One of the delights of a holiday in Australia is experiencing the country's indigenous heritage.

Seeing Aboriginal rock art as you travel is awe-inspiring and a true reminder of the great age of the continent.

In addition to the art, visitors are welcomed in many Aboriginal communities who want to share and celebrate their culture.

From dot art painting in the Red Centre to walking tours through ancient rainforests with local guides, there are lots of opportunities to experience this unique heritage.

Yirrkala NT
by Bill Todd

Learning to catch mud crabs in Blue Mud Bay NT. Aboriginal male said "get the women to do it mate - those claws are dangerous!!" Then trying it myself and catching two. Eating them on the beach after boiling them (and others) in a 5 gallon drum of sea water. A few stubbies of NQ lager and miles from anywhere. Wonderful Picnic at Hanging Rock
by Craig Adams

We were keen to see Hanging Rock after the film of the schoolgirls disappearing on a St Valentine's picnic there in 1900. Half expecting copies of the newspapers from that time to be on display by the carpark, with stories of their mysterious disappearance, we tentatively climbed upwards on the rock on another silent, still and hot summer day. Would we ever return? And strewth! It genuinely was a spooky ghostly location. No wonder it's an Aboriginal sacred site. Unfortunately, we found no trace of the missing girls... Art to die for
by Paul Hayward

My wife and I were searching for specific aboriginal paintings while in Kakadu. After a hot and frustrating afternoon, all art shops selling native art were the same, we stopped in a local deserted cafe for a drink. We got talking to the owner, who was a native Australian, about our search. We went with his son to see a local artist who had just what we wanted. he used his own hair in the brushes and his styles was reminiscent of 16th century Japanese bird figures. Chasing Emu's
by Sue Cavendish

My husband and I with our 2 children, then 11 and 12, visited Australia in 2001. It was the first time our children had been on an aeroplane; so began a real adventure. One day we travelled to Cherbourg, Queensland where many Aborigines live. We met such a man when he took us round the Emu farm where he worked. While there, an Emu escaped his ‘pen’, and I well remember as our family formed a line blocking the path, while our guide chased the fast running Emu back through the netted gate next to us – what excitement! Oodnadatta
by Marc Holden

During a 5 week road trip from Darwin to Adelaide we helped out some Aboriginal people who had come into some car trouble and were subsequently welcomed to the Oodnadatta Bronco Branding Competition. We made many friends here as well as in the pub so much so we extended our stay by a few days. We couldn't have wished to meet a warmer community and despite seeing all the natural wonders of WA and NT this remains the highlight and most fondly remembered aspect of our trip. Sunrise at Uluru
by Amanda Raby

We'd booked a sunrise tour at Uluru, and were picked up from our hotel by a 4x4 which took us, and 10 others to a remote dune in the outback, away from the crowds. Our guide lit a campfire, and warmed damper bread on it, and we enjoyed that and hot coffee while the first fingers of sun started to creep over the horizon. The skies were gradually transformed in hues of blue, pink and firey red and Uluru glowed in the early morning light. I suddenly realised that this same view had been enjoyed by aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. it was comletely magical and the most spritual experience I have ever had. Tiwi Islands
by Ben Kilpatrick

I went on a tour to the Tiwi Islands and discovered the most amazing blend of ancient culture and modern life. Our guide drove us around the island and told us stories of how his people had lived there for generations and we were treated to a delicious feast of damper and honey, as well as witness a cultural ceremony. Most amazing part however was seeing an old missionary church that had been claimed by the Aboriginal people who had painted spirit dreamings all over the walls. Dreamtime
by Brigitte Rudd

A visit to Uluru with an Aboriginal guide opened my family's eyes, this year, to the beauty and mystery of the 'Red Centre'. On a walk around the base of the magnificent red monolith, we were instructed in bushcraft survival skills and introduced to significant cave paintings and waterholes. Squatting in a circle, we were mesmerised by mythic ancestral tales making sense of our surroundings on a human, as well as a physical scale. Be prepared to come back changed after this mind-expanding experience! Dot Art
by Daniel Garbutt

The aboriginal art is really quite amazing. Close up it looks like they are nothing more than a series of colourful dots, however when you look from a slight distance you can see it come to life. Kangaroo’s, wallabies and a whole host of Australian animals are represented in the art and the technique of the artists really makes them seem vibrant. I saw an artist painting one at a cultural centre and it is clear that it is an immense source of pride to the indigenous people of the country.