Sunday, September 21st through Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 - Alice Springs and the West McDonnell Ranges

Post and Telegraph Office, Alice Springs

 The telegraph station in Alice Springs, became the first European settlement in Central Australia. Charles Todd was a modest man and did not want the station named after him so it was named after his wife, Alice, instead. Todd's successes earned him much recognition, including a knighthood, so he became Sir Charles Todd.

The Todd River, Alice Springs

Although Sir Charles did not have the town named after him, he did get a river! As you see, above, there is not much water in the Todd River. However, dig down a little and you will find water. It was a significant camping and ceremonial site for the Arrernte people who live here. When the early surveyors found that water can be reliably found beneath the surface, they believes its source must be a spring - Hence the name Alice Springs. Later, it was discovered it is standing water, not flowing from a spring, hence naming this place 'Springs' was a misnomer.

Each year a 'regatta' is held here - a 'boat' race called Henley-on-Todd. It is the world's only dry-river boating event in which Fred Flintstone might have had a chance! People race with inventions of all kinds and a great time is had by all. Ironically it had to be cancelled in 1993 because there was water in the river! Here's a link to a video if you want to see the type of antics that take place during this unique annual festival.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyh3-hq-GdA.

Blue Haze Over James Range, Watercolor by Albert Namatjira

Soon after Fran and I left the train and joined the Outback Spirit tour group, we visited the Araluen Cultural Precinct, which had a significant collection of Aboriginal art. I was delighted to see this painting by Albert Namatjira, whose art depicting scenes from Central Australia, were popular during my childhood. In fact, I vaguely remember having a print of one of his images in our home. Namatjira was a consequential aboriginal artist who had been born and raised on a Lutheran mission - Hermannsburg - about 80 miles west of Alice Springs. In 1936, when Namatjira was in his 30's, he met and guided a painter who was visiting the area, Rex Batterbee. When he learned that Batterbee was able to make money selling his work, Namatjira asked him for lessons. Namatjira was a quick learner and two years later had an exhibition in Melbourne. His work became very popular, as his style met the aesthetics of European landscapes. It was also the first time that many Australians (myself included) saw images from the remote areas of Central Australia.

Namatjira was so successful that he became wealthy, but due to restrictions on Aboriginal people at that time, who were legally wards of the state, he was not allowed to own land to invest his money, so he applied for citizenship. You hate to think that the state granted him that status in order to collect taxes from him - but there's always that possibility, as in 1957 he and his wife became Australia's first (and only) Aboriginal citizens which allowed him to vote, own land, buy alcohol and be taxed.  There were further tragedies in his life, but his legacy was profound both for Australian art, and also for Aboriginal recognition and rights. It was not until 1967 that a referendum granted full citizenship rights to all Aboriginal people.

Rutjipmar (Mt. Sonder), by Kathy Inkamala

Namatjira's work gave rise to the Hermannsburg School of Painting, samples of which which were also on display in this gallery. This painting, above, was created in 2019, by Kathy Inkamala, whose grandmother was one of Albert's sisters.  As you see, the elements of this style of artistry include the depiction of the outback colors, and soft shapes of the McDonnell Ranges with flora (often trees), featured in the foreground.

View From ANZAC Hill

And here's the 'real deal' view from ANZAC Hill in Alice Springs. The West McDonnell Range is in the background, mottled colors of the vegetation and gum trees in the foreground. We saw many scenes like this during the next week.

Splash of Color From the Bus!

I chose to travel in spring, in the hope that I would see flowers, and I was not disappointed.

Yellow Billybuttons

Much of the yellow color comes from this ground cover called yellow billybuttons. They are common in dry conditions and are related to the daisy. They were plentiful at a venue we visited near Alice Springs - the Desert Park.

Narrow Leaf Fuschia Bush

There were many other wildflowers around - yellow, white, purple.... I was particularly enchanted by the delicacy of this small bloom which grow on bushes up to nine feet tall. It's a narrow leaf fuschia bush which is not a true fuschia, but is an Australian native plant that grows in arid conditions.

