29 June 2019
It was an early morning start today. The day was going to be a long 12 hour day. We were picked up at 5:45am for a 4-hour road trip to Kakadu. Along the way we stopped for some breakfast before heading for Jabiru to pick up more tourists.
Rock painting in Mabuyu Rock formation of Ubirr
Paintings from the Main Gallery of Ubirr
Rock paintings at Namarrkan Sisters
Nadab Lookout View
Painting on rock overhang at the foot of Nadab Lookout rock
We all gathered at the picnic area at the Ubirr site. Our driver/tour guide had organised a picnic lunch spread. We had to finish lunch quickly as we needed to be at the jetty on East Alligator River for a river cruise with an Aboriginal guide from Arnhem Land.
We got to jetty at 1pm ready to board our boat for the river cruise and to learn more about the area and Aboriginal culture.
Our guide ‘Hilton’ (I guess a name he uses for tourists) is from Arnham Land. We were invited to walk on his land where we took a few pictures. The guide also gave us a spear throwing demonstration. He also demonstrated the use of a Woomera, which is a basically an extension of the human arm.
As we boarded the board, we could hear the guide shouting out at the mountain. We asked what he did. He said he was addressing his ancestral spirits to tell them we were leaving and asking them for their blessings.
