A Picture Is Worth...

This week's PhotoHunt theme is written.

The giant boulders at Ubirr Rock, in the Northern Territory of Australia, are decorated with Aboriginal rock art. Some of the paintings are believed to have been painted by the first people of the creation eras. Other of the painting, such as the one above, are more recent.
The red spindly figure, Mabuyu, represents a story that warns against stealing. Bill Neidiia has written the story that demonstrates morality and the consequences of stealing.
“Mabuyu was dragging his catch on a string after a fishing expedition when a greedy person cut the string and stole his fish. That night, Mabuyu waited until the thieves had eaten his fish and were camped inside their cave near the East Alligator River. Then he blocked the cave with a huge rockNext morning they never came out. Because they pinched it they got punished. Kids, ladies and men all dead-finished."

Gosses Bluff

Uluru, Kings Canyon, and Alice Springs are common destinations for visitors to Australia's Red Center. All three of these "must sees" make the distance traveled to arrive at the center of a very large continent well worth the trip. But visitors should take a few extra days for some outback exploration, because there is plenty more out there. 

I strongly recommend Gosses Bluff, a crater-like formation that measures 5 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters in height, located 175 km west of Alice Springs. It is believed that the rock-rimmed hole was created millions of years ago when a very large comet or meteorite crashed into the earth. The original scar would have measured 22 kilometers in diameter, but over time erosion reduced it to it's present day size.

For the local Western Arrernte Aboriginal People, the site is known as Tnorala, and it is a sacred place. The traditional owners of the land believe that Tnorala was formed when a group of women danced across the sky as the Milky Way. During this dance a mother put her baby to rest in its wooden baby-carrier. The carrier toppled over the edge of the dancing area, crashed to earth, and forced the rocks upward, forming the circular mountain range. The baby's parents, the evening and morning star (Venus) continue to search for their baby.
Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) is a day-use area, with picnic facilities and short walks.

Wanyu Ulurunya tatintja wiyangku watima

Most visitors to Uluru are happy with a photo in front of the picturesque rock. However, there are those who arrive at this World Heritage site with the goal of conquering Mother Nature by climbing to the tip of the monolith. 

To bag the peak, trekers must follow the traditional route that is a Dreamtime track--a pathway used by the spiritual ancestors of the Anangu people. The route holds spiritual significance and it is for that reason that the Aboriginal owners ask visitors not to climb the Uluru. It is not illegal to climb the sandstone formation, and many people, ignoring the traditional owners' plea, make their way to the top anyway. 

Prior to my visit to Uluru I was unclear of why the traditional owners didn't just prohibit the climb. I have since learned that even though the land was returned to the Anangu in 1985, they have since leased the land back to the government for 99 years. The lease included a promise that climbing Uluru would be banned; however, the climb remains open. Each year tens of thousands of people make the ascent. Unfortunately, over 35 people have died making the dangerous climb.

When visiting Uluru, I found the legality of climbing Uluru irrelevant. Even though I am an avid peak bagger I felt that my respect for the local culture easily outweighed my desire to climb the monolith. 

A Theft Of Aboriginal Land

One of Australia's most pristine coastal areas is currently the center of controversy. The land--Walmandany--is located north of Broome in Western Australia and it is currently under control by its Traditional Owners the Jabirrjabirr people. Unfortunately, Walmandany (James Price Point) is a preferred site for a liquefield natural gas processing precinct. Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, is expected to start proceedings to acquire land later this week. This move is supported by the WA Government and the Kimberley Land Council on the grounds that development will be good for everyone and that jobs will be brought to the area. However, the reality is that should the proposal proceed it will represent another theft of aboriginal land.
To learn more about this invasion and become involve read Another Invasion by Mick Dodson.

A Whale Dreaming Story

Aboriginal peoples along the South Australian coast have featured whales in their dreaming stories for generations.  Here is one example.

One hot day, many Aborigines gathered at Encounter Bay for a large ceremony. The participants wanted to hold the ceremony through the night, but they did not possess any fire to enable them to see at night.  Two messengers were sent to find Kondole, a large powerful man who owned fire.  Kondole, was only invited to the ceremony for his fire.

Kondole hid his fire, however, and thus infuriated the other participants. They were determined to obtain the fire by force, but no one dared approach him.

Finally Rilballe decided to wound him with a spear and take the fire from him.  Rilballe threw the spear and wounded Kondole in the neck.  The participants laughed and shouted after this and most were then changed into different animals.  Kondole ran into the sea and became a whale, and now blow water out of the wound in his neck.

Cool Fire

For tens of thousands of years the Aboriginal people of Australia have had a cultural obligation to look after and clean up the country.  One of the ways in which they completed this duty was through the use of fire--a tool that when used properly would create minimal harm while bringing maximum benefits.
Today, the National Parks of the Northern Territory are starting to realize the value of this ancient Aboriginal knowledge and fire is being used as a management tool to reduce the amount of fuel loads and to create firebreaks.  It is through the use of traditional patch burning during the cooler weather that the land and important historical sites can be protected from large, destructive wildfires later in the season.  It is also important to note that since traditional burning has been reinstated there has been an increase in native fora and fauna.

Since our visit to the Top End was during the cooler months of the dry season we saw several controlled fire burns.  As we entered Litchfield Park we were required to drive through a prescribed burn.  As we drove down the narrow road, the flames leaping toward the car, I couldn't help but wonder if our car rental insurance included third-degree burns.  It was also a bit eerie to sit at our campsite and not only hear the faint crackle but to see the smoke rising from the smoldering fires in the near distance--a stone throw from where we were to sleep.  As we drove and walked through the charred and sometimes burning landscape, I had to force myself to remember that it was not destruction that I was witnessing, but rather a temporary scar that in the long run will protect and encourage life.

