Indigenous Culture Immersion Tour: Far North Queensland

• Learn about the deep connection Traditional Owners have with land
• Create your own dot painting under the tutelage of an Aboriginal artist
• Discover Indigenous story places when you camp on country
• Understand 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

15+ students: $2658 AUD per person (inc GST)
10-14 students: $2729 AUD per person (inc GST)

Includes:

• Risk assessment
• All activities as described in the itinerary
• Cairns airport transfers
• Ground transportation
• Small World Journeys guide(s) Days 1-5
• Additional specialty guides and educators
• 4 nights at Cairns 3-star hotel (2, 3 or 4 share rooms)*
• 2 nights bush camping on country
• All continental breakfasts
• All lunches
• All dinners except on Day 5
• Snacks (includes fresh fruit & share containers of chips, biscuits, & crackers)
• Mask, fins, and snorkel hire for outer Great Barrier Reef trip
• 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef field guide for each student
• National Park and Marine Park taxes and levies
• Community service project materials
• A hand-painted piece of art made by you to take home
• Donation in your group’s name to Reforest for tree planted in Mabi Forest and its ongoing maintenance for the first several years
• A reusable BPA free water bottle and cloth shopping bag for each participant
• 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)
• NEW: we offset the carbon emissions from your trip activities AND your flight to Cairns through Reforest

*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 (please ask us for pricing). 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, 2026 outside of peak travel times.

Peak times: 1-7 April  | 21 June – 13 July | 19 September – 6 October 2026

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

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 and the food that is prepared whilst camping on country; therefore if we know in advance that we have a guest with specific needs, we can choose 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.

Excursion Safety & Compliance Checklist

1. Check Small World Journeys Safety Record

• ☐ Demonstrated excellent safety record with thousands of high school students – both Australian students and international students

• ☐ Teacher safety references available on request

• ☐ Proven experience delivering school excursions and educational tours

2. Risk Management & Documentation

• ☐ Written risk assessment completed for every excursion

• ☐ Risk assessment provided to organising teacher prior to departure

• ☐ Activities governed by documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• ☐ Crisis Management Plan in place and available to schools

• ☐ Daily risk review conducted by guides during the program

3. Student Safety Briefings

• ☐ Mandatory student safety briefing delivered during program orientation

• ☐ Briefing addresses local environmental hazards and regional risks

• ☐ Clear expectations for student behaviour and group safety

4. Transport Safety

• ☐ All buses fitted with seatbelts for every passenger

• ☐ Vehicles exceed Queensland minimum legal requirements

• ☐ Daily vehicle safety checks conducted by guides

• ☐ Buses undergo Department of Transport inspections every 12 months

5. Guide Qualifications & Child Safety

• ☐ All guides hold current Senior First Aid certification

• ☐ All guides hold current CPR certification

• ☐ Valid Driver’s Authority held by guides when driving

• ☐ Valid Working With Children Check (Blue Card)

• ☐ Guides have undergone thorough background screening

• ☐ Guides trained in duty of care, code of conduct with teenagers and risk management

6. Supervision & Duty of Care

• ☐ Appropriate student-to-guide supervision ratios

• ☐ Teachers supported by experienced trained guides

• ☐ Clear lines of responsibility for student wellbeing and incident response

7. Compliance Assurance

• ☐ Program aligns with school excursion policies and approval requirements

• ☐ Documentation suitable for principal approval and risk review

• ☐ Ongoing communication with schools before and during the excursion

Arrival:

Welcome to the tropics! You arrive in Cairns and are warmly greeted at the airport by one of our staff members. You receive a safety briefing and program orientation, preparing you for your Far North Queensland high school excursion (arrival before 1:00 pm today).

Community Service Project for Indigenous Women:

Students next take part in a hands-on community service project supporting women in remote Indigenous communities. You learn to make “Moon Sick Pads”—reusable, washable menstrual pads that provide a healthy, sustainable, and affordable alternative to disposable sanitary products. These pads are donated to girls and women who may miss school or face challenges due to limited access to menstrual products.

Through this activity, students develop basic sewing skills, learn about cultural and social barriers affecting women in remote communities, and explore the environmental and social benefits of reusable products. This project encourages empathy, social responsibility, and active citizenship, making a meaningful contribution to community wellbeing.

