Kakadu NP: Nourlangie Rock

Yourlangie Rock***** site is another interesting cultural values of the Kakadu NP. It has a 1.5 km loop that explores 3 major rock art site.


The main gallery is bout the Namarrgon, the lighting man, (top right hand) another ancestral spirits in the dreamtime (creation era). Aboriginals believe that it is those ancestral that creates the landscape of their country when these spirits journey across the county. 

The aboriginals would use ochres, which they ground then add resin to form a colour paste. Black colour is from charcoal, white from quartz, red and yellow ochres to paint on these walls.

 

The dancing art

There is another story of a brother and sister who stayed up the hill alone, which is forbidden by aboriginal law. The brother just ignored the law, while his sister realising it was wrong, took off his bro's headress which looks like a feather and throw it over the hill. The feather transformed into the solitary boulder. Brother was then punished by the eldest in the tribe. Heated pandanus seed was thrown on his body. His body got all burned and bruised and so he jumped into the river to cool down. He then transformed into a saltwater crocodile with the bumps on its back. This is how the crocodile has little bumps on their back. So The aboriginals will be reminded of the law and kinship every time they pass by this 'feather' boulder.

The view from Gun-warddehwardde Lookout at Nourlangie Rock. Really beautiful with clear views of the Arhem Land Escarpment. The escarpment is like a raised plateu with very high edges.

The kapok bush.. The aboriginals use this bush plant as an indicator for the crocodiles living cycle. When it flowers and has green seed pods means the freshwater crocodile eggs are being laid and can soon be collected.

Nearby Yourlangie Rock is a beatiful place to enjoy sunset, the Anbangbang Billabong*****. The billabong is covered with ducks, magpie geese, and pelicans. All busy searching for their dinner :) the billabong has a good view of the Nourlangie Rock and sunset rays reflect the beautiful sky in the billabong. A perfect place to sit down, observe the birds and watch sunset. 

We just spend our time taking photos of the birds and sunset that we forgot crocs may exist in these waters! Gosh... It seemed quite peaceful with the birds having fun in the water, so we didn't take much caution and stand by the billabong.

We set up our camp at Burdulba campground which costs $5 per person with only bush toilet facility. This campground is only suited for tents while the nearby Malabanjbanjdju Campground is for both caravans and tents. So we end up having the whole campground to ourselves.

NEXT: Kakadu Yellow Water

Kakadu NP: Morning visit to Ubirr & Bardedjilidji Walk

In the morning, we went to Ubirr to get another good last look. The cave paintings are easier to capture on camera in the morning compared to afternoon. 

This is the main gallery of the site and also is the kitchen back in time. Showing many layers of rock art whereby the aboriginals would paint theirs on the old painting. Mostly are art paintings about their food hunt, which they are fairly proud of due to the big size. 

Look at that Barramundi! Must be yummy!

Tasmanian tiger (the center), believed to have become extinct on Australian mainland about 2000-3000 years ago.

This is Mimi, another ancestral spirits with long legs and hands. That photo was a bit way of yellowish because of the direct sunlight on it. This painting is actually very high up, which is impossible to reach and paint it. The aboriginal's explanation to why there is a painting of Mimi up there is that Mimi would use his long hands and pull down the rocks then draw on it. Scientifically, it is because the ground level was much higher back maybe few thousand years ago, where it was then reachable from ground to paint it. 

Long necked turtle, a delicacy to the Aboriginals. 

The mullet fish

Lion King??

Jumping at Ubirr.. What pattern also got.. 

Then we took the nearby Bardedjilidji Walk****. It was a good and fairly easy 2.5 hrs walk, exploring the sand stone formations, cave and walking beside the creek. Definitely no swimming in the whole of Kakadu National Parks cause there are crocodiles in the waters! 

 

 

Next: Kakadu, Nourlangie Rock