Rest Day and More Rock Art

---

We had intended to head for Darwin today but we were both feeling a bit drained by the heat and decided to have another relaxing day in this lovely environment. We spent most of it in the air conditioned van using the computers. I also did some washing, which dried really fast on the line.


We had a rather late lunch and then went for a swim in the lovely covered pool, with its fake waterfall at one end cascading in to the water. Knowing how cool it was from last time, I dived straight in but Barry walked in slowly up to the edge of his trunks and just stood there beside a lady who was doing the same. It took a bit of persuading, but he did eventually go all the way in and stood around talking with some other travellers while I swam, periodically. After about an hour we were both getting cold so we abandoned the pool and went to have showers.


We did a bit more on the computers and then went back to the poolside at 7.30pm to watch another slide show. It was on Rock Art again but there was so much detail given by Christian that it was good to hear it again. It was also nice to recognise some of the artworks from Ubirr, like the Boss Men and the various styles of fish and wallaby paintings, and Marbuyu with the goose-wing fan.


We were a bit disappointed to see several items that he said were in Ubirr but we missed, like the Thylacine, (Tasmanian Tiger) which hasn’t been seen on the mainland for several hundred years since the introduction of Dingoes (and is extinct since 1935 when the last one died); a rifle and a stencil of an axe from Contact Art and a beeswax figure that was evidently around the corner from the Main Gallery. I checked all my photos but I can’t make out any of them. The art is layered so much that it can be very difficult to make out some of the works, especially the old ones. They can’t change or work on any of the paintings but it is OK to paint on top of a piece because they still exist beneath and the story hasn’t been interrupted from then until now.



The Park Rangers do all they can to protect the art, cutting away any plants that may rub them, removing termite routes, and attempting to divert the run-off from storms. They do this by making silicone trails that encourage the water seepage to follow the silicone and go around the paintings but they must be observed in the wet before being laid as rain may not go where it was planned and could destroy an even better art work instead. They are still trying to decide if they should remove the many small paper wasp nests that adhere to the rocks faces everywhere as they can do more damage trying to take them off than the wasps do.



We had a late dinner, using up the last of the chicken from the Cryovac packs. It was tasty but took ages to cook. Then to bed, from where I’m fairly sure I heard a BooBook Owl calling nearby and did hear squabbling Black Fruit Bats.

---

Photos

The Cool Pool at Jabiru
We both went for a swim but it was hard to get Barry into the cool water at first.

Jabiru Bakery
Well known for its cakes and bread. Maybe because it's the only one in Jabiru (although the pecan tarts are scumptious).

Mimi's - Spirit Ancestors
These are the oldest form of the rock art and the Aboriginal people say they were painted by the Spirit People themselves. This one was high up on the ceiling. The Dreamtime Myth tells that they picked up the rock to paint and then replaced it. Christian said they are painted with red ochre mixed with haematite and maybe blood so it "tattooed" the rock.

Difficult to Age
We were told that these two images are not part of the same picture. The red one was there first and the white added much later, as can be seen from the styles of painting. The white one may have been deliberately put there to interact with the hunter.

A Health Warning
This one is a Health Warning against the swollen lymph nodes that come from exposure to the uranium in the area for extended periods, "Sickness Country".