In the Desert Park, we saw kangaroos and dingoes, and looked for emus without success. They had an excellent nocturnal house where we were able to see many insects and reptiles which are only active at night.

Black Breasted Buzzard

The highlight of our visit here was a bird 'talk', where they showcased some birds, including this raptor, the Black Breasted Buzzard. It flew in as if it had just dropped in from the McDonnell  ranges - very dramatic!

How to Crack an Emu Egg

The Black Breasted Buzzard has learned an impressive skill. His species has figured out how to open emu eggs, using stones to crack their tough shells. As you see from the imitation plastic replica egg in the photo, they are quite large and provide a great amount of protein, so the bird's effort pays off handsomely. This buzzard did not get the customary egg contents, but there was a nice little lizard hidden in the plastic to reward him, after his rock had broken it apart.

Barn Owl

We also met a most adorable barn owl with this soft, heart shaped face. Somehow this shape improves it's ability to locate its prey in complete darkness. We were able to hear how it flies without making a single sound. It was most impressive.

Windmill at Outback BBQ Experience

Before we left Alice Springs, we were taken to an old cattle station east of the town, where we had a marvelous barbeque and damper meal.

A Truck Load of Plastic Galahs at Outback BBQ Experience

It was located in an old quarry, which caught the colors of the setting sun beautifully. The decor of old cars, tractors, and other farm 'junk' was whimsical, humorous and really felt like 'the outback'!

End of Day in the East McDonnell Range

As the sun set, we were treated to an outside 'lesson' by a comedic 'jackaroo' (cowboy) on the preparation of damper, a traditional staple of flour and water prepared over an open fire in a dutch oven. There was much estimating of ingredients, hands plunging into ingredients, flour flung here there and everywhere and a commentary that had us all regaled with laughter. Our meal was eaten, as their website states, 'underneath a chandelier of stars' and we were treated after the meal to 'an authentic bush balladeer singing timeless Australian songs', some of which I knew.

My Lagerphone Debut in Alice Springs (Photo by Glennon Babui)

 

Now, as you know, I am usually a shy and retiring person who does not seek the limelight, but something arose within when the bush balladeer mentioned that he was seeking volunteers to assist him with a few 'traditional' instruments. Somehow, I immediately knew that one of them was going to be a lagerphone and I immediately knew I wanted to be that volunteer! This is a very simple percussion instrument made from old beer bottle caps, and I was very familiar with it, as I had a great uncle, Bob McNab, who used to play it for us when we visited him and his wife Muriel, for afternoon tea in Sydney. My hand went up! There I was making a fool of myself in front of a crowd... and how I took to that lagerphone! It must have been in my blood, and thanks to Fran, we have evidence. This was my moment to shine when he invited me to do a solo!

No Bribery Allowed on This One! LOL! (Video by Frances Peters)

The following day, once I had managed to wipe the grin off my face, we headed out of town following the West MacDonnell Range.

Simpson's Gap

The 400 mile long McDonnell Ranges flank Alice Springs - one to the east, the other to the west. We were headed west, so that was the range that we followed. One feature of these ranges of relatively low mountains (rising 1,200 to 1,500 feet above the surrounding plains) is the many 'gaps' that are found, such as Simpson's Gap which you see above. I'd love to fully understand how such lovely places were formed geologically, but it seems very complicated when I google it! In essence, over very long periods of time, after a sandstone bedrock had been lain down under a large inland sea, the horizontal layers were folded and due to compression turned into quartz. During this compression and stretching of the crust cracks were formed as it was moved around by tectonic forces, Some magma, called dolerite, pushed its way into these fissures in the rocks. About 300 million years ago, these mountains were pushed up almost as high as the Himalayas - but now they have eroded down to current heights, exposing the cracks at the base. The dolerite erodes more rapidly than the quartz leading to these lovely breaks in the continuity of the mountains.

