Our commitment to Reconciliation
Working towards a better, more inclusive and fairer Australia
As an Australian-owned business with a vision to change the way people see the world, Intrepid is committed to reconciliation and strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. While Intrepid might have done a lot to empower communities, businesses and our partners around the world over the years, there’s still a lot for us to do here at home.
What is Reconciliation?
Reconciliation is an ongoing journey to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. According to Reconciliation Australia, this journey is guided by five key dimensions: historical acceptance, race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, and unity. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history is marked by dispossession, violence and racism. Reconciliation requires acknowledging this truth and working together to build a more inclusive society.
What is a Reconciliation Action Plan?
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a strategic framework that helps organisations identify how they can contribute meaningfully to reconciliation. For Intrepid, our RAP is a pathway to becoming a better and more supportive partner to First Nations peoples. It reflects our commitment to building a fairer Australia through tangible actions embedded across our business.
How it works
Our RAP influences every part of our Australian operations. It is driven by a dedicated Working Group made up of employees from every department who meet regularly to guide our progress. We also engage First Nations advisors to ensure that diverse perspectives and voices shape our reconciliation journey.
Reconciliation at Intrepid means actively partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations to create opportunities. Currently, around 70 per cent of our Australian trips include First Nations experiences. We mentor First Nations-owned businesses and are working to build deeper cultural agreements with key suppliers.
It also means developing a strong business case for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment within Intrepid. We are focused on creating culturally safe workplaces through engagement protocols and are committed to training more local guides to lead our trips.
Reconciliation involves telling the truth about our country’s history. We will do this by sharing stories of dispossession and colonisation with our travellers, helping to foster understanding and respect. We also actively seek out First Nations-owned businesses to include in our supply chain, whether through our offices, accommodation partners or trip operations.
All these initiatives are tracked and measured, both internally and by Reconciliation Australia, to ensure accountability and progress.
Our Reconciliation Action Plans
Intrepid’s reconciliation journey began in 2019 with the release of the Reflect RAP. Developed in collaboration with First Nations consultants and advisors, this plan laid the foundation for future action. It introduced cultural training for our Australian-based staff, formalised Acknowledgements of Country in our offices and on trips, and prioritised listening and learning from First Nations peoples and cultures.
In early 2020, our Innovate RAP was endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. This plan led to a 280 per cent increase in First Nations experiences across our trips. We created a new role to oversee reconciliation deliverables, co-founded a tourism industry networking group, and helped establish a B Corp Reconciliation group. These initiatives strengthened our commitment to reconciliation as a travel company, employer and community partner.
The RAP framework has enabled us to build partnerships that elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices across our staff, the tourism industry and our customer base. In 2023, Intrepid was a vocal and financial supporter of the Yes campaign for a Voice to Parliament. We invested in staff training, supported volunteering efforts and participated in several industry-wide initiatives.
Our Stretch RAP was launched in 2025 and lists 98 actions to be achieved over three years. Stretch RAPs require ambitious goals and Intrepid has committed to improve in three key areas:
• Employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our business and on our trips
• Increasing the level of procurement from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses every year
• Elevating truth telling in our communication with customers, staff and industry
To work towards these goals, our RAP is structured around four key pillars:
• Relationships
• Respect
• Opportunities
• Governance
Each pillar includes specific actions with timelines, allowing us to make steady progress and remain accountable. The full plan is publicly available, so our community can follow our journey and hold us to our commitments.
Artwork and Storytelling
Art plays a central role in our reconciliation journey. In 2019, we commissioned Dixon Patten, a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunnai man from Narrm/Melbourne, to create a piece that symbolised our commitment to reconciliation. His artwork for the Reflect RAP represents connection, journey, community, respect for Country and walking together in unity. Dixon also created the artwork for our Innovate RAP, which reflects Intrepid’s progress and embodies two-way learning, cultural strength and resilience.
In 2025, we invited Sheryl J. Burchill, a proud Kuku Yalanji woman, to design the artwork for our Stretch RAP. Sheryl lives in Mossman and was raised in both the Julay (Daintree River) and the Mossman areas north of Gimuy (Cairns). Her piece captures Intrepid’s evolution, including the acquisition of the Daintree Ecolodge (our first hotel property) and our ongoing dedication to growing with purpose.
You can learn more about the meaning behind each artwork and the artists who created them within the pages of each RAP.