REX - Regional Express

Custom magazin of the ye e ar From the editor... I was thinking the other day about how things have changed in Australian tourism over the past 30 years. In particular, it's quite amazing when you consider the number of Indigenous experiences that are now offered in Australia. When I was a child, I remember my parents carting my sisters and I up and down the coast to camping grounds and caravan parks, where we would go bushwalking, swim in creeks, go fishing and explore the many different places that we stopped at. That was 30 years ago, and never once do I remember there being an Indigenous presence in any of the tours or walks we did. We didn't know who originally lived in the bush that we trekked through. We had no notion of how the people who came thousands of years before us survived, except of course from history lessons at school, but even those largely veered towards early European settlers and their first encounters with Aboriginal people, not how Indigenous people were living before white man touched Australian shores. Fast-forward 30 years and I've now been on seven completely different and absolutely fascinating Indigenous tours led by guides whose people have lived in the region for thousands of years. The stories and lessons they've shared with me have been passed down from their ancestors. I've gone mud crabbing and fishing north of Broome; gone horseriding with an ex-rodeo rider in the Cockburn Ranges in outback WA; checked out cave paintings and bush tucker in national parks beyond Broken Hill; explored Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire on Cape York; had an art lesson with acclaimed Indigenous artist Binna; and been welcomed into the rainforests and rivers of Mossman Gorge, near Port Douglas. These days, even at the launch of a new hotel or the opening of an event, many people thank the Indigenous people who were there before them. It's an enormous change and a huge step forward for all Australians. My child and Above and below: Indigenous smoking ceremony at Mossman Gorge. the following generations will be exploring Australia and its many wonderful landscapes as I did when I was young. But hopefully when someone says the 'first explorers' they won't automatically think, as we naively did, of Burke and Wills or Bass and Flinders. They will think of the thousands of tribes of Indigenous people who explored the caves, mountains, gorges, plains, rivers and oceans, caring for the land and ensuring future generations would have a chance to savour it. Enjoy your own journey today and drop us a line sometime – we love hearing from you. Michelle Hespe Cover photography: www.hendersonkelly.com Editor Michelle Hespe Email: michelle.hespe@edgecustom.com.au deputy editor Emma Wheaton assistant editor Mitch Brook sub-editor Liani Solari Senior designer Guy Pendlebury production coordinator Sydney Stevenson prepress coordinator Tarn Mount Printer SOS Print & Media Interns Simone Henderson-Smart, Kate Kunkel, Lars Davis Contributors Riley Palmer, Alice Moffitt, David Gilchrist, Patrick Haddock, Steve Cooper, Jeremy Chunn, Oliver Pfeiffer, Mark Taylor, Sue Webster, Jay Robinson advertising enquiries Group sales manager: Nick Mason: 02 8962 2670 Email: nick.mason@edgecustom.com.au WA, SA and NT sales agent: Helen Glasson, Hogan Media: 08 9381 3991 Email: helen@hoganmedia.com.au QLD sales agent: Michael Petersen, JF Media: 07 3844 5888 Email: michael@jfmedia.com.au Advertising coordinator: Kirsti Harju: 02 8962 2600 Email: advertising@edgecustom.com.au Chairman Chris Innis CEO Eddie Thomas operations Director Georgina Armour Director Sarah Willmott OUTthere is published by Edge 51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600 Fax: 02 8962 2601 www.edgecustom.com.au OUTthere is published by Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Limited (ABN 22 062 493 869), trading as Edge, under license to MGI Publishing Pty Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. OUTthere cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. V

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