Red and Green at Simpson's Gap

Looking at the rocks, you can see where the red colors of the 'Red Centre' have come from! The soft greens give a beautiful contrast. These were the colors we would be surrounded by for the next week!

Standley Chasm

Of all these 'gaps', my favorite was Standley Chasm. Not only was it very dramatic and narrow, but the reason it wins in my affection stakes is the story of the person behind its name - Ida Standley. Ida was the daughter of an Adelaide butcher, and went to work as a 17 year-old governess to the Standley family at Mount Widunna Station. In 1887, at the age of 18, she married 35 year old George Standley. It was a harsh existence, as he was often gone, but she was hardy and raised four children while also working as a teacher. By 1903, her children were grown and the marriage failing, so she responded to an advertisement seeking a teacher in the newly formed Stuart Town (Alice Springs before the telegraph). Always prim and proper, fully dressed wrist to ankle, Ida took the fourteen day journey by buggy, to become the first teacher in Alice Springs. 

But that was not enough for Ida. Although she was really only required to teach white children, she insisted on educating the Aboriginal children - the white children in the morning, the aboriginal children in the afternoon. When the 'assimilation' policy was adopted, the mixed race 'stolen' children were housed near the Todd River in a corrugated iron tin shack with dirt floors. The conditions in the 'Bungalow' were terrible, with extremes of temperatures, and poor sanitation. With the help of another woman, Ida cared for and provided European education to up to 60 children at one time, many of whom called her 'Mum'. 

By 1928, the townsfolk decided they didn't want this 'institution' within sight, so moved it out of town, about 30 miles west. Not to be deterred, Ida joined them, delaying her retirement to live in a tent nearby, She stayed through the summer, but by 1928 her health had declined, and she moved back to Adelaide. Upon her death in 1948, the 'Beloved Lady' was widely mourned. She had been the only government teacher in Central Australia for 15 years. Her work had already been recognized in 1929, when the chasm was re-named from Gall, to Standley Chasm. 

Ellery Creek Big Hole

All of these 'gaps' shared similar elements, but each had them arranged in different proportions. Ellery Creek Big Hole was one of the few bodies of water in the area where a 'crocodile watch' was not needed, but instead, there were warnings about the temperature of the water, as it is extremely cold, deep and dark! In spite of the heat of the air, even n summer, people have developed hypothermia from prolonged exposure and there have been multiple drownings here. In spite of an emergency phone having been installed, rescue teams would take a while to arrive, as it is 50 miles from Alice Springs.

Willy Wagtail

The birds did not mind the cold water - there were ducks and peewees (magpie-larks) in the water and walking on the weeds, but my eye was drawn to this little willy wagtail which was flitting around. They are small, generally less than eight inches, but move rapidly as they feed. 

Tail Wagging!

As they move, they wag their tail back and forth - hence the name, Willy Wagtail. They are common throughout Australia, and they loved to help my father with his gardening, along with a couple of  peewees who appreciated the occasional worm that might be  revealed as he dug.

Ormiston Gorge - Ghost Gum Haven

Ormiston Gorge was the most westerly gap we visited - and the largest of the ones we saw. I was keen to see it, as I had heard that there has been an annual festival of acapella music performed under the rock overhang, with the audience sitting on the sandy beach opposite. When I Googled the event, I was saddened to learn that 2025 was the last year for this Desert Song Festival. You can see the set-up for it in the link below.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhtU5efMzBA

Only 250 Steps to the Top of Ormiston Gorge

Singing was not on my agenda on this day - it was the 250 steps (and 750 foot climb) to the lookout at the top of the gorge that was to be my challenge. This was the 'test' for us to assess whether it would be sensible for us to attempt a more challenging walk later in the week. 

Yay! I Made it to the Top - 750 Foot Climb

Happily, with the help of my anti-inflammatories and walking poles, I made it to the top to the lookout. The view above is looking to the north along the Ormiston Creek through the mountains ...........

Nothingness to the South

......... but turn around, and this is the view to the south! Central Australia is a desert and the horizon seems to stretch on endlessly - 750 miles to the ocean. Our next destination is 150 miles to the south-west - King's Canyon. That will be the next destination.

