Ngaro Country

The Ngaro people have cared for and connected with these islands for countless generations, their knowledge and stories shaping every step you take.

Walking on Ngaro Country

The First Nations people of the Whitsunday Islands are the Ngaro People, who have an ongoing connection to Country. Whitsunday Island and the other islands that make up Whitsunday Islands National Park is part of the Ngaro people’s land and sea Country - just called Ngaro Country.

We acknowledge the deep relationship, connection and responsibility to Land, Sea and Sky Country as an integral element of First Nations peoples’ identity and culture.

Formal Acknowledgment of Country

We acknowledge the Ngaro people as the Traditional Owners and first custodians of Whitsunday Island and the surrounding sea country. We pay our deepest respects to Ngaro Elders past, present, and emerging, and recognize their continuing connection to Country, culture, and community.

The Ngaro Trail exists with the permission and ongoing guidance of the Ngaro people, ensuring protection of sites and continuation of traditional knowledge.

"We welcome respectful visitors to our Country and share our culture with those who come with open hearts and minds."

— Ngaro Traditional Owners

Ngaro Track Storyline

The Ngaro Track Storyline illustrates the 32km journey across Whitsunday Island and helps walkers understand the story of Country - not just the route itself.

This map symbolises the Ngaro track from start to finish, passing through meeting places (campsites), water points and mounatins.

Day 1: Whitehaven Beach to Camp 1, Bowarri yamba (Moon Camp)
8.3 km through coastal rainforest to your first island camp

Day 2: Camp 1 to Camp 2, Dhula yamba (Tree Camp)
10.8 km over rugged terrain and Whitsunday Craig to your second camp

Day 3: Camp 2 to Tongue Point
12.8 km across forested ridges to the lookouts above Hill Inlet

Respect

Deep respect for Traditional Owners, their knowledge, and their continuing connection to Country

Protection

Safeguarding cultural heritage, and traditional knowledge for future generations

Partnership

Genuine collaboration ensuring cultural integrity and community benefit in all activities

Cultural Foundation

Understanding the protocols that guide respectful engagement with Traditional Owners and sacred Country.

Community Benefit

Tourism activities directly benefit the Ngaro community through employment and cultural preservation.

Creating awareness
Employment opportunities
Cultural pride

Co-Design Process

Every aspect of the track has been developed in genuine partnership with Ngaro knowledge holders and cultural advisors.

Cultural advisors
Community input
Traditional knowledge

Dreaming Tracks & Songlines

Storytelling has always been a key part of indigenous culture. It is a highly valued technique of passing on knowledge, history, and values to new generations. The art and skill of sharing stories is still encouraged today, it is this skill that creates a bond to the past and ancestors.

Along your journey through this beautiful country, you will come across hardwood totem posts with art and stories supplied from the Ngaro families. Their connection to this land continues. Please take your time to enjoy their stories.

The Ngaro Track, Whitsunday Islands | Matt Horspool

Why We Say "Track"

“In naming this walk we use the word track and not trail. Ngaro Dreaming tracks followed our people’s storylines also known as songlines. They are important for teaching lessons and learning our ways.” – Ngaro families

Cultural Significance

This place is where stories lie. It speaks to us. We feel stories within the earth, rock, mountains, trees and animals.

Dreaming Connections

Interpretive content along the Ngaro Track has been developed in partnership with the Ngaro people and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure stories are shared respectfully and are maintained.

Respecting Ngaro Country

The Ngaro People have been connected to this landscape for thousands of years. They ask that you treat the area with care and respect. Protect culturally and ecologically sensitive sites along the Ngaro track by staying on the track.

Ngaro Place Names & Their Meanings

Every place name in Ngaro Country carries deep meaning, connecting geography, cultural practice, and spiritual significance in the traditional language

During settlement, Ngaro people were displaced from their Country, and this disconnection contributed to the loss of many elements of their traditional language. The language spoken by today’s Ngaro descendants is a shared language, passed down through generations by their Elders. The creation of the Ngaro Track revealed places that had never been officially named before. Working together, Ngaro families chose names for these sites that reflect the appearance and feeling of each location - connecting language, landscape, and experience.