Cultural Conversations – Cultural Awareness
Recently, our team stepped away from the bus seats and onto Country.
Exmouth Bus Charter completed Cultural Conversations – Cultural Awareness Training with Baiyungu Elder, artist and cultural educator Rachael Cooyou. The training was supported through 50% funding from the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification under the Local Capability Fund (LCF), which also included photography by Vee from Blue Media Exmouth.
What we gained extended well beyond professional development.
Welcome to Wanarnggura
Rachael welcomed us to Wanarnggura — Bayungu Country in the Exmouth region of Western Australia.
She spoke about sovereignty and the history of Country, about Elders as Cultural Authorities, and about the ongoing responsibility Traditional Owners carry to care for land and sea.
The Bayungu people have lived along the shores of Nyinggulu (known today as Ningaloo Reef) for around 40,000 years, gathering bilyguru (fish), majun (turtle), yardiyarra (dugong) and other seasonal foods. This knowledge of tides, seasons and marine life has been passed down through generations.
We also learned about Cultural Protocols, including the importance of being welcomed to Country and respecting Men’s and Women’s Places.
Some knowledge is shared publicly. Some remains protected. Understanding that distinction is essential.
On Country
Together, we visited Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, a place many visitors know for its sweeping ocean views.
Long before the lighthouse was built, these headlands were used for food gathering, ceremony, navigation and teaching. Elevated coastal sites allowed careful observation of tides, stars and animal movement — knowledge systems refined over thousands of years.
We also visited a second location of deeper sacred significance. With guidance from Rachael, we approached respectfully and listened carefully.
It was a reminder that tourism operates on living cultural landscapes, not just scenic ones.
Supporting Our Guides
The training was designed to help our guides deliver tours with confidence and respect. Staff learned:
- What they can and cannot say when sharing Indigenous stories
- How to introduce tours acknowledging Traditional Owners and Country
- Correct pronunciation of local names and words
- The stories behind Rachael’s Land and Water artworks on our buses
- How to communicate the history and significance of local sites
This ensures visitors experience Bayungu Country with understanding and respect.
Land and Water – Stories on Our Buses
Many people recognise Rachael’s artwork travelling across Exmouth on our buses.
That collaboration is through her business, Rae-Wendy Creations, and is separate from the cultural training she delivers as an Elder.
She has created two works for us: Land and Water. The Land artwork features kangaroo, echidna, goanna and emu — spiritual totems and teachers. The Water artwork includes turtle and whale — powerful sea beings connected to sustenance, migration and story.
“These animals are celebrated in songs, dances and artworks,” Rachael explains. “They’ve guided us for generations, showing us where to find water, where to shelter, and how to live respectfully with nature.”
Alongside imagery by Tash Allen (@oashyphoto), these artworks now travel throughout the region each day. They carry a deeper significance for our team.
Sharing Damper, Sharing Responsibility
Rachael brought her “brother” (first cousin) and his partner, Leeann, continuing the practice of passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
The day concluded with homemade damper. Delicious native wattle seed and saltbush with cheddar (these were a hit!), shared with jam and honey.
Sharing food together reinforced the importance of relationship, trust and connection — values that sit at the heart of cultural continuity.
Our Commitment
This was not a compliance exercise.
It strengthened our understanding of the responsibility we carry as operators on Aboriginal land.
We are grateful to Rachael for her leadership and generosity, and to Vee for respectfully capturing these moments.
We are committed to operating thoughtfully and respectfully on Bayungu Country.
