Darwin Convention Centre invites guests to be part of a journey more than 65,000 years in the making with its signature Seven Seasons dining experience.
To the Larrakia people – traditional custodians of the Darwin region, in Northern Territory – the year is divided into seven seasons rather than four. There is no beginning and no end, but rather a constant change that can be felt. Each season has distinctive patterns of weather changes, and plant and animal activity, each with its own special purpose.
A Seven Seasons dinner allows guests to experience the dramatic changes of the Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) seasons and the impact these changes have on the sights, sounds, landscape and natural habitat.
To achieve this, Darwin Convention Centre has worked closely with the Larrakia people to take the culinary experience beyond food, offering an audiovisual package that features stunning artwork by local Larrakia artists and moving narration by a Larrakia Elder to explain the seasons and their significance.
The AV package is designed to accompany each course, changing with the seasons as dishes are served to provide delegates with a multisensory immersion of Aboriginal culture.
The Seven Seasons menu features fresh local produce and native ingredients, including wattle seed, Kakadu plums, mud crab and renowned Northern Territory barramundi. It can be incorporated into an event program to suit different budgets and event requirements. Event planners can choose between booking just the menu or adding production elements to give their delegates a more enriching cultural experience.
Darwin Convention Centre can assist event planners to incorporate a Welcome to Country or cultural performance into the dining program by connecting planners with local Indigenous organisations such as The Youth Mill and NT Dance Company.
“Our Seven Seasons menu is about more than just the ingredients or presentation of food – it’s about offering delegates a meaningful experience that provides a deeper understanding of the local land and culture,” says Darwin Convention Centre’s executive chef, Toby Beaton.
