WA's Golden Outback: Two Aboriginal experiences you'll never forget

The Guardian

30-05-2025

Western Australia's Golden Outback is known for its vast, wild beauty – but beyond the salt lakes, red-rock expanses and sweeping white-sand beaches lies a rich Aboriginal cultural landscape waiting to be explored.
Here, in a place of ancient stories and deep connection to country, two Aboriginal-owned tour operators offer unforgettable experiences that reveal the spirit of the land. For anyone seeking more from their journey – deeper perspectives, cultural understanding and a sense of place shaped over tens of thousands of years – these are experiences not to miss.
Aerial view of Hellfire Bay, near Esperance. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia.
In Esperance (Kepa Kurl), Annie Dabb and her family welcome visitors to their ancestral lands via Dabungool Cultural Experiences. Named after Annie's grandfather, Dabungool is a family-run business grounded in Nyungah culture and a strong sense of place. Each guided walk shares cultural stories tied to the land, highlighting the seasonal foods, plants and animals that have long sustained life in this region.
The Hellfire Bay Walk is a journey through one of the most scenic and lesser-known spots in Cape Le Grand National Park (Mandoowernup). Walking from Hellfire Bay to Little Hellfire Bay, you'll learn about seasonal bush foods and plant life, and – in Makuru season (June-July) – may even spot migrating southern right whales just offshore. The trail winds among granite slabs and offers stunning coastal views, as guides provide insights into a landscape you'll soon realise is rich with meaning for the Aboriginal people who have lived here for tens of thousands of years.
Dabungool Cultural Experiences. Photo supplied.
On the Taananedtj Trail at Dempster Head, you'll forage for seasonal bush foods along a gentle walking track with sweeping views over Esperance Bay. Native herbs and edible plants are part of the story here, as you'll discover through tastings and sensory experiences along the way. The Wudjari people recognise six seasons – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba and Kambarang – with seasonal indicators such as flowering plants marking when one season ends and another begins. The trail is dog-friendly, and classed as an easy walk, making it a great option for young families and travellers with mobility limitations.
For those wanting to explore inland, the Murdidyyinakabi Walk at Lake Monjingup offers insights into one of the most biodiverse areas in WA. This wheelchair-accessible walk reveals an astonishing variety of flora and fauna – including the pincushion hakea – along with some of the stories embedded in the land. You're likely to spot kangaroos, emus, frogs and birds while learning how the ecosystem guided traditional life.
Katter Kich Gallery & Tours. Photo supplied.
Near Hyden, the iconic shape of Katter Kich, otherwise known as Wave Rock, rises from the outback like a cresting wave of granite. For Nyungar man Michael Ward, a guide who grew up in the region and has strong cultural ties to the land, this is more than a landmark – it's a place of deep spiritual significance.
Katter Kich Gallery & Tours connects visitors to the cultural history and living stories of the area through the sharing of traditional knowledge and seasonal lore, as well as providing access to some of the sacred sites here. The Half Day Tagalong Tour invites guests to follow Michael in their own 4WD vehicles as they visit places such as the Humps and Mulkas Cave. Along the way, he shares the Dreaming story behind the cave – a cautionary tale passed down through generations – and points out native bush foods, medicinal plants and local wildlife.
For early risers, the Morning Tour begins at Hippos Yawn and includes a gentle climb for panoramic sunrise views across the salt plains and outback. You'll learn about ancient hand stencils, traditional tracks and the cultural significance of each formation, while soaking up the shifting colours of the landscape in morning light.
Hippos Yawn near Wave Rock. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia
The Twilight Tour showcases the changing hues of Wave Rock at sunset to the squawks and chatter of galahs flying overhead. The tour includes a moderate climb and finishes with Dreaming stories and cultural insights shared beneath the towering granite. Both the Morning and Twilight tours include visits to ancient art sites, as well as talks on how the seasons influenced the gathering of food and medicine in this semi-arid environment.
If you're heading to Western Australia's Golden Outback, Aboriginal cultural experiences can provide a deep understanding of places you might otherwise pass by – whether you're on a windswept beach or a hilltop trail, or at the base of a towering rock. Through storytelling, seasonal knowledge and walking together on country, these tours offer travellers opportunities to see this land in a new light.
Discover more at westernaustralia.com.