, sea stars and corals of a thousand hues are all within reach.  Among the 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral, you can expect to see Wally the giant wrasse, fan corals, sea cucumbers and just about the entire cast of “Finding Nemo”.  You also may see beauties such as luminescent parrot fish, the chocolate-dipped damsel, the Picasso triggerfish and several species of turtles.

Field Guide: 101 Animals of The Great Barrier Reef, written by Dr. Martin Cohen, helps you to better understand the underwater world and is yours to keep.  Later you are transferred to the airport for your evening flight. (Plan to depart after 7 pm if you choose the reef option).

Meals Included:  Breakfast (Lunch is also included with reef trip)