Arrive in Darwin on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private transfer to the hotel, a room category upgrade and pre-tour accommodation.

At 16:30, join your tour leader Helen Pitt and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel before dinner at a local restaurant. Afterwards, walk to the iconic Deckchair Cinema to attend the National Indigenous Fashion Awards, showcasing the creativity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers, artists and art centres in fashion and textile design.

(D)

This morning, transfer to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) for a private tour of the special exhibition of the finalists of the National Indigenous Art Awards.

Enjoy some free time to explore the gallery further at your own pace before continuing to the Tactile Arts Centre for a visit of their collection of contemporary Indigenous art and craft from both established and emerging artists working across textiles, printmaking, glass and ceramics.

Return to the hotel in the mid-afternoon and enjoy some time at leisure.

Tonight, attend the exclusive, VIP opening ceremony and industry preview of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, which features art from more than 70 Indigenous-owned and -operated art centres across Australia. Afterwards, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

In the morning, attend a special event at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (program to be announced). Enjoy the rest of the day exploring the fair at leisure and to take time to discover Australia’s largest exhibition of Indigenous art, showcasing over 2,000 rising and established Indigenous artists from across the continent. Spend time conversing with artists, community-based art centre staff and collectors, and explore the distinctive styles and media of art from the Kimberley to Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands, from the Tiwi Islands to Arnhem Land, and of central, southern and western Australia.

In the evening, attend the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards gala event at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), celebrating the very best in traditional and contemporary Indigenous art in Australia.

(B)

In the morning, check out of the hotel and travel along the Arnhem Highway to Jabiru, located in the heart of Kakadu National Park. Take in the beautiful vistas of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed park, which spans nearly 20,000 square kilometres of wetlands, escarpments, rivers and floodplains and is home to thousands of species of iconic Australian flora and fauna.

Arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon.

In the evening, join Helen for a talk at the hotel, followed by dinner.

(BLD)

Set off this morning for a day exploring the landscapes of the expansive Kakadu National Park, from gorges decorated with ancient rock art to waterfalls, wetlands and floodplains.

Visit the awe-inspiring Burrungkuy rock art site (formerly known as Nourlangie), with paintings dating back 20,000 years. Burrungkuy represents the changing relationship of the local Bininj/Mungguy people with the landscape of Kakadu over the millennia and tells the story of their ancestors, including Namarrgon (Lightning Man), who splits the dark clouds with his stone axes to make lightning and thunder in Kakadu’s prodigious Wet Season storms.

After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Warradjan Cultural Centre and delve into the rich displays, artefacts and cultural stories of the Bininj people of Kakadu.

In the late afternoon, enjoy a cruise on the peaceful Yellow Water billabong, where white-bellied sea eagles soar above the treetops and mighty crocodiles glide silently through the water below.

(BL)

Today, cross the tidal East Alligator River and journey through sweeping wetland plains to the Aboriginal community of Gunbalanya in Arnhem Land. Discover the renowned Injalak Arts Centre, meet local artists and gain insight into the cultural traditions expressed through their painting, weaving and printmaking.

Continue to the Ubirr rock art site, famous for its ‘X-ray’ depictions of humans and animals that reveal the artists’ intricate knowledge of internal anatomy. Paintings at Ubirr include the Rainbow Serpent, barramundi, goannas, possums, wallabies and a European buffalo farmer with his hands tucked nonchalantly into his pockets.

Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with Helen and fellow tour members at the hotel’s restaurant.

(BLD)

Early this morning, check out of the hotel and return to Darwin by coach.

Tour arrangements conclude upon arrival at Darwin Airport for flights departing from 13:00. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour, as well as travel insurance (highly recommended).

(B)