"This earth.  I never damage.  I look after.  Fire is nothing. just clean up.  When you burn. new grass coming up.  That means good animal soon.  might be goanna. possum.  wallaby.  Burn him off.  new grass coming up. new life all over."

Bill Neidjie-Bunitj Clan

Half Way There

This week's PhotoHunter theme is half.

Kimba is located half way across Australia between the east and west coast.  At least it would be if you were to fly like a crow.  We passed through the town of 800 on our drive from Perth to Adelaide.
Originally, this "half way" point was located on the lands inhabited by the Pangkala.  It is an area that has many springs, soakages and rock-holes that provided the Aboriginals with sufficient water during their seasonal forays from the coast.
In 1839 John Eyre skirted the area during his exploration of Australia.   In 1870's Kimba was opened up to pastoral lease holders.  In the 1900's, because of the overseas demand for wheat, local farmers opened the last of the Mallee lands for agriculture.  In 1915, as the number of new settlers in the area grew, the township of Kimba was proclaimed. Kimba is an Aboriginal word meaning bushfire--the process that was used to clear the area of scrub to make way for agricultural development.  Today Kimba continues to play an important role in the wheat industry.

Willy Willies

Here in Australia Dust Devils are called Willy Willies.  On our recent road trip we came across several Willy Willies.  These dessert whirlwinds are formed when local 'hot spots' on the ground draw in the cooler air around them.  The end result,  Willy Willies which vary in size, is the spiraling of the air-born dust cloud that speeds randomly across the land.  For the most part Willy Willies are harmless, but they are fun to watch as they speed across the desert floor.

The name Willy Willies is thought to derive from one of the Aboriginal languages of Australia.  In Aboriginal myths Willy Willies represent spirit forms.

Metaong

The aboriginal people of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula (the Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri) use dream stories to illustrate the creation of land formations.
The following is a Kaurana dreaming story that describes the formation of the Pages Islands which can be seen from the Tapananppa Lookout in Deep Creek Conservation Park.

Ngurunderi was traveling along the coastline in search of his two wives, who had run away from him.
The two women hurriedly walked down Tunkalilla Beach to Tjirbuk.  From there they could see Kangaroo Island, the spirit lad.  At that time Kangaroo Island was almost connected to the mainland and it was possible to walk across.  Picking up all their belongings, consisting of nets (for fish) and mats (to carry food in) they began to walk across.
In the meantime, Ngurunderi hurried up to Tjirbuk, and could see them going across.  When they had reached the center, Nurunderi called out in a voice of thunder, saying: "Pink'ul'un'urn'pra nukurn" (fall waters-you).  Immediately the waters (sea) began to come in from the west, wave upon wave, driving the two women from their course.
So rough, so strong were the tempestuous waves, that the women tried to turn their faces towards the mainand.  At last, sighting against waves no more, they were carried into the open sea, taking their net baskets with them.  But again, as the water grew calmer, they tried to swim to Tunkalilla Beach, but could not and were at last drowned.  They were, however, metamorphosed into Metaong--The Pages or the Two Sisters, opossite Tunkalilla Beach.

Sydney Opera House

This week's theme is curved.

The Sydney Opera House and its curved roof--made up of 1,056,000 white tiles-- is one of the must-see sights of the world.  Construction of this great iconic building began in 1959 after Jorn Utzon, a Danish architect, won an international design competition.  The building was not without controversy and in 1966 Utzon quit the project, leaving a consortium of Australian architects to design a compromised interior.  The building was formally completed in 1973, at a cost of $102 million.

The site of the Opera House, Bennelong Point, was originally used by aboriginal fisherman to discard shells.  The "middens," piles of white shells accumulated over thousands of years, were white clay quarries for the aboriginals.  The clay collected at this spot was used as ceremonial body paint. Today, aboriginal spokesmen are adamant that Jorn Utzon was inspired to design the shell-like shape of the modern day opera house after the ancient aboriginal middens.

Burning Mountain

One day the Gumaroi Aboriginal people in the north sent a raiding party to steal Wanaruah women for wives. The Wanaruah people heard of the plan and sent their warriors to do battle with the raiding party. One of the wives of a Wanaruah warrior sat at the top of the southern rock face of Mt. Wingin to wait for her husband's return. When her husband did not come back because he had been killed in battle, the woman was so sad that she asked the great sky god, Biamie, to kill her. Biamie felt so sorry for the warrior's wife that he turned her into stone and as she turned to stone she cried tears of fire that set the mountain alight.

This dream story comes from the Wanaruah Aboriginal people of the Hunter Valley of New South Whales. It documents their relation to Burning Mountain, located about 300 kilometers north of Sydney, just off the New England Highway.

Burning Mountain is a a naturally ignited coal seam which is believed to have been smoldering for several thousand years. It is one of three burning coal seams in the world and the only one in Australia.

From the car park there is a short trail, flanked by interpretive panels, that leads you through a gum tree forest to a viewing platform at the barren summit. Here you can see smoke, hot sulphur gases, rising from the grey, smoldering ash, and you can not help but remember the Wanaruah Warrior's grieving wife.

(source-information panels Burning Mountain Nature Reserve)