Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wants indigenous affairs to be one of the signature legacies of his prime ministership, if he wins the election.
His passion to close the gap on indigenous disadvantage and foster a new engagement has developed despite zero exposure to Aboriginal people in his early life.
"It's very important white fellas and black fellas open their hearts to one another," he told the Garma Festival at Nhulunbuy north east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory on day six of the election campaign.
"Like so many people growing on the north shore of Sydney in the 1960s I had no contact whatsoever that I was aware of with Aboriginal people."
He said the first time he met indigenous Australians was on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton on what would now be considered a "schoolies trip."
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"A bunch of school kids from Sydney, we were broke, we were hungry and we were thirsty," he said.
A group of local Aboriginal people turned up and Mr Abbott says he was struck by their generosity.
"They willingly shared their food and drink with us."
Ever since then, Mr Abbott been on a journey to deepen his understanding and involvement with indigenous Australians.
He talked about his friendship with Noel Pearson and brief volunteer stints on Cape York as a teacher's aid, truancy officer and construction worker helping to upgrade a school library.
Yolngu elder Galarrwuy Yunupingu gave Mr Abbott a bear hug on stage before abruptly telling him to sit down and listen carefully.
It's time to wake up the issue of Aboriginal land rights from the dead, Mr Yunupingu said.
A visibly humbled Mr Abbott foreshadowed his vision for Aboriginal land to be both spiritual and economic assets.
Nhulunbuy will be his first week long visit to an indigenous community as prime minister if he wins the next election.
But after two hours it was time for him to climb back into the four-wheel drive and take his election campaign back down the red dusty NT track and across the skies bound for Sydney.
