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Creative tours that offer an insight into our natural beauty and immerse visitors in the fascinating lifestyle and culture of Aboriginal people are increasingly emerging as Australians demand more from an Australian holiday.
Tour operator Crooked Compass offers immersive, perspective-shifting itineraries that challenge and inspire the sophisticated traveller on a deeply personal level. The promise is for tours that sensitively integrate the local community while carefully protecting the authenticity of their culture. New for 2022 is the West Arnhem Land and Top End Safari. Just six people will explore remote, wild reaches of Australia and venture into iconic national parks that entwines ancient culture and nature. With a strong focus on Indigenous experiences, guests will gain limited access to heavily restricted sites. Only three departures are scheduled. Highlights include:

• Heading ‘out bush’ with the local Jawoyn ladies to learn about bush medicine, foraging and bush tucker. Search for sugarbag, the honey from native bees, and make traditional baskets weaved from pandanus and coloured with natural bush dyes.
• Visiting Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park. Rock art sites dot the park and the habitat is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Walk to the top of the falls for spectacular photo and swimming opportunities in a beautifully secluded waterfall plunge pool.
• Taking a dip at the Katherine Hot Springs, a natural thermal spring along the banks of the Katherine River.
• Exploring Katherine Gorge by canoe through a diverse and stunning natural world and be awed by the extraordinary waterfalls and dramatic rock formations.
• Visiting both iconic and lesser-known sites in Kakadu National Park.
• Swimming at the Moline Rockhole, where only a few select operators are permitted access.
• Visiting Gunlom Falls, a highlight of Kakadu with its cascading waters and crystal clear plunge pool. Climb to the rock pools above for a naturally occurring ‘infinity pool’ with sweeping views across the bushland of Kakadu.
• Hiking to one of Kakadu’s lesser-known sites, Barramundi Gorge, also known as Maguk, and watch the landscape evolve before your eyes, from tropical forest boardwalk to sandy savanna.
• Continue north to Nourlangie Rock, one of Kakadu’s oldest Aboriginal occupation sights. Here you’ll find some of the world’s oldest and most impressive rock art. This famous site documents life in the region from 20,000 years ago to the first contact with European explorers.
• Discovering the great artistic traditions of the regions with visits to the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre in Kathrine, a gallery that tells the stories from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives; and the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre, with more than 200 artists and weavers from Gunbalanya and surrounding outstations and a reputation for producing quality Aboriginal works, displayed in galleries around Australia and overseas.

Priced from $7199pp twin share, the  single supplement is $799.

Departure dates are:
25 – 30 May 2022
25 – 30 July 2022
27 August –  September 2 2022

More details: https://www.crooked-compass.com/tour/west-arnhem-land-top-end-safari/

Edited by Ian McIntosh