TOURS

Schools Educational Program

Desert Tracks currently conducts 8 Day Educational Programs for Schools from Victoria and New South Wales. Read some testimonials here.

Desert Tracks operates Educational school programmes and the experience gained from these programmes address many curriculum based objectives for all Australian students. The aims of these programmes include promoting understanding and learning through participation. Learning about Tjurkurpa "creation time" in the context of traditional lands is a major aspect of the experience, combined with the sharing of knowledge and cultural identity from our Anangu teachers to the students and participating in traditional Aboriginal activities such as food collection and tracking.

Click here to download Educational Programs Manual.

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Cave Hill 1 Day Aboriginal Experience

Includes

• Anangu Guides
• Permits and entry fees
• Morning Tea and picnic lunch
• Full day tour to Cave Hill

When

• Minimum 4 adults for departure
• Daily
• Departs Ayers Rock Resort at 7.30am
• Returns to Ayers Rock Resort approx. 4.00pm

Price

Adult $237
Child $180

Itinerary

Depart by 4w/d through bush tracks directly south of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park through the arid desert and into the Pitjantjatjara Lands. We will be met by our Anangu hosts and teachers at Cave Hill, the site of the Seven Sisters Tjukurpa.

This Songline crosses the width and breadth of the Australian continent.

The main feature is the magnificent cave paintings—possibly the most significant art site in Central Australia. The drama of the Seven Sisters creation story is graphically illustrated on the ceiling of the cave. Discuss Tjukurpa (dreaming) and learn about the Songlines and its relevance to Anangu life in the Desert.

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5 Day Angatja Bush College

Includes

• Anangu Guides
• Permits and entry fees
• Most Meals
• Four nights camping and all camping equipment

When

• Minimum 6 adults for departure
• Departs Ayers Rock Resort approx. 2.00pm Day 1
• Returns to Ayers Rock Resort approx 1.00pm Day 5
• By Private Charter only or available dates on request

Price

Adult $1,950
(add $204 for Uluru-Kata Tjuta tour option)
Child $975
(add $153 for Uluru-Kata Tjuta tour option)
Accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort is not included in the above rates

Itinerary

Day 1: Ayers Rock Resort to Cave Hill
Depart Ayers Rock Resort at approximately 2.00pm (after inbound flights have arrived) and travel to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Homelands, arriving at Cave Hill late afternoon, boil the billy and set up camp. Meet the traditional owners, our hosts, and visit The Seven Sisters Cave, hear the Tjukurpa—Creation/Law story depicted in the amazing rock art, one of the few extensively painted caves in Central Australia.

The view from the top of Cave Hill presents a 360 degree desert panorama including Uluru, Mt Conner and the Musgrave Ranges. Tonight is your first Campfire dinner. Watch the Seven Sisters Constellation transit the desert night sky.

Day 2: Cave Hill to Atal
After breakfast, break camp and continue to Amata, an aboriginal community of approximately 300 people. Visit Minymaku Arts Centre for an opportunity to purchase art works direct from the artists.
We travel west to Atal—our Eco Camp at Angatja. Greet our hosts and exchange welcomes. After a late lunch with our hosts, we learn how to fashion artifacts or traditional weapons out of Mulga or Gum trees. Time for a hot shower before dinner around the fire.

Day 3: Atal
Daily life in the camp at Atal. Listen to the Elders tell the history of the region and explain traditional Pitjantjatjara lifestyle. Walks to the ancient rock hole, foraging for bush tucker including honey ants or witchetty grubs, climbing the range behind the camp provides an excellent view of the desert horizon. The lesson in making traditional artifacts or weapons continues.

Day 4: Atal
Ngintaka Trail - we are privileged to be taken along part of a major Dreaming Creation Being Songline, the Giant Perentie Lizard.

We follow his trail through the country stopping at sites of significance. At each site the creation story is told, the song is sung and danced. A unique insight into the sacred significance of land.

Day 5: Atal to Ayers Rock Resort
This morning, break camp. Farewell our hosts. Return to Ayers Rock Resort. We arrive back at your accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort early afternoon.

Optional: Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru (Ayers Rock) Tours
Upon your arrival back into the resort on Day 5, check into your hotel. That afternoon, participate in a tour to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). Next morning, tour to Uluru (Ayers Rock) - choose between a 9.4km guided walk (5.8 miles) around the base of Uluru or a vehicle based tour with short walks. Return to Resort for departure.

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3 DAY SEVEN SISTERS & NGINTAKA DREAMING ITINERARY

Includes:

(same as above)

When:

By private Charter only

Price:

Price on application

Itinerary:

Day 1: Ayers Rock to Mt Woodroffe:
Pick up from your Hotel, and travel South on red dirt roads following the common border of the Northern Territory / South Australian & the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Homelands. Turning Southwest into the homelands, we drive along a scenic route through the beautiful Musgrave Ranges to our camp site at Ngarutjara situated at the foot of Ngintaka Pilpirpa (Mt Woodroffe), the highest mountain in South Australia. Meet our hosts, the traditional custodians of Mt Woodroffe, make camp and settle down to a campfire dinner under the stars while we listen to the elders tell us the creation / law story of Wati Ngintaka, the Giant Perentie Lizard man, armed with this new knowledge you are granted permission for tomorrow’s ascent of Ngintaka Pilpilpa. Listen also as the Elders explain traditional lifestyle and the history of the region, oral history and story telling is a tradition passed down for thousands of years.

Day 2: Mt Woodroffe:
After an early morning campfire breakfast, prepare to climb Mt Woodroffe. The climb is a 5 hour return hike of moderate grade. We return to camp in the late afternoon. Sometime during the evening the traditional custodians will invite the students to join them in "Inma Ngintaka" the ceremonial dance and song of this part of Ngintaka`s journey of creation.

Day 3: Cave Hill:
Break camp. Travel on a 4WD track to Ulaypai Billabong a three quarter mile long oasis surrounded by white barked, statuesque and shady River Red Gums. In a dry desert environment, Ulaypai is a haven for wildlife, time for bird watching and a lazy lunch. Westwards along the 4WD track to Walyinga (Cave Hill) a magnificent rock art site, The drama of the Seven Sisters Tjukurpa is graphically illustrated in the ancient cave paintings. Listen to the custodians of Cave Hill tell a story of passion, strangely connected universally through star constellations common to both hemispheres.

Travel onto Ayers Rock Resort via Mt Connor in time for diner at your hotel.

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