Description
Commencing in Darwin, voyage to the Tiwi Islands, and experience unique cultural performances and a tour of the history of the islands. A visit to Tiwi Designs, one of the oldest and most artistically diverse art centres in Australia, reveals the rich artistic heritage in stunning carvings, paintings, and fabric printing. Cruising on to the Cobourg Peninsula, you will experience the landscape of Arnhem Land as you visit the failed Victoria Settlement.
At Maningrida, visit the Arts Centre, the Djomi Museum, and the Babbarra Women’s Centre. The Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre is home to exquisite bark paintings and weavings that represent the 12 language areas that come together here. The Babbarra Women’s Centre is the base for Babbarra Designs, where local women design and hand-print exquisite textiles which tell the ancestral stories of Arnhem Land, and are sold around the world.
Be welcomed to remote townships on Elcho Island, and visit the Elcho Island Art Centre at Galiwin’ku. Each stop is another opportunity to experience the creative expression of one of the world’s oldest cultures and hear their stories. As your journey continues, our guest lecturers introduce you to the friends they have made in each location, and present lectures on Indigenous art and culture, as well as the natural history of this ancient country.
Visit the spectacular Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre at Yirrkala. This community-controlled art gallery and museum showcases the beautiful artwork from the North-East Arnhem region, and its artists have exhibited all over the world.
We continue on to visit Thursday Island, and other Torres Strait Islands. Here you start to experience the traditional and contemporary blend of Indigenous and Torres Strait art forms. Old stories and motifs are infused with energy as present and alive as when they were first created. Visit Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island, a keeping place for the art of the Torres Strait. As you sail south, visit remarkable Stanley Island where you will see rock art from the contact period, and hear from Traditional Owners about the history of the island. Continue on to Lizard Island and have an opportunity to snorkel on the reef.