Kakadu National Park.......A must do !

Hello to you all,

Once again it has been a long time between updates. We have travelled through Kakadu, entering the World Heritage listed park via the south end near Pine Creek. This really is special country with a strong indigenous heritage. The natural landscape, ancient rock art sites and spirituality of this country leave a lasting impression. Please read on for some more insight into our experiences through this incredible country.

We were extremely lucky with our timing here arriving as three camp spots had just opened after the wet season. Our first camp spot was spot called Kambolgie which we had to ourselves. This was base camp for a couple of nights where we explored the area including the beautiful Gunholm Falls. A short (2km’s) steep hike to the top of a 300ft water fall. At the top of the falls, imagine the perfect horizon pool created by Mother Nature! Lots of fun was had here in the top and bottom plunge pool.

Our next stop was a three night stay at Maguk. Another great National Park (NP) camp site with all you need (“drop bogs” (composting toilets) and fire places) with a 3 Km walk to the Maguk Falls which we explored every day. We discovered there was a hidden walk to the top of the falls. The water quality, wildlife above and below the water is mind blowing. Almost a little too mind blowing……. one morning on the way into the plunge pool Jodee was leading the gang, all of a sudden she stopped dead (without screaming). Jodes had just about stood on another snake (this was out third encounter in the NT). Jodee and I foolishly went back after an initial retreat where upon the snake came flying out of the long grass and chased the entire Hopkins & Taylor posse…….run away! After close scrutiny of the snake book it was decided this could quite possibly have been the dreaded Taipan……SHIT

After leaving Maguk our next camp spot for two nights was near Jim Jim Falls. This was a very well appointed NP camp site with great facilities. From the camp spot it was a ten kilometre 4x4 into a parking spot  at the start of a 3 k walk, well rock scramble would be more of an accurate description……the kids loved it. The walk ends at the base of Jim Jim Falls plunge pool. The geology and shear scale of the environment is spell binding! On day two we went to twin falls which literally opened the day we were there. This involves a pretty deep river crossing and then a boat trip up to the falls. Due to the rising numbers of “salties” there is no swimming here and thus the boat trip in.

We travelled from Jim Jim Falls to Yellow river for a look around and then onto another quiet spot, Sandy Billabong where we stayed for a night and rescued an old guy who thought he could make the 4x4 section over sand in his hired Honda Jazz if you please. Poor bloke had been sat in baking sun for 3 hrs waiting for someone! From Sandy Billabong it was into Jabiru (home of the infamous Uranium mine) at the Kakadu resort and then onto another two night stop at Meri NP camp spot. During this time we explored Rock Art sites, walks and fished (carefully…croc alert!) Cahill’s Crossing. This is a causeway into Arnhem Land where permits are required to enter. The causeway is tidal and although 6o km’s away from the coast the tidal run of 7 metres is quite a sight. We watched various 4x4’s cross whilst fishing and croc watching and were treated to a car load of Aboriginals crossing in a Commodore…….awesome!

Again our timing here was perfect by pure chance. We were inspired by Christian a park ranger who gave an amazing insight into Aboriginal rock art who informed us that traditional owners were now (for the first time this year) giving guided tours of the scared Ubir Rock Art. Their tours were special with a completely different slant than the Balanda- this is indigenous language for white man following interactions with the Dutch- “Hollander” (water buffalo hunters from Indonesia) which the Aboriginal struggle to pronounce. The first tour was by two fellows whose grandfather was “Bill Neidjie” who was jointly responsible in establishing Kakadu. Bill had lived traditionally in the Ubirr cave (full of thousands of years of rock art) as a child during the wet season. This was only about 45 years ago!  You can see and imagine their way of life connected to this land and begin to understand why the Aboriginal have struggled to adjust to the white man’s intervention.

To try and put the time span of the oldest living culture on earth into perspective have a think about this…… 2000 years ago the Romans were doing their thing, around 5000 yrs ago stone henge was happening and about 8000 years ago the Pyramids were being constructed now when I tell you there is rock art in Kakadu that has been dated at 40,000-60,000 years old!  I was moved staring at this art unable to get my head around things!

Please read on after the pictures where I have summarised some information about the rock art and why Kakadu is world heritage listed……….Get there! Cheers for now, Hoppo- Hopkins Go Walkabout.

Kakadu- A living cultural

Kakadu is a living cultural. Generations of Bininji/Mungguy have lived on and cared for this country for tens of thousands of years. Their spiritual connection with the land is globally recognised in Kakadu’s World Heritage listing which honours one of the world’s oldest living societies on earth.

Rock Art

Mimi spirits were the first of the Creation Ancestors to paint on rock. They taught some Bininj how to paint and other Bininj learned by copying Mimi art. At the end of their journeys, some Creation Ancestors put themselves on rock walls as paintings and became djang (dreaming places). Some of these paintings are andjamun (sacred and dangerous) and can be seen only by senior men or women; others can be seen by all people.

Kakadu’s rock art (gunbim) represents one of the longest historical landscape records of any group of people in the world. More than 5,000 art sites (of which only 7 are open to public view) tell of the Creation Ancestors and the changes in the landscape over thousands of years. “Naturalistic” paintings of animals, traditional “X-ray” art and art depicting “first contact” with white Europeans. The act of painting is generally more important than the art itself, so many are covered by younger ones.

Bininj/Munggury artists continue to paint on bark, paper, canvas and fabric. In some cases the act of painting puts artists in touch with their Creation Ancestors- a powerful experience.

The following rock art is from Ubirr, Nourlangie and Nanguluwur art sites.