Riverlife Mirrabooka

Overview

Riverlife Mirrabooka

Riverlife Mirrabooka is a unique Australian product, delivered with a high level of service and represents good value for money. It is a sustainable and interactive Aboriginal tourism product that exhibits and respects the rich indigenous cultural heritage of the region.

The experience is professional, authentic and relevant in delivering unique Aboriginal tourism experiences that provide a real understanding of local indigenous customs, art, culture and heritage.

Visitors

Riverlife has approximately 20 000 visitors a year. Approximately 50% are domestic and 50% are international visitors.

Products

Culture demonstration

They demonstrate traditional fire starting techniques, the ancient art of boomerang throwing, spear throwing, didgeridoo playing, traditional welcoming to country, traditional song and dance, clap sticks, and deliver Indigenous educational talks that offer an insight into Aboriginal life and history of our ancient land. Aboriginal musicians demonstrate and encourage visitors to try traditional indigenous instruments.

Experiences on offer include:

• Customer participation in traditional Aboriginal tribal customs and day to day tasks – Messaging between tribes, hunting and gathering tasks, camp life, etc.
• Local bush tucker tasting and identification of plants and food - Selected traditional Aboriginal food from the region.
• Aboriginal tribal art - Aboriginal artists demonstrate modern adaptations of traditional methods and encourage hands on participation by visitors.
• Traditional Aboriginal song and dance - Descendants of the Nunukul Yuggera Yugimbir and Nugi tribes perform indigenous stories and dance skills passed on for thousands of years.
• Didgeridoo / clap sticks - Aboriginal musicians demonstrate the use of traditional indigenous instruments and encourage visitors to try them.
• Traditional fire starting technique - Lighting a camp-fire demonstration.
• Indigenous educational talks - Talks and guided tours including Brisbane river kayak tours that offer an insight into Aboriginal life and history of our ancient land.

Schedule and pricing

As at May 2007:

Performances run:

• Thursdays 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm Adults $39.00 Students $25.00
• Saturday Night Performances 7.00pm to 8.30pm (includes hot and cold refreshments and snack) $59 per person

Private Groups of 20+ anytime by appointment

• $45 per person - day sessions
• $59 per person - night sessions

Aims

• To deliver a sustainable and interactive Aboriginal tourism product, that exhibits and respects the rich indigenous cultural heritage of the region.
• To develop deep friendship and respect, resulting in a smooth working relationship between Riverlife staff and the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Troupe.
• To promote reconciliation and understanding between the traditional owners of the land, the Nunukul Yuggera Yugimbir and Nugi Aboriginal people and visitors, participants and the wider Brisbane community.
• To be professional, authentic and relevant in delivering unique Aboriginal tourism experiences that provide a real understanding of local indigenous customs, art, culture and heritage.

Objectives

• To be a fully sustainable aboriginal tourism product in its own right
• To provide regular employment and improve the quality of life for the Nunukul Yuggera Yugimbir and Nugi Aboriginal people and all employees of the project
• To generate revenue for Riverlife and the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dance Troupe
• To be of economic benefit to the local community
• To promote Aboriginal tourism and travel to South East Queensland
• To increase awareness of indigenous culture and recognise past history
• To become a ‘Must Do’ Queensland experience

Joint venture

Mirrabooka Cultural Tour

Culture demonstration

Riiverlife Pty Ltd and the Nunukul Yuggera Yugimbir Nugi Aboriginal Dance Troupe have been developing the joint venture since August 2005. Riverlife Mirrabooka - The Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Cultural Experience encourages leadership and development for Aboriginal people living in Queensland. Riverlife Mirrabooka is a 50/50 partnership with 50/50 ownership and responsibility split. Aspects of leadership and responsibility rest predominantly with the Nunukul Yuggera Yugimbir and Nugi people. Aboriginal leadership and professional/business development is crucial to the success of this joint venture.
This joint venture strongly facilitates economic participation, from both the Nunukul Yuggera Dance Troupe and Riverlife. Financial sacrifices are made on behalf of all involved. Budgets need to be met and all members of the management team are responsible and accountable for cost effective contribution to the project.

Expenses are covered by revenue generated by the joint venture and profits are equally shared once capital improvements have been satisfied.

Traditional fire techniques

Nunukul Yuggera has a wealth of experience performing at Citizenship Ceremonies, Departmental Heads of Government at International, National and Local levels including tourist venues (Mirrabooka Aboriginal Cultural Experience) and as part of ARC Dreaming in traditional/ contemporary theatre performance both locally and on the world stage.

Music and culture

The Riverlife Mirrabooka Aboriginal Cultural Experience facilitates reconciliation and provides a process that supports understanding, education and first-hand, active participation in a highly developed Aboriginal culture that has spanned thousands of years on Australian soil. It is through this understanding that the Nunukul Yuggera people believe respect, admiration and reconciliation is achieved.

