I can't tell you how happy I am that Walkabout Cultural Adventures won the prestigious SMH and the Age Traveller Awards in the Immersive category.  It has been quite a while since I have seen a more deserving winner and I want to tell you why. This win sets a really important example that others would do well to follow.

I have experienced Indigenous tourism not only here but in New Zealand and Africa. Like all experiences it ranges from OK to simply wonderful, with most in the middle. And there can be a cringe factor when guides go off script and overthink particular aspects. Non-Indigenous tours are not exempt either, I left one early Daintree tour many years ago ready to go into therapy! Never knew looking for Crocs could be so depressing.

But Juan is a different fish. He has that uncanny ability to make people feel at ease, to speak with authority without ranting, and knows when to inject humour. I remember feeling trepidation about the cringe factor when I went to see his hologram show at the Daintree Discovery Centre. I should have known better. Even as a hologram, Juan was just himself, and importantly his commentary comes across as disarmingly honest. Even in a mini theatre, I felt like shaking his virtual hand after watching. 

I have had the opportunity to see Aaron guiding around the Daintree too, just snippets, but the same honest but not verbose style is on show. I am not surprised they won in the immersive category, because it would be hard to have a more immersive experience than they provide. There is no agenda in their tours, save for showing people their country in a positive and wonderful way. Watching their guests hanging on every word is for me as a guide myself, very satisfying to see.

There is no doubt that Walkabout Cultural Adventures are a beacon in tourism. The combination of a cultural experience with great guiding skills is not only a winner for them, but Indigenous Tourism and the rest of the industry generally. We aren’t for the most part a mass tourism venue and our visitors like to get involved in the community and feel part of it, at least for a little while. Skilled local guides make that happen.

Juan's honesty also extends to other members of the community; people like me who try to get him to run for Council, (it was a big fat no!) and to his input to the school communities. His ability to inject humour at just the right moment often diffuses what could be awkward situations.