My husband, adult daughter and I had a great time on this tour. The sea journey there and back seemed to be so quick, and was very calm and pleasant. We were greeted by elders who gave us a welcome ceremony and then were taken on a tour around the island, visiting and hearing about the old church, funeral totems, the war history and given time to go round the museum, where the exhibit about Tiwi Island AFL players really interested us. The lunch was good and my GF meal I had pre-ordered was perfect. The highlight for us was the arts centre. We had a great time printing our t shirts/ tea towels - I wanted to do mine myself and I was shown how and had everything explained but was able to produce it myself. we loved the arts centre, seeing artists working and being able to buy paintings and bird carvings at extremely good prices. A perfect day.

We had been to Darwin several times and missed this buffet, so back in January l checked their dates for the tour and booked flights and accommodation to coincide with the August tour and my birthday. After having booked and paid for the tour in January, on the Wednesday before they rang to say the tour would not be operating. Yes, l got my money back, but this turned out to be a very expensive nonevent- too late to book anything else we spent our week on the local buses and having a look around that way-

We recently completed the Tiwi Islands Day Tour. It was fantastic. The locals were all very friendly, the design centre was amazing with its huge array of local arts - if you can't find something as a souvenir or exquisite artwork for your home then you're not looking very hard :-). The museum gave a good insight to the local history & our guide Freddie was fabulous with his intimate knowledge of the islands & their history. Highly recommended.

I did the Tiwi by design tour on Monday 10th July and have to say that the tour was much less than what I expected considering how the tour was described and marketed and the price paid. The guides were friendly and welcoming and whilst the stories had potential to be interesting, they were delivered in a way that was difficult to follow, with other stories interspersed, stories cut short or mumbled and difficult to decipher. The welcome ceremony was underwhelming with the community members looking like they would rather be somewhere else. I had expected (from description) to experience a busy thriving indigenous arts community (talk to the locals, see the ladies weaving or community members doing carvings). The place was deserted. No locals to chat to, get a feel of the place or a sense of the culture. The museum was good but unfortunately the guide did not participate in this and I think we would have gotten so much more out of it with a guide. The church was lovely to visit. Lunch proved to be adequate, but for the price was also underwhelming. And then we just filled in time with nothing to do. A visit to the gallery where the artwork was great but hugely expensive and I felt no link to the experience. The biggest disappointment was the screen printing. This was the thing I was really looking forward to as I am a school art teacher. I had hoped to learn and then pass on to my students all that I learnt about indigenous art and design. I was so disappointed. No-one was organising. No-one to explain to the group what to do. All the guests were wandering around waiting for the local artists to return from lunch, waiting for someone to explain what to do or even just welcome us to the site. And only 3 staff to assist all the people who had no idea what this was all about. Then most people simply got to choose the colour and the screen and the local artist did the print. Hardly an 'art experience', not a 'create your own'. And certainly no link to developing a connection to the culture. One of the staff later mentioned that it was Naidoc week and one of the ladies on the ferry said she was going to Tiwi for Naidoc week activities. Was this the reason why the place was deserted? If so, the tours should not be planned for this week as they quite obviously cannot deliver what is described in the information. If this was not the case, then they need to seriously revisit how they describe and deliver the experience to their guests or heavily reduce the cost to truly reflect what is actually offered. Quote from the information supplied: "This is a leisurely day of absorbing the workings of a busy Indigenous art centre – you may see art pieces destined for international exhibitions, talk to artists who are carving or painting, and sometimes the ladies will be there weaving and chatting. It is always loud and busy with Tiwi people coming and going, Ngarukuruwala music playing on repeat. Take the time to connect, share where you’re from and which footy team you support, ask about the stories you see on the paintings, or ask the artists there to show you their work." This did not happen! The only correct thing in this description is "leisurely". I don't think I have ever written such a negative review and am hugely disappointed that I am. I went away with a very expensive tea towel. (I provided this feedback to Sealink but have not had a response)

It was a really good experience. The people running the Tiwi activities did a great job and made us feel welcome. The screen printing was a highlight - everyone made something beautiful, whatever skill level. Would love to have stayed longer.

