Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park

Learn to play the didgeridoo, throw a boomerang and hunt like a warrior at this attraction set in a beautiful rain forest locaton.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park offers visitors a glimpse into the traditions of the Tjapukai culture. The Tjapukai “rain forest people” are the original inhabitants of the land on which the park is built. Visitors are invited to experience the music, dance and storytelling that have been part of the tribe’s culture for thousands of years.

The park offers two educational and entertaining programs: Tjapukai by Day and Tjapukai by Night. During the day, watch hunting and weapons demonstrations, learn how to throw a spear and see the kinds of tools that were used more than 40,000 years ago. Walk into the rainforest with guides and discover the medicinal values of bush tucker (food).

Sit in an outdoor theatre to watch traditional dances, storytelling and a Tjapukai corroboree, a ceremony with dance and song. The Creation Theatre brings Dreamtime stories to life with giant holograms. There is also an informative documentary on the impact of modern society on the indigenous culture, and a kids program with boomerang throwing, didgeridoo playing and bush tucker demonstrations.

Tjapukai by Night features Dreamtime stories and traditional ceremonies. You can have your face painted and take part in performances. After a buffet dinner, sit around the campfire and talk with the performers.

After both the day and night programs, you can browse through the Tjapukai Gallery, which sells Aboriginal art, boomerangs and didgeridoos.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is situated in Caravonica Lakes, across from the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. It’s a 20-minute drive from Cairns and there is plenty of free parking. Or, you can catch the Marlin Coast Sunbus from central Cairns.

The Tjapukai by Day program runs continuously throughout the day; you’ll receive a schedule when you enter the park. Allow at least three hours for the experience. The night program runs between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m and includes a welcome drink and buffet dinner, so tickets are more expensive than a day pass. The park is closed on Christmas Day

Cairns Western Arterial Road, Caravonica QLD 4878, Australia   |   View Google Map