See you there!

 

Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 20th, 2025 - A Glimpse of Darwin, The Ghan, and Katherine Gorge

 

The Ghan - Train from Darwin to Adelaide

When planning our trip, I recalled a journey I had taken back in the 1970's, from Perth to Sydney on the train they call the Indian-Pacific. It took three days of constant travel and was a regular train route to get people from A to B. Now these long train routes in Australia have been 'touristified', offering a higher level of service with side trips, good food and unlimited drinks. Although that's not normally my style, we thought it would be a way to truly experience the vast nothingness of Central Australia, so we signed up for 'The Ghan'.

The train journey was three nights and three full days, including a side trip to Katherine Gorge and Coober Pedy. However, we chose to break it up with a week of travel around the Red Centre, with another travel company, Outback Spirit. In this blog, I'll share a few highlights from our trip from Darwin to Alice Springs before we began our road segment of travel.

Burnett House at Myilly Point

Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory, with a population of 139,902 in the 2021 census. We had just an afternoon here, so we truly only had a very brief glimpse. Knowing that 80% of the city had been destroyed in Cyclone Tracy, in December 1974, I thought it would be worth seeking out one of the few homes that survived that destruction. A small collection of houses had been taken under the care of the National Heritage Trust, so we stopped for a peek. They were not open, but this gives you an idea of the sort of 'Queenslander' style that would have been here previously. While it is not the oldest house here, Burnett House was built in 1938 and is the only surviving pre-WW2 "K" style house. These are two-storey buildings, engineered to stay cool and provide maximum ventilation to adapt to Darwin's hot, humid, tropical climate.

Newer Apartments

This apartment building is not far from the historic houses - although they have nice balconies, they probably rely on air conditioning for comfort.

Near the CBD, Darwin

Darwin is a small city, and although the center has some high-rise buildings near the CBD (Central Business District), construction height is generally lower than in other major cities in Australia.

Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery

Having spent time looking at ancient, traditional, Aboriginal art, we decided to visit the Museum and Art Gallery, which was showing an exhibition of  the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.

'Wandjina, We Still Holding Onto Them 2024', by Barbara Bear Aundie and Mildred Mungulu

I liked this collection of hand-built stonewear figures, fired with with oxides. The artists chose clay to form these images of creation beings from their tribe. The sign nearby said that 'on canvas, you can see the beings, but with clay, you can hold them'. I liked that the artists used a different medium to accomplish similar messaging as we had been seeing on cave walls in Kakadu and Arnhem Land.

Yinkiti Jilamara/Food Design 2025, by Graham Tipungwuti

This artist, from the Tiwi Islands (north of Darwin) chose to use natural ochres on stringybark. It would seem that the color range offered by ochre would be limiting, but I think he has done a great job with it. This entry was given a Telstra bark painting award. Graham Tipungwuti's work was influenced by Andy Warhol and represents the processed foods that have been introduced to the Tiwi Islands as a result of colonization. Perhaps one could look at it and say, as was the case with much of the rock art, that it is telling people what type of 'food is available here'. In fact the messaging is greater than that, as the write-up said 'By centreing (sic) a can of great Northern Beer, Graham addresses the complexities of alcohol regulations on Tiwi'. 

Regulations around alcohol throughout the Northern Territory are complex. When we were in Kakadu, the local supermarket did not sell alcohol at all. We could only buy alcohol within an establishment such as a hotel where we were eating, or were guests. One of the rules they have is a Banned Drinker Register, (BDR), which requires establishments selling alcohol to check the buyer's government issued ID against a list of persons who have been banned from purchasing, possessing or drinking alcohol. Research suggests this has reduced the number of emergency room visits attributed to alcohol consumption, and has reduced alcohol-related assaults by 26% and domestic violence by 21% (although Google AI, says this might not be entirely due to the BDR). Clearly, the law has been a response to alcohol related problems, which are more prevalent among indigenous populations. It is also not the only strategy the government is employing in efforts to reduce harm from alcohol abuse and addiction.