– OR –

Alternate Service Project:

Alternatively, students can assemble comfort packs for a local charity supporting Indigenous people experiencing hardship. This practical service-learning activity allows students to engage in meaningful giving while learning about social justice, empathy, and community needs. Each pack includes essential items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, sanitary products, and other necessities—helping support dignity, health, and wellbeing within the local community.

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

Visit to Aboriginal Community:

Located just outside Cairns on the traditional lands of the Gunggandji people, this Aboriginal community is home to one of the largest Aboriginal populations in Queensland. Positioned between the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the coral-fringed Coral Sea, the community is known for its strong cultural identity and creative expression through art, music, and storytelling.

Established as a mission in the late 19th century, the community has a complex history of external control, followed by a determined movement toward self-determination, cultural revival, and community-led development. Today, it stands as a powerful example of Aboriginal resilience and cultural preservation, offering students a respectful opportunity to learn directly from Traditional Owners and engage with living culture in an authentic way.

Cultural Activities:

While On Country with Indigenous rangers, students take part in a hands-on cultural and environmental learning program that blends traditional knowledge with contemporary land and sea management. Activities begin with a beach walk and marine debris clean-up, where students collect and record data for submission to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database, contributing to national conservation efforts.

Students engage in cultural storytelling and traditional dance, deepening understanding of Gunggandji–Mandingalbay Yidinji heritage. In line with cultural protocols, boys participate in a men’s cultural session featuring spear-making, spear throwing, and boomerang throwing, while girls take part in basket weaving and Indigenous art activities.

The program also includes an interactive ranger presentation, drone demonstrations, and guided Polaris (off-road buggy) rides across Country, providing insight into Indigenous ranger programs, environmental monitoring, and connections between land, sea, and culture—all supporting Australian Curriculum priorities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

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

Rainforest Discovery with Indigenous Guide:

You begin the day with a Welcome to Country in the rainforest, led by an Indigenous guide with ancestral connections to both rainforest and savannah landscapes. The experience takes place at the spectacular Cathedral Fig Tree, a 500-year-old strangler fig with towering buttress roots and a hollow centre that vividly demonstrates tropical rainforest ecology and growth patterns. Beyond its ecological importance as a critical wildlife habitat, this site holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, representing connection to Country, ancestral stories, and living Indigenous knowledge.

Tablelands Cultural Sites:

Next you travel through the Atherton Tablelands with your Traditional Custodian, visiting special and sacred sites of the Bundaburra-Yidinji and Mbabaram peoples. As you move through rolling hills, ancient forests, and freshwater lakes, your Indigenous guide shares creation stories, cultural practices, and knowledge systems that connect landforms, ecosystems, and people. Students gain insight into how Country shaped every aspect of life, from food and shelter to law and spirituality. The journey continues into drier savannah country, where you camp On Country, slowing the pace and deepening your immersion in place-based learning.

Camping on Country and Campfire Storytelling with Elder:

This evening students gather for an intimate campfire storytelling session with a respected Mbabaram Elder. In Aboriginal cultures, Elders are recognised for their wisdom, cultural authority, lived experience, and community respect, not age alone. Grandma Jean shares powerful personal stories of growing up On Country, the impacts of World War II, life on Aboriginal reserves, and experiences of avoiding removal during the Stolen Generations. Hearing these firsthand accounts provides students with a deeply human understanding of Australian history, fostering truth-telling, empathy, and cultural respect. This authentic experience supports curriculum priorities around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures and leaves a lasting impact on students’ understanding of Country and community.

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

Damper Making Lesson:

Today begins with a hands-on damper-making lesson over the fire, giving students a meaningful introduction to Aboriginal food practices and cultural knowledge. While damper is often linked to colonial bush history, Aboriginal peoples adapted similar bread-making techniques using native grains long before European settlement. This activity encourages discussion about resourcefulness, food sovereignty, cultural resilience, and adaptation, helping students understand how traditional knowledge continues to evolve.

Traditional Fishing and Swimming:

Next students learn to fish using traditional methods, then prepare and cook the catch over an open fire—an immersive way to connect with Indigenous culture and essential life skills. This experience highlights Traditional Ecological Knowledge, including seasonal awareness, respect for waterways, and the importance of taking only what is needed. These values, central to Aboriginal culture, have supported sustainable living for tens of thousands of years. Students who prefer not to fish can enjoy swimming in the clear river waters, remaining connected to Country through place-based learning.