Our tour to Bathurst Island was even better than I had imagined. The Sealink 2hr ferry ride from Darwin was comfortable. We were met by our excellent Tiwi guides Vivienne and Kevin and walked to the nearby Art Centre where we got to participate in a welcoming smoking ceremony. We had chosen the cultural tour which is a walking one but distances are not great. We visited the old church (a must see for the magnificent Tiwian art), the little museum, first telegraph station and memorial to a local WW2 hero. Kevin explained the local culture so well, very memorable were their totem poles, and the significance of AFL which has had a huge positive influence for them. A nice picnic box lunch was provided then a session in the arts shed trying local screen printing. There was beautiful art for sale and a little carved bird is coming home with us. The buildings and facilities are very basic but the local Tiwians are so healthy and happy and welcoming. Highly recommend this tour

Wow! Great ferry ride, fantastic & moving welcome. Fun experience screen printing, delicious lunch & very interesting tour. Meeting Sr Anne Gardiner was a highlight. Highly recommend, the best day!

Such a wonderful day. It was uplifting to see the locals and their way of life. They are creative, entertaining and respectful of their heritage. I learnt a lot about aboriginal heritage, and culture. Vivian was so entertaining, and gave us so much information about the marriage rules, and the missionaries. The screen printing was also great experience, and such a great lunch box! The day couldn't have been better.

Had a great day learning about this very special area of the world. We loved how friendly and welcoming the people were and we enjoyed meeting them and spending some time with them. All aspects of the tour were excellent. My husband loved screen printing his own singlet together with one of the artists, a highlight!

This trip was lovely. Nestled off the coast of Australia's Northern Territory, the Tiwi Islands form an exquisite tapestry of natural beauty, cultural richness, and an ancient heritage that whispers through the breeze. The history of Aboriginal people on the Tiwi Islands is deeply rooted in ancient traditions and a connection to the land that spans thousands of years. The Tiwi people have a rich cultural heritage and a unique language, which is distinct from other Aboriginal languages. They were hospitable and welcomed the tourists with open arms. We had a lovely morning tea and lunch provided which was refreshing. We got to experience art making and took our treasures home. Highly recommend this tour to reconnect with an ancient tradition of our First Nations People.

What a fabulous day! This tour was informative & interesting. We started with a traditional smoking ceremony & a dance display. Then it was morning tea of yummy damper & a cuppa. We then got split into 2 groups, one to do screen printing & the other a tour of the museum & the church. After a lovely lunch we swapped activities. We loved our day & found everyone helpful & friendly. One day we’ll return to explore of the beautiful Tiwi islands. Thank you to the energetic Vivian & all the staff involved. Thoroughly recommend this tour.

We loved our trip to Bathurst Island. The interaction with everyone was relaxed and fun. We started the day with a Welcome to country. Dances were then performed around the campfire. Then a delicious morning tea of damper and jams, golden syrup. The shop has beautiful woodwork and screen prints to choose from. We bought a CD. Then we did our screen printing. We had a choice of printing using a T-shirt or a tea towel. There were lots of beautiful designs to choose from. We had a huge lunch box of wraps, sandwiches, cakes. Then we had the tour of the museum and church. The museum is amazing. A very special mention to the wonderful Fifi (Vivian) who showed us around all day.

Good adventure and cultural experience. Interesting view of catholic mission life and history. Ferry ride long and a bit uncomfortable on the way out. But a lot quicker on the way back. A little overpriced, but happy to support the local people.

Absolutely worth the effort to go. People so welcoming - learnt a lot about their culture participated in a craft workshop which was fantastic. Thoroughly enjoyable, interesting day. Would highly recommend the trip out.

If I could give the service less than 1 star I would. Tour cancelled without any notification. The reason was the boat was having repairs done and it wasn’t ready for today. Well if this was the case, notify customers. If you book through a travel agency you have to get your refund from them and not SeaLink.