Our Country 2024, 

This dramatic piece of synthetic polymer paint on linen, was given a Telstra General Painting Award. It was created by five sisters, their niece and one of their daughters, to tell the story of the Seven Sisters, which is about family protecting and teaching each other. It tells of women being chased by a bad man, but being protected by their elder sisters. Although I could not follow the details of the story in this piece, I felt it had a great deal of power.

Mostly Men at Shenannigans

Perhaps it's unfair of me to follow the story of the seven sisters with this photo, but Fran and I did notice that there were many more men than women at this establishment near the restaurant we ate at on Mitchell Street, near downtown. Perhaps there was a game on, or it was a special event, as Google AI says there are only 5% more men than women here. 

Art, Outside the Gallery

If you have followed me before, you know I love 'street art'. I loved the comedic nature of this piece that was in the CBD. The dog on the left is baying 'blow a kiss, sing a tune, hold my hand, love the moon x'. On top of the rock on the right, the dingo replies 'I'm a dingo, not a dog'. This evokes a drama that occurred in Australia in 1980, when a family, who were visiting Uluru (Ayers Rock in those days) had their 8 week old baby stolen from their tent by a dingo. It led to many enormous court cases, as no one could believe that a dingo could be blamed for such a heinous crime. The mother, Lindy Chamberlain was found guilty of murder and imprisoned for three years, until the baby's matinee jacket was found after a tourist had fallen near the site in 1986. It was a terrible miscarriage of justice which is well portrayed in the movie 'Cry in the Dark', starring Meryl Streep and Sam Neill. 

View From the Train Window

Once we were on the train on Saturday morning, there was plenty of time to try photography at 50 miles an hour! It was a fun venture, but not entirely successful! The general speed of travel seemed very sedate. Google says the train can travel up to 71 miles an hour, but mostly it just seemed to chug along at this moderate speed. I wondered why the journey took so long, but apparently the track is old and the fact that it is shared with freight trains led to occasional sidelining, Another passenger suggested that hitting a camel or kangaroo could be a problem too, if the train ran at a faster speed. Apparently there was a significant disruption in 2009 when it hit a large bull! The 1,851 mile journey takes 54 hours, and includes a number of excursions.

Magnetic Termite Mounds

Fran and I had seen large termite mounds from the road when we were going to and from Kakadu, but we didn't stop the car to take photographs, much to our regret, as they were amazing structures. It is much less satisfying to snap a picture from a train, but this collection, above, gives you the idea of their size. In fact they are somewhat frightening to contemplate - they can stand up to 13 feet tall. The reference to magnetism in their name is not because the ants are magnetic, but because the mounds are oriented along a north-south axis. This allows them to get the sun's warmth on their eastern and western sides at the beginning and end of the day, but less surface is exposed at midday to reduce the risk of overheating. The outside is hard and durable, while inside they are soft and papery.

Each mound can house up to a million termites, with a queen, king, reproductives, soldiers and workers. Unlike the termites we fear in Florida, they do not eat wood, but eat grass and other vegetation instead.

Headed for Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge

The train stopped in Katherine and it's passengers were taken in buses to a variety of excursions. I chose to go to Nitmiluk or Katherine Gorge, which is on the Katherine River, within Nitmiluk National Park. The river meanders through 13 gorges, which are said to be gorgeous! The trip I had signed up for, was focused on rock art. The trip description had mentioned a 2 km walk to get to the site, so I was all keen to trot. 

Boats Moored with Chains

As we approached the end of the fist gorge, we saw chains hanging on the side of the river. They were for boats like this one to be moored for use in the wet season when water levels became much higher than they were today.

Traps for 'Salties'

We also saw a few traps along the banks. These are for saltwater crocodiles, or 'salties', which can get into this fresh water during the wet season in spite of being 125 miles inland. They come in when the water levels are high and are treated as pests, as they can prey on the freshwater crocs and they pose threats to humans who visit the area. Because of this there is constant monitoring and removal of any that are found.

