Theaussiechallenge Post # 37 Jabiru

Day 39 131 days to go. Distance: today 116km total 2864km. It’s 1am Wednesday 15/8/12 Ubirr (Kakadu NP).

‘The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams,’ (Oprah Winfrey).

Thanks for sharing this quote Scotty my friend and what a perfect way to capture today. Ubirr oh my the place where dreamtime and dreams are born. The rainbow serpent travelled through this area in human form and painted her image on a rock here to remind people of her presence. Traditional people camped under Ubirr’s cool rock shelters and lived off the rich resources from the nearby east Alligator Creek. The main gallery of rock paintings are from the freshwater period within the let 1500years. They show the abundant food available in the surrounding floodplains. This rock formation is elevated up an escarpment that looks out over the plains of Arnhem land. It’s a 360 degree view from the top also looking out to the red rock escapement that stretches for as long as Belgium. The lands magnificent!!!!!! it’s preserved now for its equally rich culture and for our learning. The main gallery shelter also has interesting examples of ‘contact art.’ A white fella shown wearing a shirt , boots, and with his hands in his trousers pockets, was probably an early buffalo hunter painted in he 1880s. Close to the main gallery is a painting of a tassie tiger believed to become extinct on Aussie mainland 2000-3000 years ago. The artwork is layered over time as its the stories that are preserved not the artwork. The act of painting not the painting itself is what counts. The effect over thousands of years is really something with the red ochre and blood paintwork and stylized depictions of life and laws and customs and stories. The Gallery as they call it is in its natural and beautiful surroundings to be appreciated as it was created over time. There were free ranges talks at each main location ending at the ‘nadab’ lookout before sunset. The sunset colors exploited the natural beauty of the red rock escarpment and lush floodplains. I sponged the time up there knowing I was seeing something pretty special. And it truly was!!!! And worth the 50km ride there and back by head torch to Jabiru where I’m camped tonight. Hence no post until now. I got back late o’clock, sent my spot messenger, ate dinner, showered and passed out a couple of hours until waking for snack-time. While enjoying my chockie wafers I thought I’d check reception and yayayaya. So I’m laying here now cosy in bed and posting by headtorch yay.

I cycled the 30km to Jabiru this morning. Just outside I ran into another cyclist from Perth who was also heading to Ubirr but was camping there overnight. We met up again at the lookout for sunset and he seems a pretty cool guy indeedy. I can’t remember your name sorry mate it’s fallen out of my weary head. Probably too much star gazing and bugs in the eyes on the cycle back tonight. Thanks for riding the first 5 km with me back to your camp and I hope you enjoy another awesome day at Ubirr.

I was treated again to a free camp at Kakadu Campgrounds thanks to Peter the manager. After setting up camp Rube and I could detach the trailer and with a light load peddle our butts to Ubirr. It’s a 50km cycle there and back. The lookout is renowned for appreciating at sunset and I’m so glad I did this as its my highlight wow for Kakadu. I even scored a $20 donation from Mr and Mrs Cass. They overheard me Talking about our cycling fundraising challenge and approached me at the carpark to make a donation yay.

Before going to the rock art site I went in search for crocs alongside the east alligator creek. There’s this awesome walk that takes you by the riverside for a couple of kms. There’s heaps of posses where you can just sit and try spotting a log that looks like a croc or preferable a croc that looks like a log. Big squeal factor I spotted two crocs one crossing the river then beached himself up on the bank. Te other was lengthways sprawled on the bank smiling at me. How thoughtful of him for the photos and he was a big fella too. I’d guess his size but my spacial relations are quite crapolla. Mmmmmm maybe 4 meters???? And the other 2-3 metres. Anyway I’m so chuffed I spotted them doing as crocs do in the riverbank sun. They’re awesome to see in their natural habitat as opposed to a zoo. So that’s been us today and simply fanbloodytastic!!!! However big cycle tomorrow to cover some serious kms to Darwin do better get back to zzzzzz’s cash donations $1049.35 talk soon x