Kakadu and Arnhem Land

There’s a breath within creation
That’s as old as time itself
Which can’t be heard in words or signs

The difference between two tourist experiences:

‘There’s a crocodile... there’s a Jabiru nest... and a sea eagle... an azure kingfisher...’ (you get the drift) Oh, and ‘crocodiles generally don’t eat birds ... there is a croc eating a bird!; and..

‘The paperbark is one of the most important plants for the local people, they use it for making boats, like alfoil in cooking, for carrying water, getting a drink if there is no water around (from the knot in the tree), making lights, toilet paper, for boats, and bed mats (which repel insects) and also the wood for some of their work tools. There are distinct roles and cultures for men and women, and neither desires to interfere with the other. Each gender has power in its own right – women discipline women and men discipline men. A family member can be administered the punishment if the perpetrator runs away (so that the family member will remember to follow up!) Aboriginals have a sensitive relationship with the land which requires that they also think of those who will follow after them. Thus when digging up a yam, the aboriginal women will cut a piece off and bury it in the hole for future growth.’

One only grows in deep respect for the Indigenous Peoples of our land – for their instincts in caring for the land, for their complete lack of waste (leftover foods are eaten by animals), and for their sense of place in life. To walk among some of the ancient sites in Kakadu is to find oneself breathing ancient air, deeply aware of an enduring story and presence, sometimes revealed in art and artefacts, but more often in much more subtle ways.
In many tourist places, one finds two stories: the aboriginal dreamtime and that of science. The former have much more life and meaning than the latter. Both seem to make sense of the creation around, with the Indigenous stories offering a sense of connection and place, which science eschews, yet often exhibits a deep flaw in credibility.
We spent a half day in Arnhem Land. This place is magnificent! Even though we only touched a small corner, we were privileged to gain some insight into its uniqueness. Lying across the bank of a river from Kakadu, it is an entirely different place, with different topography and colour.
To watch the sunset over Ubirr, knowing that it has done so much the same way since time began, is to be filled with awe and wonder – and humility. Kakadu breathes a life so fresh and vital, it has to be experienced to be really understood.
One a side note, one of the evaluation forms we filled out from a caravan park offered as one of the reasons for coming as “to escape from reality”. I commented to Ev that it should better read “To get in touch with reality.”