Bawaka

“We hope you enjoy your stay with us and share your stories from today with others, so they too can begin to understand and respect our ways”
Timmy Burarrwanga

Bawaka Homeland is located on the beachfront in Port Bradshaw south of Nhulunbuy, North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Access is usually by 4WD, the scenic trip takes approximately 90 minutes from Nhulunbuy (45 mins on dirt road and 45 mins on sand). Helicopter and boat access is also available.

Bawaka offers a beautiful tropical paradise with very limited access by visitors. It has unspoilt beaches, spectacular cliff-top ocean views, vast areas of bushland and an amazing array of marine life. There are two resident houses (approximately 10 residents) and several other old buildings. Power is supplied via a solar system and back up generator, a bore supplies ample fresh water.

The earliest history of Eastern Arnhem Land is recorded in the paintings, dances and songs of the Yolngu, which tell of creation ancestors bringing lands and waters, people, animals and plants into being and laying down the Law that governs them all. The Law defines who owns and manages the lands and waters, essential features of Yolngu identity and culture. Arnhem Land is one of the few areas in Australia where Aboriginal people still live a traditional life and maintain a strong culture.

North East Arnhem Land tourism business, Bawaka Cultural Experiences is not only extremely successful and popular, but is proving to be an inspiration and role model for other family units who are developing their own tourism enterprises in the region.

Bawaka Cultural Experiences deliver Indigenous cultural tours for people visiting the area. The tours boast a wide range of activities and include accessing beautiful, undisturbed beaches and vast bushland and the participation in high level cultural awareness sessions within an Aboriginal homeland. The business has become a source of inspiration for emerging tourism operations in the region such as Nyinyikay, Buymarr and several other family organisations who are learning how to operate their own businesses.

Operating for the last two years Bawaka Cultural Experiences is the result of many years of planning and training between traditional owner of Bawaka Homeland, Timmy Burarrwanga and his family, government agencies and service providers. The development of the business has seen considerable time and effort going into the negotiated process of identifying cultural boundaries of which the family is comfortable with. With these guidelines now in place, the confidence of Timmy Burarrwanga and his family in sharing their culture continues to grow and has seen such developments as attracting cruise ships to the area two to three times a year.