Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef acknowledges that we
work, live and play on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.

 

Recognising Our Traditional Custodians

Tropical North Queensland is the only region in Australia with two distinct Indigenous cultures; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been continuously active longer than any other culture on the planet.

Welcome to Country

Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for thousands of years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups had clear boundaries separating their Country from that of other groups. Crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter. When permission was granted the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. While visitors were provided with a safe passage, they also had to respect the protocols and rules of the landowner group while on their Country.

Today, much has changed, and these protocols have been adapted to contemporary circumstances. However, the essential elements of welcoming visitors and offering safe passage remain in place. A Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies or a speech in traditional language or English. A Welcome to Country is delivered by Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been given permission from Traditional Owners, to welcome visitors to their Country.

Acknowledgement of Country

An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country. It can be given by both non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There are no set protocols or wording for an Acknowledgement of Country, though often a statement may take the following forms:

General –

“I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today. I would also like to pay my respects to Elders past and present.”

Specific –

“I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, the (people) of the (nation) and pay my respects to Elders past and present.”

Similar to a Welcome to Country, an Acknowledgement of Country is generally offered at the beginning of a meeting, speech or formal occasion. Contacts for Traditional Custodians in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef can be found below.

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So, you’re all booked in for your trip to Tropical North Queensland (YAY!) But what do you pack? 🤔🌴 @kellerdiaries is here to help you out! Here are our top tips on what to pack for your next holiday to the tropics:
 
📍 Summer clothes (no jumpers needed ❌)
📍 Sun protection - hat, sunnies and sunscreen
📍 Reusable water bottle and keep cup (if you’re a coffee drinker)
📍Don’t forget your thongs (or flip flops, jandals, whatever you want to call them!)
 
#exporeTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #packing
If you need a reason to become a morning person, this is it! 🎈No better way to watch the sunrise over the Atherton Tablelands than gliding above it with @hotairballooncairns

#ExploreTNQ #ExplorecairnsGBR #athertontablelands

[ID: sunrise from a hot air balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands]
Are you ready to learn all about the Great Barrier Reef? 🧑‍🏫📖

@masterreefguides @tahnmiller is here to give us all the important @gbrmarinepark facts! Where better to start than right at the very beginning, what is the Great Barrier Reef? 🪸
 
Stay tuned for more reef information and facts with Tahn, and don’t forget to jump on a tour with a Master Reef Guide next time you’re in Tropical North Queensland 🩵

🎥 @queensland 
 
#ExploreTNQ #ThisIsQueensland #SeeAustralia #ExploreCairnsGBR #GreatBarrierReef
If there's one thing we know about those lovely tropical raindrops, it's that it sometimes they make everything just a little more magical! ✨🌴

📍 @lake_barrine_teahouse

🎥 @megannamourr #exploretnq #explorecairnsgbr #athertontablelands
Good morning #Cairns 👋👋 

🎥 @trendy.neo #explorecairnsgbr #exploretnq

[ID Warm orange and yellow sunrise over Cairns]
Winter is only a few months away, you know what that means? It's nearly minke whale season!! 🐋

Did you know that Tropical North Queensland is the only known predictable aggregation in the world & the only place where people are able to swim alongside this majestic animal - book a tour with @mikeballdive @divers_den @prodivecairns or @spiritoffreedomcairns to experience it for yourself 🩵

🎥 @z0moments #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #minkewhale #greatbarrierreef

[ID Minke Whales calmly swimming past the camera through the ocean]
POV you're playing passenger princess on the way to @lizardisland ✈️👸

This stunning island is renowned for its diving, with the world-famous Cod Hole on the northern tip of Ribbon Reef just 50 minutes from the Island 🐠 Here you might find some friendly grey reef sharks, schooling sweetlips & a dazzling array of tropical reef fish, maybe even the site’s namesake, the Potato Cod 🤿

While you're there, don't forget to make your way over to the Lizard Island Research Station – a coral reef research facility that is recognised as the major island-based research facility on the @gbrmarinepark! 🌊

🎥 @sveabark #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #capeyork

[ID: Boarding a small charter plane and flying over bright blue ocean and coral reefs on the way to Lizard Island, where there is white sand, lush forest and only a few buildings visible from the air.]
hot off the press @capetribhorserides is ready for you to saddle up and head to the beautiful beaches of @portdouglasdaintree 🌴🐴

🎥 @amys.camera.lens #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #portdouglasdaintree

[ID: Collection of aerial videos of horses and riders walking along the beach and in the water at Cape Tribulation, where the beach is lined with palm trees and green rainforest]
Say hello to some of our furry friends at #GraniteGorge near the @athertontablelands 🌴 Popular with day trippers & campers alike, Granite Gorge's big drawcard is the rock wallabies 🦘 This particular colony is an endangered species that is only found in the Mareeba area 🦋 This is the only place where you can feed them in the wild 🍴 So it's not surprising that they're the first thing most people go looking for when they arrive at the park 🌾👀

🎥 @travelloef #exploretnq #explorecairnsgbr #thisisqueensland #seeaustrlia #mareeba

[ID: Wallaby with joey poking out of pouch sitting on a rock at Granite Gorge]