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The Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience offers a moving introduction to the culture, stories and language of the Gumbaynggirr people, the Traditional Custodians of the Coffs Coast.
The smoke wafts over us like a blanket, its loud and constant hum providing a soundtrack to the low-rolling screen of silvery smoke. Dancers snake out in a line from the bush, their bodies heavily painted in ochre, stomping their feet in rhythm with the clapping sticks that accompany the rolling drone of the Didj.
These mesmerising dances, passed down through generations, bring history to life. Each tells a story about the land, animals and the Gumbaynggirr people. After several of these stories, and a snack of Aunty Jenny’s toasty damper, the dancers surround a lemon myrtle leaf topped coolamon (a traditional Aboriginal carrying vessel), the source of that fragrant smoke, and we all take part in a cleansing smoking ceremony.
We’re at Sealy Lookout, a little north of Coffs Harbour, for the Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience. Located alongside the Forest Sky Pier and Treetops Coffs Harbour, it is easy to access and provides a wonderful opportunity for families to learn about the culture, people and language of the region’s traditional custodians through dance, songs, storytelling language and natural science.
The Gumbaynggirr people have occupied the land around the Coffs Harbour region for thousands of years and share their culture on a tour of “Niigi Niigi” (Sealy Lookout), an important cultural site within the Orara East State Forest. However, this sharing is about more than tokenism or tourism, as it provides an opportunity for the Gumbaynggirr people to practice their culture on country, working with Gumbaynggirr elders to revitalise an identity they are fighting against time to protect.
It is a cultural time bomb ticking right across Australia, as the awful legacy of colonisation has seen an elimination of Aboriginal languages. Until the 1970s, government policies banned and discouraged Aboriginal people from speaking their languages and practicing their culture. Now of the 250 plus languages that were spoken across the land when colonisation began, less than half are still spoken, and even fewer remain strong. It is a situation that is nothing short of criminal given the oral traditions of our First Nations people and the spiritual significance of language in their lore.
Sadly, as more and more elders pass, so are what remains of their stories and languages, which is causing unresolved trauma and a loss of identity amongst young First Nations peoples.
The dancing is followed by an interpretive walk along the Gumgali Track to Niigi Niigi with Clark Webb, a proud Gumbaynggirr person. During our walk he points out medicinal plants, scar trees and shares more depth about the area’s Aboriginal history, the environment, and the Dreaming stories that are at the core of Gumbaynggirr culture and lore. From young to old, we are all riveted to his every word.
By taking part in the Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience, visitors are contributing to the revitalisation of a language and culture that may otherwise be lost. Run by the Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation, these tours provide a financially sustainable model to create cultural training and language learning pathways for their community and open conversations that need to be had.
The tour is a multigenerational experience in every sense of the word, with children learning the ropes at their family’s heels. It is a privilege to witness Gumbaynggirr parents teach their language and knowledge to their own children as they generously share it with ours.
Planning your Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience
Where: The experience takes place at Sealy Lookout, known to the Gumbaynggirr people as Niigi Niigi, on Bruxner Park Road in Korora. It’s a short, winding drive up from Coffs Harbour through the rainforest, and the views over the coastline when you arrive are worth the trip on their own.
How long to allow: Set aside around two hours for the experience, plus a little extra if you’d like to linger at the lookout afterwards.
When to go: The Giingan Experience runs on the second Saturday of each month, kicking off at 2pm, so it’s worth planning your Coffs Harbour stay around it. Tickets can be booked online or bought on the day from the Nyanggan Gapi van, but with only one tour a month, booking ahead is the safest bet. Arrive a little early and you can grab a coffee and cake at the Nyanggan Gapi Café before it closes at 2pm.
What to wear: Enclosed shoes are a must, so leave the thongs in the car. Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting a little dusty on the forest walk are a good idea too.
Make a day of it: While you’re up at Sealy Lookout, take a stroll out along the Forest Sky Pier, which juts out over the treetops with sweeping views down to the coast. Treetops Adventure Coffs Harbour is just nearby if your crew still has energy to burn, making it easy to pair a morning of cultural learning with an afternoon of zip lines and climbing.
Where to stay in Coffs Harbour
Planning to make a few days of it? Coffs Harbour has plenty to keep families busy, from beaches and rainforest walks to cultural experiences like the Giingan Gumbaynggirr tour. For a family-friendly base, read our review of NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort, with cabins, camping and caravan sites, plus resort-style facilities to keep the kids entertained between adventures.
→ Check rates and availability at NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort
Giingan Gumbaynggirr Cultural Experience
Aleney de Winter is one of Australia’s most influential family travel journalists. She has been writing about travel and food for almost 20 years and is the long-standing editor of Holidays with Kids and its sibling titles, Caravan & Camping with Kids and Ski & Snowboard witk Kids. Her travel stories also appear in Signature Luxury Travel & Style, Escape, 9Travel, Vacations & Travel, Mindfood and Concierge, among others. Her work has earned a PATA Gold Award for Travel Journalism and eleven Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, and she served seven terms as the society’s Vice President. This website, which she started in 2011, has been named ASTW Best Travel Website three times. 