It is said that the town of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory wouldn't exist if not for the massive bauxite mine that is its economic lifeblood.
But once every year, a small area on the Gove Peninsula becomes a meeting place that attracts high-powered politicians, civic leaders, musicians and just about anyone who likes a party.
The Garma Festival is held on an ancient meeting ground of the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land called Gulkula, where, for many generations, indigenous people have gathered to dance, sing and tell stories.
Hundreds of tents dotted around the festival give some indication of the size of the crowd that makes the annual pilgrimage to Gulkula for the celebration, which continues until August 8.
The setting is a parcel of red-soiled land flanked by stringybark forest and breathtaking views over an escarpment to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The 13th annual Garma Festival bagan on Friday, with a guest list for the Key Forum that includes federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and indigenous leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu.
East Timorese leader Jose Ramos Horta is due to make an appearance on Saturday.
Mr Yunupingu said the theme of this year's festival was academic excellence and cultural integrity.
"In order to shine academically it is vital that we ensure our cultural beliefs are incorporated and boldly celebrated within an educational context," he explained.
Flinders and Charles Darwin universities both have stalls at Garma, as do federal government departments and mining giant Rio Tinto.
The politicians have a chance to speak to each other and get the ear of powerful indigenous leaders and other groups.
For many of the Yolngu people it is a chance to share knowledge, too.
People of all ages, many with bright white designs painted on their bodies, take part in traditional dancing, while others chat away in their local language.
Seventy-three-year-old Yulki Nunggumajbarr attends Garma to show younger people how to weave baskets.
Traditionally it was done with pandanus leaves, but nowadays she uses discarded bits of drift nets.
Younger people often find weaving pandanus too hard, and the drift nets damage turtles, crabs and other creatures if they aren't collected, so by teaching the weaving the culture is continued and the animals are protected.
From humble beginnings Garma, a name meaning confluence of waters, is getting bigger each year and is the brainchild of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, an organisation dedicated to ensuring indigenous Australians have the same opportunities as other people.
Actor Jack Thompson, who has been given the tribal name of Gulkula, has been a strong supporter of Garma.
"I think every Australian should have the experience of being here and discovering a world where people speak their own language, and continue the oldest cultural continuum on the planet," Mr Thompson said.
"It is a very important expression of Yolngu culture.
"I don't think many Australians realise what a shining cultural jewel we have."
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