Our first stop of the day is Nanguluwur for a taste of Aboriginal Rock art. After a mile hike in, we are at the paintings, it is just us 3. A fairly small gallery, but exceptional paintings, I can think of no other place we have been that we have been able to just wander and look and no one else is around.
Our next destination is Nourlangie, one of Kakadu’s oldest Aboriginal occupation sites open to the public, we encounter a few other people, but otherwise the place is our own. We stop by the Bowali Cultural center that discusses the area and its peoples.
We move on to Anbangbang, a dried-up billabong to have lunch. This is the very start of the wet season, so some of the billabongs haven’t filled yet.
We drive on towards our lodging, the Mercure Crocodile Hotel in Cooinda. Built in the early 80’s, it is built in the shape of a crocodile, the swimming pool is in the crocs stomach area and the steps to upper floors are the crocs legs. A brief rest, then onto Ubirr Rock to see the rock paintings there and to view sunset from the summit. Along our hike, we see small-eared rock Wallaby among other native creatures. We get great views across the Nadab floodplain into Arnhem land, our stop for tomorrow and the highlight of the trip. Dinner is at the Border Café – a hole in the wall place with outstanding Thai food.
Mary
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Rock art. It doesn’t get any better than being in the premier region for aboriginal art – Kakadu. Adam, our guide, is quite knowledgeable on Aboriginal art and culture and provides great commentary on the stories and meaning behind the paintings.
Morning takes us to Nanguluwur, a small gallery with examples of old dynamic figures of spirits & mythological figures along with ‘contact art’ – representations of meetings with white explorers and their ships. Nanguluwur is not on the normal visitation tract, is loaded with spectacular art, and is empty, excepting us. Too cool!
Next up is Nourlangie Rock – there’s a few other folks there, but never in any of the galleries we are viewing and we are pretty much alone. Incredible stuff. ‘Dreaming figures’, ‘Stories’ (figures which are used to communicate social mores to the clan), and depictions of life – dances, animals, etc. All the art is in exceptional condition, sheltered under rock overhangs.
Our final stop for the day is at ‘Ubirr Rock’, one of Kakadu’s best-known rock art sites and made famous by the Crocodile Dundee movie. The galleries are spectacular and go on forever. We finish the day with a climb to the top of Ubirr Rock to watch the sunset over the Nabab floodplane. Awesome!!
Dick
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The aborigines seemed to be into, ahem, anatomically enhanced art.
Yes, that’s for sure! Our guide was almost blushing when he talked about some of the more remote art sites!