Indigenous tours & Activities
Rossville Retreat is a 300-acre eco-friendly retreat in Cape York, Far North Queensland.
Rossville Retreat is passionate about introducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism to our guests, our Kuku Nyungkul traditional owners and Rirratjingu clan family members from Arnhem Land are keen to share their knowledge by facilitating traditional cultural activities including:
- Welcome to Country in Kuku Nyungkul language
- Traditional Indigenous smoking ceremonies
- Bush food, bush medicine and bark shelter walks
- Boomerang throwing
- Storytelling about the land, meeting places and Mook’s ancestors
- Traditional artefact sharing and talks about them
- Tea and damper when Mooks will share his stories about his life with the opportunity to ask questions
These activities are also available for school excursions or immersion retreats, please contact us to make arrangements.
Harold Tayley, well known as Mooks, is a Kuku Nyungkul elder and traditional owner of the country around Rossville Retreat.
Mooks was raised on his traditional land where he learnt the old ways from his Grandparents, Uncles and elder family members.
He leant all about bush medicines and bush foods from them and he finds great joy sharing his knowledge of plants, his culture and the land.
As a tour guide, Mooks has over 40 years’ experience and in Kuku Nyungkul language he is known as a ‘Kuku bugga’ which means he loves to talk.
Throughout his life Mooks has always been a keen communicator of traditional culture, helping people from all walks of life, to make a deeper connection to country.
Mooks runs his 3 hour tour at 9am and a 90 minute tour at 3pm on selected days, both tours are popular, so bookings are essential. The tours include:
3 Hour Tour – Welcome to Country in Kuku Nyungkul language with a smoking ceremony. A bush food and bush medicine walk, followed by boomerang throwing, storytelling about the land and its ancestors. Then Mooks will show his personal handmade artefacts, discuss their traditional uses followed by tea and damper when Mooks will share his personal stories and end with a closing ceremony. $150 per adult, $75 per child (8 -16 years old) and $425 for a family.
90 Minute Tour – Welcome to Country in Kuku Nyungkul language with a smoking ceremony. A bush food and bush medicine walk, followed by storytelling and end with a closing ceremony. $75 per adult, $37.50 per child (8 -16 years old) and $200 for a family.
What to bring – Enclosed walking shoes, camera, water, sunscreen and a hat.
Testimonials
Absolute hidden gem, we stayed two nights on our way to the tip. We were given a tour of the best swimming and fishing spots and the experience was great very relaxing with nobody around just the sound of the birds and the morning visit from a scrub turkey. Only minutes from the Lion’s Den so we were able to go for dinner but return avoiding the packed and noisy camp that comes with it. Very friendly owners that could not be more helpful. We will be back.