Staff

• Management Team – 6 (4 board members)
• Support Staff – 4
• Dance Troupe – 15

All casual positions at this stage – Project Goal is for up to 20 full time positions

Key stakeholders

Indigenous Business Australia - State Development Indigenous Business Development - Aboriginal Tourism Australia - Arts Queensland - The Indigenous Education Leadership Institute - Brisbane City Council - South Bank Business Association - SEQ Indigenous Business Hub - Tourism Queensland - Brisbane Marketing – Aboriginal suppliers such as Dilly Bag – the Local Community – Aboriginal People – Supporting Businesses such as Tangalooma

Benefits to the indigenous community

• Aboriginal performers achieve a great sense of achievement and self value and are rewarded with the respect of the non-Indigenous participants
• The product promotes education and understanding of Aboriginal culture and history
• The business structure integrates Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people through a team environment with a strong work dependence on each other
• The project facilitates friendship between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people
• Respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and rights and also promotes cross-cultural understanding to the public, customers and staff
• Consultation involved key stakeholders from Aboriginal, Government and tourism authorities and positively influenced the development and products
• Products accurately depict local Aboriginal culture, tradition and history and allow non-Indigenous persons to appreciate and participate in the experiences
• They always recognise and respect the traditional land owners and elders of the community in which the performance is being held
• Riverlife Mirrabooka respects all people and treats them equally
• Aboriginal culture is promoted to people from all countries around the world as Riverlife visitation is approximately 50% international participants

Marketing

Target markets

Riverlife’s primary target markets are predominantly youth, student and group international travellers. To target them they have agreements with wholesalers and ITO’s such as STA, Nomads, VIP Backpackers, TravelPlan, Leisure World Holidays, Virgin, etc.

Target markets are segmented as:

• Brisbane residents
• Interstate and International visitors
• Holiday/Leisure tourism
• Businesses Meeting and Incentive groups
• Students
• Sporting Groups
• Media Organisations
• Specific Interest Groups
• Backpackers
• Aboriginal Organisations
• Corporate Clients

Familiarisations

In 2005 / 2006 Riverlife delivered over $20,000 worth of Unique Australian Adventure Experiences as famils FOC for over 300 domestic and international tourism industry and media visitors (Australia x 25, Europe x 3, China x 2, United Kingdom x 2, United States x 2, South Africa x 2, Southern China x 2, Holland, Ireland, Nordic Region, Hong Kong, Germany, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand)

Industry relationships

Riverlife Director John Sharpe gave a presentation on Aboriginal Tourism at the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux Annual Conference August 2006 on behalf of Brisbane Marketing (TQ speaker Glen Miller). He also presented Riverlife Mirrabooka in Guangzhou in 2006 at the invitation of TQ and TA in Hong Kong.

Riverlife have been in constant contact with Wholesalers/ITO’s in the hope of negotiating supply agreements. These include; Viaggi nel Marsupio – Italy, Tony Bond Travel – Ireland, QANTAS Holidays – UK, Hotelplan – Italy, Australia Tours – Germany, Interesand Reisen- Germany, Australia Plus – Germany, Sun Trips – Germany, Escape – UK, Travelbag - UK, Voyageurs du Monde – France, O.K. Tours – France, Rendezvous Travel Group – UK, Just Split – Ireland, People to People, Australia Pacific Touring, OZ Experience, GTA Australasia, Holidays Tours, Reliance Europe, Contiki, Aussie Specialists and Qantas Vacations.

Consumer marketing

Riverlife supply information, footage, marketing materials and tourism products for prizes to be given out at information sessions for Backpackers freshly landed in Australia every month and feature on and sell product from countless websites such as, queensland-europe.com, etravelblackboard.com, etc. Their e-news goes out to 14,000 people per month (international and domestic visitors)

MICE marketing

Riverlife Mirrabooka delivers packages for pre/post conferences and MICE and are providing product for Barmy Army Travel – Ashes 2006, they are on the itinerary of major Brisbane International Language Schools and supply brochures, product images and footage to: International and Domestic Airports, Visitor Information Centres and other tourism operators.

Performances

Nunukul Yuggera with Aden Ridgeway

At the Greece pre-Olympic Sacred Music and Dance Festival 2004, the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal dance troupe performed at venues around Greece including Volos, Kalamata, Acropollus and Olympia and were rated in the top 3 (37 other countries were represented). Holland Tour Feb 2006, the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal dance troupe performed in 7 different cities around Holland.

Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal dance troupe toured New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Korea in 2004 and France and Italy in 2002. They have performed for the Queen of England at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) at Coolum Queensland 2002 and during the Olympic Games 1988 in Sydney for the Prince and Princes of Belgium.

Further information

Further info: email info@riverlife.com.au www.riverlife.com.au 07 3891 5766