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26 July, 2024

Untamed Escapes to offer Cultural Day Tour from Port Lincoln in partnership with Maba Idi

By Grant Jones

Untamed Escapes will use recent government and SA Tourism Industry Council funding to develop the Eyre Peninsula’s first scheduled cultural tour in partnership with local First Nations woman of Barngarla/Nauo and Wirangu descent, Emmalene Richards.

Untamed Escapes was one of 13 South Australian tourism businesses recently awarded the funding from the Tourism Industry Council South Australia and the Department for Environment and Water’s Activating Heritage Tourism Program.

Untamed Escapes director Craig “Hassie” Haslam and Richards met in 2022, and with a shared passion to
promote the rich Aboriginal culture and heritage of the Eyre Peninsula, collaborated to create a 5-hour
cultural tour for the cruise ship market.

This onshore excursion, led by Richards and her family, gave cruise ship passengers into Port Lincoln a unique opportunity to learn about the Aboriginal culture and heritage of the region through stories of traditional fishing and cultural living passed down over tens of thousands of years.

Untamed Escapes director Craig “Hassie” Haslam with Maba Idi’s Emmalene Richards.

Building on the success of the cruise ship tour, Hassie and Emma will create a co-branded, 1-Day Cultural
Tour from Port Lincoln, which will be available as a bookable product on the Untamed Escapes website and
distributed to our trade partners worldwide.

Hassie expressed his gratitude for the opportunity.

“We are honoured to receive this funding. Including authentic Aboriginal experiences in our tours has always been a priority for Untamed Escapes. However, this tour is not just a Port Lincoln sightseeing tour with elements of Aboriginal culture; it is a fully immersive Aboriginal Cultural tour led by Emma, with Untamed Escapes serving as the vehicle (quite literally) to connect people to unique cultural experiences on the Eyre Peninsula.

“Participating in the First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program has deepened my appreciation for the values and ethics around protecting Aboriginal cultural knowledge. I’m just happy to be able to play a small part and connect people with this fascinating culture.”

Maba Idi director Richards said she was excited by the prospect of sharing Country and culture.

“I am very excited to be working with Untamed Escapes and be able to develop a tour that will promote Aboriginal heritage and culture and share local bushfoods and on Country experiences. Establishing this tour will create a way to continue sharing and maintaining my culture through tours, storytelling and sharing my ancient Barngarla language.”

Untamed Escapes 1-Day Cultural Tour will launch in September 2024 and depart weekly all year round, with group and charter bookings available on request.

Other cultural experiences Richards offers through her business Maba Idi, are already available in Untamed Escapes Groups and Charters, such as Contemporary Cultural Aboriginal art workshops and Cultural Education and knowledge-sharing sessions.

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