点评:The Tiwi Islands have always been on my bucket list, so I booked the Tiwi Islands Day Tour through SeaLink.
On the day of our scheduled departure, the tour was canceled because their boat was out of action. That same day, we were contacted by SeaLink sales staff and given the option of getting a refund or rebooking the tour for another day. We chose the latter and were told that a reconfirmation email would be sent, but we never received it. With no response from SeaLink, we had to contact the sales staff again, and an email was eventually sent.
We understand that ships break down, and that was not the issue. However, upon our arrival for the rescheduled tour, it was still uncertain whether the boat would be departing. The situation was chaotic, with no clear instructions, signage, or communication about the check-in process. Everyone was walking around from one area to another, unsure of what to do.
We eventually got checked in and boarded the boat for the pleasant journey to the Tiwi Islands, which had a nice onboard cafe.
Upon our arrival, there was more confusion. There were no signs for our tour, and the SeaLink staff kept directing us from one line to another. It seemed that our names had been added to the tour at the last minute. We were placed with an AAT Kings tour group and, at times, did not feel very welcome.
The tour itself, led by the locals, was very informative and eye-opening. It's a shame it was so short. The small lunch and smoking ceremony added to the experience of this special place.
The Kiwi Design art centre was nice but very pricey compared to the rest of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. For those interested in purchasing Aboriginal art and concerned about the provenance of their purchases, it's worth noting that the art center could not provide photos of the artists with their work.
Overall, the Tiwi Islands and its people are wonderful, and we hope to return for a longer visit in the future.
翻译:提维群岛一直都在我的愿望清单上,所以我通过 SeaLink 预订了提维群岛一日游。
在我们预定出发的当天,由于他们的船无法使用,旅行被取消了。同一天,SeaLink 的销售人员联系了我们,并给了我们退款或重新预订另一天旅行的选择。我们选择了后者,并被告知会发送一封重新确认的电子邮件,但我们从未收到。由于 SeaLink 没有回复,我们不得不再次联系销售人员,最终他们发送了一封电子邮件。
我们理解船只会出故障,但这不是问题所在。然而,当我们到达重新安排的旅行地点时,仍然不确定船是否会出发。情况很混乱,没有明确的指示、标志或关于登记流程的沟通。每个人都从一个区域走到另一个区域,不知道该做什么。
我们最终办理了登机手续,登上了前往提维群岛的愉快旅程,船上有一家不错的咖啡馆。
我们到达后,情况更加混乱。我们的游览没有任何指示牌,SeaLink 的工作人员不停地引导我们从一条线转到另一条线。我们的名字似乎是在最后一刻才被添加到游览中。我们被安排在一个 AAT Kings 旅游团中,有时感觉不太受欢迎。
这次由当地人带领的游览非常有教育意义,令人大开眼界。可惜时间太短了。小午餐和吸烟仪式为这个特别的地方增添了体验。
Kiwi Design 艺术中心很不错,但与北领地和西澳大利亚的其他地方相比价格非常昂贵。对于那些有兴趣购买原住民艺术品并关心所购艺术品来源的人来说,值得注意的是,艺术中心无法提供艺术家和作品的照片。
总的来说,提维群岛和那里的人民都很棒,我们希望将来能再来一次,多待一段时间。