Spending time on Country can teach you a lot, but it\u2019s always important to visit respectfully.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n As we pull up to our camp on the Rodna Homeland, two-and-a-half hours west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), it feels like our group collectively slackens and softens into the space around us. We take in the sky\u2019s vast blanket of blue, the red dirt underfoot, the tranquility.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Can you believe we do spreadsheets?\u2019 someone comments. On Country, with no phone reception, no deadlines and little concept of \u2018the time\u2019, the trivialities of city life do <\/em>feel a little absurd.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019re here with our guide Benji Kenny, a Western Arrernte man and Traditional Custodian of the land we\u2019ve been welcomed onto as part of Intrepid\u2019s partnership with 100% Finke River, a First Nations-owned and operated tour company based in Australia\u2019s Red Centre.\u00a0Benji is a deeply curious cultural conduit who is more than happy to share his stories and wisdom with us as we hike through rust-red gorges, dip in freshwater swimming holes and visit the culturally significant sites on and around his ancestors\u2019 homeland.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our time on Country is brief but beautiful, and it teaches us a lot about how to respectfully engage with the rich, modern and continuing First Nations cultures in Australia<\/a>. Here are some tips for first-timers (or old-timers!) when travelling on Country.\u00a0<\/p>\n In First Nations cultures across the Australian continent, \u2018Country\u2019 means far more than simply the physical landscape; it encompasses the spiritual, cultural and historical connections that Aboriginal people have with their land and the land of their ancestors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Benji shares a 1934 quote from anthropologist Ted Strehlow, who was writing about Arrente culture: \u2018The whole countryside is their living age-old family tree.\u2019 Understanding this relationship with the land can help you approach your travels with respect and awareness. And it\u2019s not just the Outback either; no matter where you are in Australia, you are on someone\u2019s Country, so it\u2019s always a good idea to identify the Traditional Custodians of the land you\u2019re on<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you are heading to a more remote part of Australia, especially to freehold Aboriginal land<\/a>, make sure you have the proper permits and permissions from the Traditional Custodians and that you\u2019re taking all of the practical steps you need to stay safe.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Definitely do your research,\u2019 Benji says. \u2018Let your families know how long you\u2019re going to travel, check the weather and any local warnings, stock up on your food, water and first-aid supplies. Sometimes people come out and they break down or get stuck, so make sure you have an emergency contact.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n When visiting sacred sites or culturally significant areas, it\u2019s important to respect local customs and protocols. This may include restrictions on photography, steering clear of areas that are off-limits depending on how you identify and avoiding disrespectful behaviors (including climbing on sacred sites). When in doubt, always ask for permission and, importantly, don\u2019t take from Country what isn\u2019t yours. Of course, respect plays a huge part in this, but so does spirituality. \u2018Australia is a very spiritual place,\u2019 Benji says. In fact, hundreds of rocks are sent back to Ulu\u1e5fu<\/a> each year, some by people who believed they\u2019ve been cursed with bad luck for taking them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Connecting with local communities of the Country you\u2019re on \u2013 particularly being guided by a Traditional Custodian \u2013 can open your mind to things you may never recognise on your own. On our trip, Benji tells wandering tales of spirit ancestors and animal totems who shaped the land, the skies and the waterways around us, of yowies (mythical creatures said to roam the Outback) and of Western Arrernte foods, family trees, traditions and ways of life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n All of this wisdom is generously shared, and we leave camp more connected and contemplative than when we arrived. \u2018I love to bring visitors here to show them this beautiful Country we have and the land we share,\u2019 Benji says. \u2018The beauty and the nature of Central Australia \u2013 I think people fall in love when they come and see this place. I also think a lot of our stories are being lost, so by having visitors out and sharing these stories, we\u2019re helping bring them back to life.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n When we\u2019re on Country, Benji encourages us to ask questions about things we\u2019re curious about and always answers them in good faith and humor. However, if you\u2019re a non-Indigenous person (like me), many parts of First Nations cultures and the protocols within them may remain inaccessible or seem incomprehensible \u2013 and that\u2019s OK. It\u2019s a seductive idea, that everyone should have access to everything, or should be able to fully relate. But due to the urgent need to protect First Nations cultural and intellectual property rights, plus the ongoing effects of colonisation and the Stolen Generations, not all answers are simple. \u2018Research is really tough work,\u2019 Benji says. \u2018Even finding your family tree is not easy.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n Rather than complete comprehension, focus instead on finding common ground. On sharing and connecting through conversation, food, walking. Through being open to the spiritual world that lives alongside the material one. Slow down, breathe deep, and let your soul replenish. <\/p>\n \u2018Being out on Country, it heals you,\u2019 Benji says. \u2018You\u2019re not in the city, your mind is not focused on technology. Your brain starts to slow down, and it opens your mind. It helps you understand who you are.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Intrepid-Travel-Australia-WA-Kimberley-Purnululu-National-Park-Bungle-Bungles-Cathedral-Gorge-Walk-group-standing-in-cave-leader-talking-2-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n1. Understand the significance of Country\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. Be practical and stay safe\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Travel on Country with Intrepid<\/h2>\n
3. Respect cultural protocols\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Engage with local communities\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Intrepid-Travel-Australia-Northern-Territory-Rodna-finke-river-guide-8.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n5. Accept what you won\u2019t understand\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n