Written Down Under: Ubirr: A Lifesize Game of Pictionary

Ubirr, in Kakadu National Park, is a fascinating stop because of its large collection of Aboriginal art on striking rock formations jutting out of the surrounding flood plain.

We arrived on a terribly hot day, but the large rock formations helped cool the situation off. The rocks provided overhangs with plenty of shade to hide under and when we climbed high onto the formations a brisk breeze battered the top of them.

Peering at the Gallery

We hiked back into the bush a few hundred yards and came to an area known as the “main gallery” where the largest amount of artwork can be viewed. The artwork is very understated and tells simple stories - often just a singular event or a singular life form. I personally liked these drawings because they were not cryptic or abstract. The Aborigines drew clear depictions of Aboriginal life and environments. Some drawings are ridiculously old and others are quite young. For example, there are elements that depict the arrival and first contact with Caucasians – events that are less than a few hundred years old. Other drawings of animals at Ubirr are estimated to be 2,000-3,000 years old. I read after our trip that carbon tests have shown some Aboriginal paintings in Australia may be 20,000+ years old

They took some liberties regarding proportions

I also really liked the signs of human ingenuity still visible on the surrounding rocks. You can clearly see the dimples on flat surfaces where the Aboriginals would grind and prepare the paints to be used on the walls above.

Drawings near the top of large overhangs survived extremely well and it just makes me wonder how many must have been lost on less protected rock walls or protected places that lost their overhangs over thousands of years. I’m personally convinced that we are only seeing a tiny fraction of the stories captured by the Aboriginals and I only wish we could see more of what happened at the dawn of human experience.

We an the hour or so climbing the rock formations to take in the amazing panoramic view of the flood plain. Every once in a while we would barley notice an object darting around far below. Then nothing. Then a glimpse again. Until finally we had our eyes trained on an area long enough to see that the movements were Kangaroos jumping through the tall grass.

After leaving Ubirr, we cruised in the van about 45 to camp at Cooinda. The camp site was large and offered tent sites and little cabins. Our tour operator, Connections Safaris, had about 10 permanent tents and a large mess tent where we ate as a group and drank until we became outback experts and veteran bushman. John, our guide, cooked up fish, veggies, and rice.

sunny day + big dinner + beer³ = sleepy²