The Passage From Gorge One to Gorge Two

Our journey took us to the end of the first gorge, where a forbidding line-up of rocks demanded that visitors must come ashore and walk to the next gorge. Because we were seeing the rock art, we stayed here and took a short walk up to the walls of the gorge.

Two Kangaroos and a Man

Sadly, we went no further and the quality of the art we saw was much less than we had experienced in Kakadu and Arnhem Land. It's possible they cut the experience short, because it was an unusually hot day for this time of year, at 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Not all passengers were in good physical shape, so perhaps prudence led the organizers to decide not to risk anything more demanding. I was disappointed,

300 Foot Cliffs

The sandstone cliffs reveal the water levels here, at the end of the dry season. You can see that the river is currently well below the white 'regular' water level, and the horizontal grey shadowing above, shows how high it gets in the wet. As we returned to the train, I did my best to accept that at least I had seen part of the famed Katherine Gorge.

Red Soil Ahead

We spent the Saturday night on the train and Sunday saw Fran and I disembarking in Alice Springs, where we joined 24 other souls to explore 'The Red Centre' for a week. I will share more on that next time.

 

Wednesday, September 17th, 2025 - A Day in a Very Special Place! Arnhem Land

 

Cahill's Crossing - The Western Border to Arnhem Land

I knew the name, but other than that, Arnhem Land was a mystery to me. It wasn't until I got here that I realized it was private land, requiring permits to enter. The owners are its traditional owners, primarily the Yolnu people, through the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Land Trust. The owners retain the right to grant or refuse permission for access and use of their ancestral country. According to Wikipedia, Arnhem Land is arguably one of the last areas in Australia that could be seen as a completely separate country. Humans have lived here for 60,000 years - believed to have left Africa 15,000 years prior. It is thought that the Aboriginal inhabitants represent the oldest living culture on earth.

In order to visit, one must have a permit, so Frances and I signed up for a day tour, which made that process much easier. We entered through Cahill's Crossing, across the East Alligator River, which we had seen infested with crocodiles the previous day. Here there can be a confluence of high tides and heavy rain that leads it to be a place where many vehicles end slipping off the road into the river. I wasn't sure which would be the worse fate - being eaten by a crocodile, or drowning! Supposedly, in spite of many vehicles ending up in the river (sometimes several cars a month), there have only been two reported fatalities related to crocodiles.

Red Lily Lookout

As soon as we crossed the river, the 'highway' became a dirt road, explaining why our vehicle was a four wheel drive 'truck', with a bus body plonked on the top of the bed. Not long after we crossed we stopped at a beautiful little waterhole with a rocky overlook, where we spent quite a bit of time feeling the peace and quiet, the green-ness and the bird life.

Ahh.....

The day was peaceful, with reflections that were mirror-like.

A Bird and a Dragonfly

There were many wading birds walking across the tops of the lilies. I don't know what this one was, but I share it so you can also check out the large dragonfly at the top left.

Jabiru? Jesus Bird? No, Ibis!

When we arrived at the lookout, we thought we could see a jabiru at the edge of the water. I was also hoping to se a Jesus bird, which my sister, Toni, had recommended that I look out for. When I saw the motion of a bird taking off, I turned my lens excitedly and was thrilled to get something in focus. Alas, it was neither of the ones I was looking for - it was an ibis. Oh well, enjoy it anyway.

However, I did learn from our guide that these 'bin chickens' have learned to eat the pesky and poisonous cane toads which are an invasive species. The toads were brought from Hawaii in the 1930's to control beetles that were damaging sugar cane crops. Unfortunately, the toads didn't eat the beetles and became a horrible pest which excrete a toxin that kills native predators. Ibis here have learned to pick up the toad and flick it around, causing it to excrete the poison. Then the bird washes it in water or on wet grass, before popping the whole pest into it's mouth! Way to go, ibis!

