Tiwi Islands, NT:

A boat ride out from Darwin to visit the Tiwi Islands was always high on our wish list and we were lucky enough to get a chance to do it during this trip. We had a fantastic day on Bathurst Island, the local Tiwi community were very welcoming and keen to share their culture and we came back from the island with a few arty treasures as keepsakes.

The sealink ferry only travels across the Strait to the Tiwi Islands on a Thursday and Friday of each week - so we booked early and joined a 'Tiwi by Design' tour on the Thursday before we left Darwin. We set off at 7.30am for a two & a half hour journey by boat out to the island ... due to some early morning rain, it was about 34° in the shade and 92% humidity by the time we stepped off the ferry (so an incredibly hot day ... even the local Tiwi Islanders were sweating profusely).

Tiwi Welcome to country & Smoking Ceremony:

We started our day on Bathurst Island with a warm welcome from a group of the local islander community & a smoking ceremony to get rid of any bad sprits we may have bought with us across to the island - which was fair enough.

A Tiwi Dance Demonstration:

Followed by tours of - the local Tiwi Island Museum & History;

... + a tour of the Tiwi Island Church + a talk on how the island community has integrated their traditional culture with the introduction of religion;

... and the Tiwi Art Gallery:

The Tiwi Islands are well known for their excellent fabric designs and screenprints, as well as wood carvings. After lunch we enjoyed a 1-1 Tiwi Design Sceen Printing Class with a local Tiwi artist.

Our visit to the Tiwi Islands was a fun day, well worth the journey - we learnt so much and met some truly lovely people.