SeaLink South Australia has launched the Kangaroo Island Indigenous Day Tour, a first-of-its-kind cultural experience in partnership with Ngarrindjeri elder, Mark Koolmatrie.
The tour, starting mid-December 2024, weaves together two stories and perspectives, intertwining the ancient, rich cultural history of the Ngarrindjeri people with the island’s more recent history and major events. These include the devasting 2019-20 bushfires and the resilience and rebound of the landscape, flora, fauna, and local community.
Tour participants are invited to experience Kangaroo Island, known to the Ngarrindjeri people as Nurrugaui, through interactive storytelling that delves into its rich cultural narratives and exploring its pre-settlement history. The journey offers a deeply immersive and transformative connection to the land.
Accompanied by Mark Koolmatrie, founder of Kool Tours and inducted into the South Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, guests uncover the island’s sacred sites, learn about native bush foods, and hear creation stories passed down through generations.
Highlights include:
- Welcome to Country smoking ceremony.
- A bushwalk in Penneshaw to explore native medicines and storytelling.
- Visits to Seal Bay, Admirals Arch, and Remarkable Rocks to uncover the Ngarrindjeri myths and spiritual connections to landmarks.
- The story of Nurrunderi, the creator who shaped the land and entered the spirit world from Kangaroo Island representing the beginning of life.
“Each site we visit holds a significance in the Ngarrindjeri creation story, not just of the land, but of our people and our relationship to it,” Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation deputy chair, Kool Tours Owner, and South Australian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame winner, Mark Koolmatrie, said.
“The land remembers our stories, and we’re proud to share them with visitors to Kangaroo Island. No connected tour blending the two stories like this has ever been done before on the island, so guests will experience something truly unique and special – unlike anything else available.”
SeaLink South Australia general manager, Tracy Croft, said they worked with Koolmatrie for nearly two years to create this unique experience in partnership together.
“We are incredibly proud to work alongside Mark Koolmatrie and Kool Tours to launch this truly unique and meaningful experience for our guests who will leave with an even deeper connection, understanding and appreciation for Kangaroo Island’s unique heritage alongside its breathtaking scenery and diverse wildlife,” said.
The tour builds on SeaLink’s ongoing efforts to honour the heritage of Kangaroo Island, further complemented by the recent naming of its two new ferries, expected to commence service in 2025, Wanggami (kangaroo) and Ruwi (land), named in the Ngarrindjeri language.
