Somewhere in the Outback
Lost in the Desert
Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra!
Gay your life must be
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Eating all the gum drops he can see
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
Leave some there for me
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Counting all the monkeys he can see
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
That’s not a monkey that’s me
Kookaburra sits on a rusty nail
Gets a boo-boo in his tail
Cry, Kookaburra! Cry, kookaburra!
Oh how life can be
Litchfield National Park
Litchfield National Park is located 100 km south west of Darwin and was given National Park status in 1986. Each year the park attracts over quarter of a million visitors and features some of the greatest scenery in Australia. The majority of the sites are stunning waterfalls with most open for swimming.
Litchfield National Park
Kakadu National Park – Ubirr Lookout
Following up from a previous post about the Aboriginal rock art in the Kakadu National Park I wanted to share a short video made at the Ubirr site where some of the oldest rock art can be found.
Below is my view from the Ubirr lookout into Armen Land, unfortunately I wasn’t there at sunset. I have shared this photograph before as part of another post but thought it also fits here.
Aboriginal Rock Art
The main reason for Kakadu’s World Heritage Status is because of its collection of Aboriginal rock art in the area. The art details the history of the Aboriginal people of Australia and features some key historical moments, including the early contact with European people.
The art is evidence of the close personal relationship that Aboriginal people have with the land and their country. It provides a record of Aboriginal life over thousands of years with the earliest painting dating back 20,000 years! The longest historical record of any group of people in the world.
Some how there is a painting on the over hang of the rock 10m above the ground. One of the rangers told me about the Aboriginal story of how they grew tall enough to reach the area and paint it there. I found it hard to believe but as I stood underneath I couldn’t come up with any other logical explanation. Below is a closer look.
Now, the rock art is extremely important to the Aboriginal people of Kakadu as it provides a scientific and historical record for the region. It is important that the rock art is preserved and many measured are made to reduce the impact on these historical paintings.
These photographs of Aboriginal rock art are taken from Kakadu National Park.
Aboriginal Rock Art
Read more about the rock art of Kakadu National Park, where you can see it and the steps being taken to conserve it by visiting the Parks Australia website. For more about Aboriginal history and culture click HERE
The Crocodile Hunter
All I wanted to see while travelling in the Northern Territories was a crocodile in the wild. Many of the places I visited had signs warning of crocodiles but after staring into the water hoping for a head to appear I hadn’t seen one. There were signs of them being around everywhere.
In the end I drove out to the deepest parts of Kakadu National Park hoping for a glimpse but it seemed like a wasted journey until suddenly a head appeared in the water and disappeared again. At that point it became very real, I took a step back from the waters edge as my heart raced. It was minutes before the head surfaced again slightly further away.
Have you noticed the bravery of the people fishing further up stream?
If you want to see more Australian wildlife take a look at my post Wildlife of the Great Ocean Road.
Kakadu National Park
Nature Will Survive
The Devils Marbles
Our Shadows Will Remain 