Another Good Place for Fish

Not long after we left the Red Lily Lookout, we stopped at a rock art site. I'm not sure exactly where it is. The tour company gave me the name of Mawurndaddja, but I couldn't find reference to the images we saw on the internet. Looking at the images above, is offered a great example of X-ray art. The whiskers suggest catfish again.

Lightning Man Again?

This image struck me as looking a lot like Lightning Man, similar to the one we saw at Ubirr, but this time he lacks the long tail that resembled a bolt of lightning.

Reckitts Blue Sailing Ship

The guide pointed out this sailing ship, which had been created using Reckitts Blue laundry whitener. This was introduced to the area through missionaries in the 1920's. The nuns in the missionaries used the 'bluing' powder for whitening their habits, and the new blue dye was used by Aboriginal artists in a number of sites throughout this part of the world. It offers a fairly precise way to date the paintings. 

It's a Long Way Up

Not long after leaving the rock art site, we came to this large overhang and were told to look up to the place where the two walls come together at the top.

Spears in the Rock Crevice - Look Carefully

This site was called the 'Seven Spears', because if you look carefully, you can see a number of spears stuck in the vertical crevice between the two rock faces. Spear throwing is an important part of initiation for young men, and this appears to have been a place where they were put to the test, before being taken on the hunt. I don't guarantee there are still seven spears here, but you can see at least four of them clearly. I do hope that more than seven boys were able to pass the test!

Gunbalanya

We were headed for Gunbalanya, which was our turning point for this excursion. The community is on land that has been occupied well before the arrival of  Europeans and is now home to about 1,500 people who speak the Kunwinjku language.  The people refer to themselves as Birriwinjku, which means 'freshwater people'. The first European to settle here was Paddy Cahill who established a homestead here in 1906. He mispronounced the Aboriginal name (Uwunbarlany) of the area, calling it Oenpelli, but the name was changed to Gunbalanya in 2001, to match the name of the lagoon nearby. 

Injalak Arts

The tradition of art has continued, but new media has become available, allowing artists weavers and craftspeople to receive compensation for their efforts. The Injalak Art Centre is a destination for visitors interested in contemporary arts and crafts - both following tradition or developing new styles of expression. The art center was established in 1989 and is an Aboriginal owned organization. Many of the 200 active members  artists continue to create traditional canvases and items that are inspired by connection to culture country and people.

It's Not Rock - But Won't Fit in a Suitcase!

I liked seeing that many parts of the building were painted as if it were rock art. Inside one could purchase acrylic on canvas pieces, woven baskets, fabric, carvings etc. It was a nice collection. I was both pleased and disappointed to see that pricing was very 'first world'. The artists are not just giving their work away, with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. It tells me they value their time and skill, which is good. Unfortunately, I'm always looking for a 'deal', so this was not where I shopped.

Old and New Housing

The town was somewhat rambling, but the housing appeared to be of good quality.

Lots of New Houses Going Up

There were many new houses being built, apparently paid for by the Northern Territory Government. Most of the ones we saw had solar panels and looked solid.

Indication that All is not Well in the State of Gunbulanya

I probably comes as no surprise that there are problems to be solved when modern culture and a 60,000 year old culture intersect. I saw this graffiti as we were driving out of town. It appears to be authored by someone young. Searching headlines on Google reveals headlines like 'Community leaders in Gunbalanya have called on the parents of 'out of control' teenagers to reign them in after a spate of youth crime in the region' (April 2021) and 'Northern Territory Government Under Fire over harmful youth justice policies' (July 2025). I suspect the author of this sign is not feeling the benefit of the 'free' world. I would have loved to learn more deeply how issues are being addressed within communities such as this one.

Australian Pelican in flight at Gunbalanya Lagoon

Beside the community was a beautiful and very active lake, the Gunbalanya Lagoon, which is part of the floodplains of the East Alligator River. We ate lunch here and I loved watching the pelicans and other birds swimming and soaring.

