Mungalla Aboriginal Tours have successfully secured $100,000 is federal funding, allowing them to tap into new markets and create employment opportunities in the Hinchinbrook Shire.
The award winning tourism business at Mungalla Station allows people to explore the rich aboriginal history and culture of the Nywaigi people, the traditional owners of the lands around Ingham in North Queensland.
Offering educational tours and exhibitions, the business had been severely impacted by the restrictions imposed by COVID 19.
The new funding received through the Indigenous Tourism Fund will go towards developing bird watching and horse riding tours around Mungalla Station, allowing them to capitalise on their extensive wetland rehabilitation work which has resulted in the return of many birds and wildlife to the area.
Chairperson of Mungalla Aboriginal Business Corporation, Scott Anderson said the new products were part of their change of focus, particularly regarding tourism products, which was motivated by the loss of cruise ships and international university students after COVID-19 travel restrictions devastated their business.
"This really is a by product of COVID, adapting and adopting, we've had to develop new products for the domestic market and we're really trying to create different products that will appeal to different groups of people", he said.
"The opportunity to open Mungalla Station's wetlands to birdwatchers is new and existing for us as traditional owners, but it also helps us to continue to have a focus on managing our wetlands and allowing our Traditional Owners to be engaged in that process.
"We know there are literally hundreds of species of birds. We also know that in a very short, two to three hour walk around our property, you get to see 40 to 50 species of birds which is excellent for birdwatchers."
New visitors to the station can enjoy having greater access and improved comfort with Mungalla's plan to invest in track development, signage and bird hides for the ultimate bird watching experience.
Technology will also be integrated into their eco and educational tourism products with the installation of livestream webcams at multiple sites around the wetlands.
"You'll be able to get access through these webcams to a live view of the wetlands, it's a new way to entice people and attract people but it also helps us maintain and monitor the wetlands" he said.
"[The footage] will give long term perspectives and keep records of how the wetlands and birdlife respond to what we're doing as we restore the natural function of the wetlands and improve the [quality of the] flow into the Great Barrier Reef catchment area."
Mr Anderson said aside from serving a tourism purpose, the grant will also provide social and educational benefits to at-risk aboriginal youth.
Member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, commended Mungalla on securing the grant which he said would "enable growth and resilience during these unprecedented and challenging times."
"Mungalla Station shares a rich history from pre-settlement as traditional lands of the Nywaigi people, intriguing stories of the pioneering days under the ownership of James Cassady through to the recent return to traditional owners", he said.
"The Federal Government grant funding will provide assistance to innovate, expand on their cultural and historical tours and incorporate digital technologies into Mungalla's experiences" he said.
"People around the world will be able to encounter the Mungalla story through online live streaming."
Preliminary works are scheduled to commence this year with the new tours available to the public in time for the 2022 peak tourist season.
For further reading:
Want daily news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the North Queensland Register newsletter below.
