Elisha Kissick is a Quandamooka mother, daughter and wife. And she is the owner and operator of Yura Tours Stradbroke Island, an Indigenous holiday experience which takes guests through the idyllic Queensland haven.
When the pandemic struck, Ms Kissick thought it would be the end of her business.
“We had a lot of momentum just before we went into lockdown in 2020. And then instantly, it was a disaster. Everything just stopped,” she said.
But with international border closures and overseas holidays cancelled, Australians began looking for unique experiences in their own backyard.
Yura Tours quickly bounced back and the pandemic has given Australians more impetus to explore their backyard through the perspective of the traditional landowners said Ms Kissick.
“There’s been a lot of people from Brisbane who have never been to North Stradbroke Island. They’ve always gone to the Gold Coast or Byron or Noosa and, with the pandemic, it’s kind of changed the type of people that are coming over.”
“We’ve had lots of young families trying to educate their kids about culture. The people that are coming to the island aren’t just the big four-wheel drivers. It’s actually more transformational tourism and educational tourism. That’s been the good point, people have been more willing to go for the tours that are outdoors and where the kids are going to learn something.”
Yura Tours takes guests through the beautiful landscapes of Stradbroke Island, interspersed with creation stories, explanations of different flora and its uses for Aboriginal people, a chance to walk in Ms Kissick’s ancestors’ footsteps, taste bushtucker and more. You can choose between a three-hour cultural tour, 90-minute walking tour and the Mulumba E-Scooter tour.
In northern New South Wales, Delta Kay, an Arakwal Bumberbin Bundjalung woman, runs her Explore Byron Bay tours. Her ancestors have lived in the area surrounding Byron for thousands of years and Arakwal customs, knowledge, ceremonies and stories have been passed down to her for safe-keeping.
“We have had some guests say that they would normally be travelling overseas but they have decided to see more of Australia,” said Tommy Canmer, who works with Ms Kay,
“They have also said that they are becoming more and more interested in learning about Indigenous culture and can see the importance and value in this learning.”
On her tour, Ms Kay will educate you on Aboriginal life before colonisation and the suffering that occurred as a result of settlement and the displacement of her people. As well as this you’ll learn all about local bush tucker, natural medicines, tools, weapons, artefacts and more, as well as a taste of bush tucker and bush tea to round it off.
Peter Ridley, tourism operations managers at Yagurli Tours, even reported a huge uptick of visitors as Australians spent their pandemic time seeking out new experiences.
“The pandemic has contributed to a boom in tourism in our region. Last year visitor numbers were up by 43 per cent,” he said.
“In fact, there was an early surge and then from May to July the numbers were actually at a 97 per cent increase, then August slightly less than previous years, and September and October considerably lower than previous years.”
Mr Ridley sees this not seen as a temporary boom, but a sign of what’s to come.
“I see Indigenous tourism not only growing in size but in structure and professionalism, and I believe it will become a big drawcard for international tourists in the years to come.”
Yagurli Tours offers everything from a sunset cruise to stargazing, hot-air balloon flights, a 4WD outback adventure, fishing charters and more. While these activities are all spectacular in their own right, they’re only enhanced by having Aboriginal guides who can share their cultural knowledge and stories, as well as take you to the absolute best parts of the outback and bush.
Ms Kissick said that different Indigenous experiences will offer extremely varied perspectives and it’s great to take a range of tours so as to hear the different stories.
“All the tours and all the tour guides and countries are different, so you’re not just going to get the same thing if you go to another Indigenous tour operator up the coast or down the coast, it’s going to be totally different to what I do,” she said.
“Even with the mob on [Stradbroke Island], there’s 12 different families and we all tell our stories differently. I base mine on the plants and the flora and the creation stories that my grandparents have told me, but then there’s people like Matty Burns and Delvene Cockatoo-Collins who go the art way and the artefacts way, so you can even come to the island and get like five different Aboriginal tours that are all different.”
For those looking to head out and try the experience while they’re visiting a new region, Ms Kissick has some simple advice: “Just care for the country and the respect the land that you’re on.”
Explore more: yuratours.com.au; explorebyronbay.com; yagurlitours.com.au