"Earth.......like your father or brother or mother, because you are born from Earth, you got to come back to Earth. When you dead....That's your bone, your blood. It's the Earth.My people....not many. We are getting too old.
Young people....I don't know if they can hang on to this story.
You responsible now. You got to go with us to Earth. Might be you can hang on to this story to this Earth."
.......Bill Neidjie.
Bill Neidjie and other traditional owners of Kakadu have leased their lands to the Commonwealth government of Australia to be managed as a national park for everybody to
care for and enjoy.
The name 'Kakadu' comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju. Although this language is no longer spoken descendants of this group still live in Kakadu. Aboriginal languages spoken in Kakadu include Kunwinjku, Gun-djeihmi and Jawoyn
Covering 20,000 square km World Heritage listed Kakadu is a timeless place with a landscape varying from floodplains that are abundant with wildlife to rocky escarpments.
At Ubirr on the Arnhem land border in the Northern sector you can view ancient Aboriginal rock art dating back thousands of years. Climb to the top of the escarpment to take in the stunning views of the surrounding wetlands.
Nourlangie Rock is another sacred site and the rock art here, in what must be one of the world’s oldest open air art galleries, looks as new as when it was painted thousands of years ago. Take your time at these two sites and allow the ancient spirit of these special places and the meaning of the art guide you through a journey into the past.
GALLERY
Mimi spirits were the first of the Creation Ancestors to paint on rock. They taught some Bininji how to paint. At the end of their journeys some Creation Ancestors put themselves on rock walls as paintings and became djang (dreaming places). Some of these paintings are andjamun (sacred and dangerous) and can only be seen by senior men and women, other paintings can be seen by all people.Kakadu's rock art (gunbim) represents one of the longest historical records of any group of people anywhere in the world.
Bininji/Mungguy artists continue to paint on bark, paper, canvas and fabric.
More than 5,000 art sites tell of the Creation Ancestors and the changes in the landscape over thousands of years.
Kakadu is a unique place and the lush beauty of the wetlands are astounding. Hidden in the wooded landscape is an array of rivers and billabongs and when you come across them you are captivated by the beauty and life that they support. Tall tropical palms, mangroves, pandanus trees, ferns and giant lotus lilies
Crocodiles inhabit these waters and swimming in the crystal clear streams and pools is strictly forbidden but boat cruises can be taken the most famous of these being cruises on the Yellow Water billabong where you will be rewarded with sightings of crocodiles and a large array of natural wildlife along the shores like the jabirus, sea eagles, egrets and jacanas to name a few.
YELLOW WATERS
