Journey back in time and culture.

For nearly 2 weeks we have “been bush”, immersed in the diverse vegetation and the amazing journey back into the cultural past of the Australian Aboriginal people of this Northern Territory area of Kakadu. No internet connection for that time.

We are now in a camp ground for a few days R. and R from travel. Time to reflect on what we have seen and experienced, sort out photos, and catch up with my blog and e-mails

Kakadu stone country

Walk through the rocks

After spending 3-4 days in the savanna woodlands  and the floodplains this stone area was a complete change. The escarpments had been a hazy smudge on the horizon. A constant backdrop to the flat floodplains. As we drove closer they loomed large and forbidding.

These amazing formations were the sea bed of a huge inland sea 1500 million years ago. Hard to comprehend that time frame or believe that this ancient, dry country was once under water. We wandered around in awe. To the Aborigines this whole area is a sacred site and I could feel the spiritual atmosphere. We were on our own. This area is not one of the top tourist must see areas. We followed a small sign down a side road

Almost like a hidden city

This was just the start of a journey back in imagination into the culture of these amazing indigenous people of Australia.

For more than 40,000 years the Aborigine has lived with the land. Their culture and laws have been passed down from their Dreamtime in song and dance and stories. Their story of creation is captured in the rock drawings. They are one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world and they are a truly remarkable people. During this trip we have learnt a great deal about their culture.

It came as a surprise to me to find out that the communities had very definite boundaries, and each of these communities had their own language. Over 200 distinct languages in this area of Northern Territory. That is now down to 12. They had strong laws about marriage and trade and every other part of community life. When the European arrived the Aboriginal person was classed as part of the flora and fauna of the country and given no identity as a person. This was a tragic part of Australian history, and it is only very recently that the uniqueness and living skills have been acknowledged.

Next area we visited was the world-famous Nouralangie rock art sites. More of that later…