Tjapukai Cultural Center
 

Recently visited Port Douglas, one of our favorite places on our trip, however there was one disappointment that I feel obligated to advise folks about. The heavily advertised (even in Frommers & Fodors)Tjapukai Cultural Center,is a pure rip-off. The locals didn't encourage us to go but didn't really discourage us either. It seemed like an off-limits conversation item. The parking lot was almost empty - most of the the people going to the center were on tours (another clue). The pictures on the advertisements are not what you are going to see. The actors are not made up the same nor do they put any effort into the performances. It's a shame because the facility appears to be top notch, however is understaffed, disorganized, & the actors lack any motivation. There is so much to do in this area without wasting time & money at this place. Just my opinion but inquire before going & see if you don't get the same feel I described.

I got a different take from the Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park. To be sure, it is a tourist attraction, but I feel that it represents a good opportunity to learn about coastal Aboriginal culture, particularly if you don't visit those areas that still have Aboriginal populations. The show that we saw last year was quite impressive, and amazingly hi-tech (perhaps a supreme irony, considering the low-tech culture being represented). It was also quite hard-hitting, pulling no punches about the horrific effects of the European invasion on the Tjapukai people. Finally, the outdoor show, while perhaps a bit hokey, was interesting to me, particularly the skills of the musicians. If you are going to take the Skyrail up to Kuranda anyway, Tjapukai is close to the bottom terminal, and I would consider it worth the cost of admission.

We also really enjoyed the center, but perhaps because of the employees, more so than the show. <BR>after wandering through the displays, we stopped on the bridge to look at the river, and ended up chatting with the guys who perform for nearly an hour. Learned quite a bit about their lives and the aboriginal culture, and they in turn were interested to hear how the native Hawaiians have fared in our country. Afterwards went out to throw boomerangs and had a great time with the same kids again. In the gift shop, we had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the art and music through a guy in there. The next day we took the skyrail up to Kuranda, and the ranger giving the hike/talks at the way station was the father of the guy in the gift shop! He was flattered by our interested in his culture and gave us an incredible tour. <BR>I've often found in travelling that you find the unexpected golden moments when you don't go expecting perfection or when you take time to scratch the veneer and get involved with the locals.

I also attended this attraction last September and found it quite interesting. I thought it was a great representation of their culture and found them hard working and proud of their cultural center.

As an Aussie Specialist, this tour is on almost every itinerary I do...it's one of those "must sees". I've never had a client complain about it, and most think it's a highlight of their time in Oz.<BR><BR>Melodie

I have to agree that the Tjapukai cultural center is worth a visit if you're in the Cannes area. The performers were enthusiastic. The seemed to be enjoying themselves and added some humor. Very different impressiom from the smaller cultural center at Ulluru where things seemed very restrained and interacting with the staff didn't seemed to be encouraged. It did seem under- utilized when we were there in April. There were a couple of tours. The biggest group however was a bunch of Aussie elementary school kids who were have a great time.I could see where the locals wouldn't need to pay for repeat visits but for someone from the US there was plenty to learn.