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Aboriginal
children were taught that they belonged to
the land and must respect tribal boundaries.
Tribes returned to particular sites to bury
their dead. Some areas were designated
sacred sites because of their association
with the Dreamtime, the time when the earth
was formed and cycles of life and nature
were initiated.
Aboriginal legends, songs and dances tell of
powerful spirits who created the land and
people during the Dreamtime. There is no
written Aboriginal language and most of the
600 tribes spoke different dialects and
languages. They rarely met except on
ceremonial occasions. The tradition of the
Dreamtime, however, was a unifying force and
rock paintings depicting this creation
period can be found dotted throughout the
country.
One of the great achievements of
Queensland's diversification of its tourism
industry has been growth of Aboriginal
tourism enterprises in regional centres of
the State of Queensland.
Near Cairns, a special Aboriginal cultural
experience is now attracting tourists in
increasing numbers and winning the highest
tourism awards in Australia. The Tjapukai
Dance Theatre is the only permanent
Aboriginal theatre in Australia where
traditional skills such as fire making,
corroboree dances, and Dreamtime legends are
performed daily. Body adornment and tribal
artefacts are humorously explained to the
haunting tones of the didgeridoo.
Tjapukai has won a host of Queensland,
national and international awards including
the Pacific Area Travel Association Gold
Award for Cultural Development for Pacific
Rim countries and the US Film and Video
Award. You can see a wonderful recreation of
Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime at Tjapakai
Aboriginal Theme Park, just a short journey
from Mid City Luxury Suites, shows operate
daily throughout the day. For more
information visit the website at
www.tjapukai.com.au
In the competitive world of tourism
promotions and operations in Far North
Queensland, Ms Hazel Douglas of Native Guide
Safari Tours won the Cairns Tourism
Association's Major Hospitality Award for
Excellence of Service in her very first year
of operation. Ms Douglas is a member of the
Kuku Yalanji tribe of the spectacularly
beautiful Daintree area and takes tourists
on a special experience of the region. Tours
can be booked through our tour desk at Mid
City Luxury Suites.
For more information about a tour with
Hazel, a tour where you will learn all about
Aboriginal culture, language, bush tucker
from a direct descendant just visit the web
site at
www.nativeguidesafaritours.com.au
Visit Cairns Australia and stay with
us at
Mid City Luxury Suites
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