Whistling Kite in Flight

I was really pleased to be able to follow this kite as it soared over the lake. One could hear its whistle in the distance. The birds are raptors - both  hunter and scavenger. We were told that they are very intelligent and have learned to pick up burning sticks and drop them into an unburnt area in order to flush out prey like rodents, insects and reptiles. They then swoop down to catch them more easily. Thus, they have earned the nickname 'firehawk'. Kites have also learned to eat cane toads by flipping them on their back and eating the non-poisonous parts of the toad - either the tongue or through the belly.

....And the Crocodile Lurks....

There was lots of jollity on the lake - Australian pelicans and their offspring, cormorants and varieties of ducks or grebes. Lurking amongst all the action we saw the tell tale sign of crocodiles. You can see the shady horizontal line in the middle of the photo above, showing the croc just sitting at the surface. The lagoon is freshwater, so these are not the salties, but I imagine they have easy pickings when they are hungry.

Safety in Numbers?

Perhaps this is why the pelicans would periodically launch into flight and hang out a while on this little rocky promontory nearby.

Pelicans and Their Chicks

It had been a true delight watching all the bird life in this lush setting, while enjoying our own lunch. It had been a very peaceful interlude in our day and a continual source of entertainment.

Rock Art Shelter, Location Unknown

On our way back to Kakadu, we stopped at this overhang. The tour company told me it is connected to a place called Mawurndaddja, but I could find no online reference to it. It is not far from the Red Lily Lookout.

'Contact' Art

It was well worth stopping here to see this recent illustration demonstrating 'contact' with Europeans. The beautiful rendition of the sailing ship and the ladies gloves dates this as having been painted anywhere within the past 400 years. Hang on, you might say, Captain Cook didn't 'discover' Australia until 1770, which is 250 years ago, so it can't be 400 years old. The first European to visit here was a Dutch sailor, Jan Carstenszoon, whose ship, the Arnhem, explored the Gulf of Carpentaria and sighted this area in 1623. While the ship could be 400 years old, the women's lace gloves are likely from a later time. The area was named after the ship Arnhem.

Hand and Foot

In addition to the ship and glove, there was a hand print alongside a foot print. The hand print is unusual in that it is outlined, rather than being 'spray painted', with ochre sprayed from the mouth. The footprint is a more unusual motif, but shows the common spray paint technique.

Perched up High

Of course, when I saw there were other paintings up high, I had to scramble up to see. This shows you just how high above the others I had to get, to see the images.

Long and Skinny - Mimih Spirits

Now that you know about them, it shouldn't have taken you too much to guess that they were Mimih sprits up there. Although I was on eye level with them after my rock scramble, I would have needed a very long brush to have painted them.

Sandy Beach

We ended our day visiting this sand beach, along a bumpy track not far from Cahill's Crossing. For some reason, it was less active with bird life and had much more sand than the other billabongs we had visited. Overall it had been a magical day.

Burning

As we left this special part of Australia it seemed fitting to see the evidence of a burn taking place. I had wondered about the climate impact of this practice, wondering if it releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, which possibly increases the speed of climate change. I have to admit, I was surprised to discover that it is actually beneficial - by preventing hot burning fires that emit great amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition cool burning sequesters more carbon in the earth and the practice is used to gain carbon credits. So when I buy my carbon offsets for my travel (I always do, when it's offered) I might be benefiting indigenous people in this 'cool' burning practice! 

Addendum

Before we head back to Darwin to continue our travels, I want to share an object from the ancient history of our world - the pay phone! 

Blast From the Past!

Cell service was spotty up here, which might explain why we actually found good old-fashioned phone booths, with land lines still installed, in some places where we stopped. I have not seen anything like this in years. They always bring to mind stinky handsets, most often reeking of smoke. Yuk! We would stand there and pour coins into them like water, praying that the person was home at the other end, as there was no such thing as an answering machine.

Note the solar panels providing power. 

No Coins Needed Here

We were impressed to see that unless one was calling overseas, no coins were needed. Thank you Telstra!