Best ways to discover Aboriginal seafood experiences
Think of fishing and chances are you’ll picture a rod, line and hook. But spend some time with a Traditional Custodian and soon you’ll be seeing pronged spears gliding through the air to land with a crack in the carapace of a mud crab.
You’ll discover toxins in native plants that can be used to stun fish in the water. And you’ll learn about ancient stone fish traps laid across waterways, sharp hooks made from shells, and even fishing lines spun from vegetable “hair”.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have harvested marine life for tens of thousands of years. The act is as cultural as it is sustaining, often guided by rules contained in Dreaming stories: when to fish, who can fish, what can be taken and how much can be harvested. Indigenous fishing practices also smash modern fishing stereotypes – in New South Wales, women have historically been the chief fishers, balancing babies and handlines as they fished from canoes, often cooking their catch while still out on the water.
Walkabout Cultural Adventures, Mossman, QLD © Tourism Australia
Coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples did, and still do, have a varied seafood diet dictated by nature. Turtles and dugongs have traditionally featured on Torres Strait Islander menus, for example, while the beaches of Victoria have long been a popular spot to forage for pipis, edible seaweeds and more. By learning about traditional fishing practices, and in some places re-enacting them, you can savour Australia’s ocean fare in a whole new way.
Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours, Cygnet Bay, Western Australia © Tourism Australia
North of Broome in Western Australia, you’ll learn how to pop open oysters that are still stuck to rocks, using only spinifex grass and fire. The trick delivers an instant treat – just the way Bardi man Terry Hunter, of Borrgoron Coast to Creek Tours, likes it.
Juan Walker from Walkabout Cultural Adventures holding a mud crab © Walkabout Cultural Adventures
In Tropical North Queensland, take lessons on how to spear mud crabs in the mangroves with Walkabout Cultural Adventures. If you’re lucky enough to catch one, your Kuku Yalanji guide will cook it up the traditional way, with the taste of sweet, pale meat lingering in your memory long after worries of getting your toes nipped have disappeared.
wukalina Walk, Tasmania / lutruwita © wukalina Walk
After following in the footsteps of palawa Elders on the multi-day wukalina Walk in north-east Tasmania / lutruwita’s larapuna / Bay of Fires, you’re nourished with a special dinner inspired by traditional coastal fare. Shellfish like abalone, mussels, oysters and limpet were popular in these parts, with discarded shells still visible in cultural living sites (ancient middens) – some among the world’s largest.
Seafood also plays a starring role on experiences hosted by Saltwater Eco Tours on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Join Indigenous co-owner Simon Thornalley for a relaxed seafood-focused feast and a chance to learn about his own Sea Country connections on the Bushtucker Cultural Cruise or enjoy the Sunset cruise with live music and native-infused cocktails.
Saltwater Eco Tours, Sunshine Coast, Queensland © Tourism Australia
Note: The NRMA is in partnership with Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences. We are committed to promoting First Nations culture and experiences. Note: The original text has been modified for clarity and style.