Debate Activity on Mbabaram Land Development:

Students then participate in a role-play debate exploring a proposed development on Mbabaram Country. Working in groups, students argue for or against the project while considering environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts, and reflecting on outcomes that best support the Mbabaram people. This activity builds critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and geographic decision-making skills, mirroring real-world land-use debates involving governments, industry, Traditional Owners, and communities. By centring Indigenous perspectives and self-determination, students examine issues of power, representation, consultation, and cultural respect. Teachers voting on the outcome prompts further reflection on equity and authority in decision-making processes.

Kup Murri and Bush Tucker Sampling:

This evening, students share a traditional kup murri, an Aboriginal earth-oven cooking method used by First Nations peoples in parts of Queensland. Heated stones are placed in a pit, and food—such as meats, vegetables, and bush tucker—is wrapped in leaves and slow-cooked underground using heat and steam. Students sample foods that may include kangaroo, native yams, lemon myrtle, or wattleseed, depending on seasonal availability. This shared meal provides a powerful sensory connection to Country, highlighting Indigenous culinary traditions and sustainable food practices.

Aboriginal-Themed Film Under the Stars:

Tonight, students relax in their sleeping bags for a movie under the stars, watching a powerful film that explores the lived experiences of Indigenous people. The film examines the balance between tradition and modern life, with strong themes of land, identity, and cultural lore, offering a reflective and engaging conclusion to a day of cultural immersion.

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

Guided Walk on Country:

A guided walk up Lion Mountain with your Indigenous host provides a unique opportunity to view ancient Aboriginal rock art. Created by Traditional Custodians, these artworks are part of a living system of storytelling, law, and cultural identity passed down through generations. As you explore the site—known locally as “The Castle,” where two massive boulders form a cave-like structure—you learn how rock art communicates spiritual, environmental, and historical knowledge. This experience deepens students’ understanding of Aboriginal connection to Country and the ongoing cultural significance of sacred places in Far North Queensland.

Dot Painting Art Lesson:

Dot painting, while originating in Central Australia, has been embraced by Aboriginal artists in North Queensland as a powerful medium for storytelling and cultural expression. Using dots and symbols to represent Dreaming stories, landscapes, and ancestral connections, this art form demonstrates both the continuity and evolution of Aboriginal culture. Students learn how traditional knowledge is preserved while adapting to contemporary expression, then create their own small dot painting on canvas. This artwork becomes a meaningful cultural souvenir of their time learning On Country.

You return to Cairns in the afternoon, having taken part in an authentic Indigenous cultural experience that offers Australian high school students meaningful insight into Far North Queensland’s living Aboriginal cultures, supporting curriculum priorities around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

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

Boat Ride to Reef with Aboriginal Culture:

Your day begins with a comfortable, air-conditioned boat journey to the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems on Earth. During the voyage, Aboriginal staff share creation stories connected to sea Country, alongside demonstrations of traditional Indigenous tools and instruments, highlighting the long-standing cultural relationship between First Nations peoples and the reef. A marine biologist presentation prepares students to identify key reef species and understand marine ecosystems before entering the water, supporting geography and science learning outcomes.

Snorkelling:

Snorkelling takes place directly from the vessel, allowing students easy access to the reef environment. Just below the surface, students encounter giant clams, coral gardens, sea stars, turtles, and a vibrant array of fish including angelfish, butterflyfish, and parrotfish. With over 1,800 species of fish and 450 species of coral, sightings may include Wally the giant Maori wrasse, fan corals, sea cucumbers, and many familiar species popularised by Finding Nemo. This immersive experience brings marine biodiversity and reef ecosystems to life for students.

Field Guide:

Each student receives 101 Animals of the Great Barrier Reef by Dr Martin Cohen, a practical field guide that supports species identification and deepens understanding of the underwater environment—yours to keep as a learning resource and souvenir.

Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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

Meals Included:  Breakfast

Want to make this camp shorter or longer? Custom tours are our speciality!  Ask us how we can make this the perfect trip for your student excursion.