Editor’s Note: G’day mate! I write you after my long haul to the land down under, where I spent my holiday with the Aussies and roos. It was an experience, so, come on, have a go! Join me for my three week Australian series, Adventures of Oz. (1 of 3)

It always makes the most sense to start a story from the beginning. So before I dig into tales of the Sydney Opera House, the outback or the Great Barrier Reef, let’s first explore ancient Australia.

On my recent trip, I had the chance to hear native stories -- about how the ancestral spirits emerged from the earth and the sky to create the land, the people and the traditions. The passion in the voice of the native who told the stories made me feel more intimately connected to Australia, magnifying its beauty and giving me deeper understanding of its origins. For me, exploring the history of a culture always makes me feel closer to the destination. After all, traveling is about truly experiencing a place, not just seeing it.

Photo courtesy of Brisbane Marketing and Riverlife Adventure Centre.

The very roots of Australia are possibly the best way to experience the continent. The Aborigines are said to be one of the oldest living culture on earth, and they’re sharing their stories with the world through the growing trend of Aboriginal tourism. The indigenous roots date back more than 60,000 years to a culture that, even today, lives to the beat of the land. This spiritual connection to nature is the ancient Aboriginal belief system known as Dreaming.

One of the most sacred places to the indigenous people of Australia is Uluru – that massive chunk of rock that you’ve probably seen a thousand times in guidebooks. This rock is indescribably huge. It stands up nearly ¼ of a mile with its red surface rising boldly against the clearest blue sky you’ll ever see. The rock is the landmark of the Red Centre, named obviously for its rusty red sands and location right smack in the middle of Australia. Anangu guides, the traditional landowners, lead walking tours to teach visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories of the area.

Experiencing Aboriginal culture goes far beyond Uluru. Each tribe that lives in the outback has a story to tell through its language, arts and traditions, and they’re waiting to share these tales with visitors.