Must-do First Nations activities for the whole family
Planning a family holiday that will delight and surprise every member of your household – from pre-schoolers to teens, and parents too – is no mean feat. For a memorable holiday experience that will make a mark on family members at all ages and stages of life, try adding these fantastic, cultural First Nations activities to your itinerary. From hands-on arts experiences to Bush Tucker tastings, there are myriad cultural activities to enjoy across Brisbane and beyond.
Blackcard Cultural Tours
For the art-loving family (or perhaps the family that would like to learn to love art), Blackcard Cultural Tours offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a hands-on cultural experience. Try the three-hour Cultural Tour and Weaving Session that ends with a Bush Tucker Tasting. The immersive cultural experience explores Brisbane and gives families a chance to learn about the ancient art of weaving and sample bush foods. Better yet, these First Nations activities are suited to all ages, abilities, and dietary requirements.
Birrunga Gallery and Dining
Birrunga Gallery and its resident Birrunga Café presents an inner-city cultural hub that is proudly Indigenous owned and operated. Peruse the gallery’s exceptional artworks before sampling contemporary cuisine with a native twist (and never fear, there’s waffle fries for the kids) at the refined café on Adelaide Street in the heart of The City.
Aboriginal Art Co
Neighbouring the restaurants of Fish Lane, the Queensland Museum, QAGOMA, and the South Bank Parklands, South Brisbane-based Aboriginal Art Co is a First Nations-led and managed art gallery and shop where socially responsible, ethically sourced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products are curated, exhibited, and sold. Take a look at the works throughout the space and check out the wares – including items for the home, wearable art, prints and more.
Nyanda Cultural Tours
In Nudgee, on Brisbane’s northside, travellers and explorers of all ages can take an interactive, guided ‘rite of passage journey’ with Nyanda Cultural Tours. Find out how Aboriginal people have used tools and the natural environment while touring the waterholes of Nudgee. Visitors are invited by Indigenous guides to participate in a smoking ceremony, fire making, boomerang and spear throwing, bush food tasting, learning about plant species and their uses, and more.
Yura Tours
Join Quandamooka woman Elisha Kessick as she guides a small-group tour through significant cultural sites of Minjerribah / North Stradbroke Island. For families, Yura Tours’ Whale Watching – Land-Based Cultural Walking Tour is a must-experience First Nations activity. Elisha escorts visitors around the famed Gorge Walk at Mulumba (Point Lookout), where they learn about Minjerribah creation stories, Aboriginal uses for the island’s flora, and watch the magnificent Yallingbilla (whales) performances as they swim by. You’re also likely to see dolphins, kangaroos and turtles along the coast.
Mt Barney Lodge
Allow Ugarapul and Bidjara host Gurruhmum (‘Old Man Kangaroo’) to welcome you to Scenic Rim Country. Yarriba Dreaming, a three-day cultural tour connects its guests to Country, nature and ancient survival techniques as part of a fully hosted Mt Barney Lodge package from Yarriba. For young travellers, the lodge is home to a kids activity program. From learning about the art of tracking, to lighting fires and identifying bush tucker, children are given an opportunity to learn from First Nations culture in this beautiful part of the world.
Matthew Burns tours
Matthew Burns is brimming with knowledge and stories on Quandamooka artefacts, tools, handmade wares, dances, and music. In fact, Matthew shares his knowledge with approximately 7,000 people each year on Minjerribah / North Stradbroke Island. Suitable for all ages, Matthew’s tour of Goompi (Dunwich), is simultaneously enlightening, entertaining and reverential. Popular among children are Matthews’ boomerang workshops, dance and didgeridoo demonstrations.
Looking for more First Nations activities and experiences for your next family holiday in Brisbane? Become inspired by these ideas, and discover inner-city arts and cultural experiences here. Plan your itinerary to visit Brisbane today.
