The Narlijia Tours are an ideal introduction to Broome's Aboriginal history and culture.
Bart Pigram is a Yawuru man from the West Kimberley region of northwest Australia. Born and bred in Broome Bart has a passion for telling the complete story of life in Broome. Drawing on knowledge gained from living a saltwater lifestyle as well as professional training as a curator Bart started Narlijia Tours in 2015. Narlijia means ‘true for you’ in the Yawuru (Australian Aboriginal) language reflecting Bart’s wish to tell the ‘entire’ story sharing his Aboriginal and multicultural perspective first hand.
The Narlijia Experience offers 4 different tours.
BEACH TO BAY: View the dinosaur tracks, hear the Dreaming stories and visit ancient shell middens created by the Djugun-Yawuru people of Broome.
You will also visit the Minyirr area of Broome; one of the most diverse landscapes in the Kimberley region embodying some of Broome's hidden gems and locations.
On this tour Bart will share with you the natural beauty and wonder of the coastline looking out to the Indian Ocean; famous for its 130 million year old dinosaur footprints still visible today.
As you journey from the beach to Roebuck Bay you will learn to identify certain flora, fauna and sites that are still traditionally used by the Djugun and Yawuru people.
Enter Roebuck Bay and Dampier Creek, an internationally significant ecosystem, and also Broome's most historical area. Bart combines ancient stories and landscapes with the pearling phenomena that Broome was built on.
Duration: 3 hours - | What to bring: Comfortable shoes, hat and your camera!
CULTURAL CRUISE:Join Bart Pigram aboard a 42 foot catamaran to truly see and learn about the traditional country of Yawuru people from a unique perspective. Be captivated by his rich cultural stories telling of his family and his people’s connection to the region and beautiful Roebuck Bay. Enjoy live traditional music as you soak up a stunning Broome sunset. Leave with a new found knowledge of Roebuck Bay’s historical and cultural significance to Broome’s first people, the Yawuru.
Sample traditional bushfoods and learn about the traditional salwater lives of the Yawuru and their connection to country. Journey from the Dreamtime to the present moment and be immersed in the traditional sounds of the Yawuru people with Bart’s live music. Enjoy a morning or sunset experience with Broome local and see his country and lifestyle from a unique perspective.
MANGROVES TOUR: Broome’s mangroves provide a sheltered habitat for a wide variety of native and aquatic animals. Teeming with life, they are both feeding grounds and nurseries for fish, molluscs, burrowing mud worms, various crustaceans, dugong and the occasional saltwater crocodile.
On the Bagul Bagul tour you will learn about the different types of mangrove trees. Experience the mangrove forest and hear about the traditional uses of mangrove wood. At low tide the mangroves are alive with mudskippers, mudcrabs and a variety of birds. Possibly sample some of the bushtucker traditionally sourced from the mangrove forest, spot the different types of crab holes, and if you are lucky, you will taste a beautiful oyster fresh off the rock. The tour takes you into the bay through pools to Buccaneer rock where you will hear the Dreaming story of Randigunya the giant. Scour the mangroves for tasty morsels and see remnants of (Asian) fish traps and hear stories from a bygone era of Broome’s pearling days.
Duration: 2 hours | What to bring: Repellant, reef shoes, hat, a water bottle and your sense of adventure
LIFE OF GUWAN TOUR: Start your tour with Bart describing the landscape and Yawuru people’s place within it, introducing you to the language and cultural heritage of the area. You will learn about saltwater people, the seasons, the land, plants and food that sustained this ancient coastal culture for thousands of years. Hear the stories of the Roebuck Bay Hotel, Sun Pictures, Johnny Chi Lane and the opium dens, brothels and gambling houses of the lively, chaotic and lawless Broome of the early 1900s.
Following on from that colourful time Bart will lead you to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farms Chinatown Exhibition. You will learn the remarkable story of cultured pearling from Australia’s Pearling Pioneers. The tour will end with a live Pearl Harvest and Pearl Meat tasting.
Duration: 1.5 hours - 2 hours | What to bring: Comfortable shoes, hat and a water bottle
Key Experiences
-Learn about Aboriginal history and culture
-Learn how to collect prepare and eat “bush tucker” – native food found in the outback
-Learning about the Aboriginal Dreamtime ( the Dreamtime are Aboriginal stories and legends of how their land was created)
-Take part in a traditional Aboriginal fishing experience ( go on an Aboriginal fishing tour learn how to spear fish)
-Tours of sacred and historic Aboriginal sites with a local Aboriginal tour guide.