13 Immersive First Nations Food Experiences Around Australia

Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods believes all Australians should have native foods on their daily menu and hopes the day will come when karkalla leaves are seen on our plates at home as often as kale. For now, the former restaurateur and 2025 winner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Champion of Change award hosts regular three-course dining experiences near Byron Bay, where guests can try everything from finger limes to damper made with ancient grains.

Aboriginal food choices are tied firmly to seasonality; you only eat what you can find and you only take what you need. The team at Palawa Kipli helps visitors to understand the profound connection between palawa people and nature’s pantry on its 60- to 90-minute bush tucker tours at piyura kitina / Risdon Cove, about a 15-minute drive from nipaluna / Hobart. After you’ve explored the bushland – and tried whatever delicious treats you find – you’ll finish with a sample box from the Palawa Kipli catering company, full of charcuterie and other snacks such as wallaby salami and pepperberry cheese.

Aunty Dale Tilbrook, a Wardandi Bibbulmun woman, is one of Western Australia’s greatest culinary knowledge-keepers, with a deep understanding of the native produce endemic to her Country. On the two-hour Bush Tucker Talks & Tastings experience at Mandoon Estate in the Swan Valley, guests will sample seasonal ingredients and get to know their nuances and uses. For instance, do you know the difference between sunrise and desert limes? Guests are encouraged to ask Aunty Dale questions about Australia’s wild foods.

One of the oldest fish harvesting systems in the world, the Budj Bim aquaculture network was developed by the Gunditjmara people of Victoria’s south-west and dates back at least 6000 years. The Centre hosts regular cultural tours and educational walks and is also home to a cafe serving treats cooked by Gunditjmara chef Ricky North. Specialities include smoked kooyong (eel) arancini and pâté, kangaroo souvlaki and gnocchi with native bower spinach and macadamias.

Cruise the canals of Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast aboard a vintage Huon Pine ketch with local guides of Saltwater Eco Tours, founded by Simon Thornally, a descendent of the Kaurareg people of Horn Island (Ngurupai) in the Torres Strait. Over two hours, they’ll explain the ecological and sociological history of the region and also make sure you’re well-fed with the finest seasonal tucker from land and sea. Your lunch might include bunya nut pastries with warrigal greens, local grilled squid with wattleseed mayo and Tasmanian pepperberry and macadamia biscuits to finish.

The Daintree and Mossman Gorge areas of north Queensland are the lands of the Kuku Yalanji people, who have foraged, hunted and cooked the fertile treasures of the natural environment for millennia. These illuminating tours, which can be taken as half or full days, introduce visitors to the food and medicines of the rainforest, particularly fruits and berries. After instruction in cultural hunting practices like spear and boomerang throwing, you might be lucky enough to catch a mud crab.

Territory flavours are at the forefront of this waterfront restaurant in Darwin, co-owned by Larrikia and Yanyuwa woman Petra Adams and husband John. Although their classic avo on toast is a popular choice at breakfast, the menu also features native flavours with dishes like kangaroo tartare marinated with bush spices, salt and pepper crocodile tenders and trevally served as an Australian-style ceviche with zesty finger lime.