Ubirr: Rock Art Galleries & Injalak Arts

We set off this morning for a ranger talk about the renowned rock art in the Ubirr section of the park, but no ranger showed up. Kakadu National Park needs to get more rangers (interested, Eliana?). So we walked the paths on our own to view the aboriginal rock paintings, and sometimes we’d catch parts of a private tour guide’s presentation.

The rock paintings are beautifully preserved and represent a variety of things—hunting fish and other animals; ancestral spirits; celebrations (dancing people); and warnings about sickness or danger from European pioneers (guns and slavery).

An added bonus was a hike to a lookout point over the floodplain — just breathtaking! It was what we imagine the Serengeti looks like—Lion King’s Pride Rock overlooking the savannah with a watering hole.

Next up for the afternoon was a trip across the Alligator River, which is an adventure in itself. You need to check the tides before crossing, and near high tide, the saltwater crocodiles are on the hunt for fish. We saw quite a few, from the safety of the shore.

The purpose of crossing was to visit the Injalak Arts Centre in aboriginal land (you have to get a permit to go). The non-profit, community enterprise employs indigenous artists and sells their artwork in a gallery space. There are demonstrations of artists at work as well, and it was there we met Allan and purchased a canvas he had completed that morning. It was in the cross-hatching style that is prevalent in this part of the Northern Territory, and depicts a barramundi fish (good eating on this trip so far), a long-neck turtle and a water monitor.Read more