July 7th , This was to be our last day in the outback of Australia, I was
beginning to feel as though I didn't want to go back to the states, this felt
like home to me.

Our final stop of the day before traveling to the Alligator River
Campground to camp for the night was to be at Jabiru, a new uranium
mining town in Kakadu National Park.
The Australian government is trying to correct some of the mistakes that we
Americans created in dealing with our American Indians, having ruled that
when any minerals are found on Aboriginal Land, the wealth is shared with
the native peoples. The city of Jabiru is one such instance of this policy
being put into effect. It is a very modern city with beautiful parks and lakes.
After dining at one of the many outdoor restaurants, we were looking
forward with great anticipation of having the afternoon off and spend it
swimming in a large lake nearby. It would have been a welcome relief after
spending 6 grueling days traveling the Outback of Australia, sleeping in
Swags (canvas sleeping bags) stretched out on the ground.
It was about this time that Mark, our driver suggested that if we wanted to
see one more Aboriginal Site, he would be willing to drive us.
Many things began racing through my mind, we had visited many ancient
sites in the last week and I really didn’t want to see any more, the swimming
sounded really refreshing, but what the heck, I could go swimming in
Batesville next week if I wanted, this was my last day in The Land of Oz, I
wanted to enjoy it to the max. I knew deep down that this was going to be a
very special afternoon, being in the Outback for almost a month, I was
unaware of the date, July 7th, as I found out later it would be a highlight in
my search for truth.
Besides that , everyone knows that all the rivers in Australia are filled with
crocodiles and after swimming in those uranium infested waters I would
probably glow like a porch light all night.
With that, nine of us boarded the bus for a bumpy dusty 40 miles of dirt
road that lay ahead. Sitting near the back of the bus I had plenty of time to
contemplate what lay ahead and what it would all mean to me. As we
bounced along the dusty road occasionally crossing crocodile infested
creeks and rivers it seemed as though I was going back in time, to a time
long forgotten, a time remembered only in the Aboriginal Dreamtime. I was
a little awed at what was going on around me, I could sense and see the
other people on the bus, but it was as though I wasn’t really a part of their
reality and they perhaps weren’t part of mine.
As the dust from the road filtered into the bus and a red layer settled on
everyone and everything. At times when passing another vehicle, yes there
were others out here; it became so dusty in the bus that we could barely see
the driver. At these times it seemed as though we were passing into another
dimension.
It was at this time that I felt as if I was actually alone with no one else
sharing my experience. I could actually feeling my body becoming lighter
and lighter, at the same time becoming less aware of the surroundings
around me, while at the same time becoming aware of the sacred lands we
were passing through, the warning not to enter without permission of the
tribal elders.
My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden jerk and a screeching of brakes,
the bus was coming to a stop; we had reached our destination, Ubirr Rock,
the home of Lightning Man, a very powerful figure from the Aboriginal
Dreamtime.
Namarrgon is a fascinating, lanky, horseshoe-shaped character painted on
the rock. His colors are fairly simple; he was probably painted with some
sort of makeshift paintbrush, possibly a crushed stick dipped in some iron based
paint most likely made from the crushed ochre rock. He is mostly
white with the exception of some reds on the right side of his thunder. We
could not tell, however, if the red coloration was rock bleed or intentional
coloring. This piece of rock art was painted by Nayombolmi (Barramundi
Charlie).
LIGHTNING DREAMING:
Namarrgon, commonly known as the "lightning man," is responsible for the
violent electrical storms which occur on the Arnhem plateau. According to
Aboriginal Dreamtime explanation of this work, Namarrgon and his family
came from the sea and traveled Australia for many years. He uses the stone
axes that are mounted on his head, elbows and knees to split the dark clouds
and strike the ground, creating lightning and thunder. In addition to his
axes, he also has a band wrapped around his body. This band belongs to
thunder and works side by side with the axes to shake the earth and the
heaven

DREAMTIME:
The Dreamtime
Is the period of creation in Aboriginal culture. It is the beginning of
knowledge and it is when the laws which guide Aboriginal life today were
created. The natural elements, the landscape, the plants, and the animals
were also created by the first ancestors. It is the basis of Aboriginal religion
and culture.
Dreaming
is the term used for an Aboriginal group's beliefs. Different groups have
different animals that figure prominently in the stories and serve to explain
their beliefs. One area of land might have "Long Necked Turtle Dreaming"
while another section belongs to "Caterpillar Dreaming." The area around
Nourlangie Rock is "Lightning Dreaming."
Mabuyu is located at Ubirr Rock. A trail winds up, around, and through
giant boulders that are decorated with Aboriginal rock art. Some of the
paintings at Ubirr are believed to have been painted by the first people of
the Dreamtime or creation era and the Mimis, Others, such as Mabuyu, are
more recent. The red spindly figure juggles his possessions: spears, a fan,
and a dilly bag. Next to him are the Long Necked Turtles, the Dreamtime
symbol of the local Aboriginal people.
Mimis are shy spirits who live in caves and paint
pictures where no Aborigine could reach. They pull the rocks down to paint on them and
then lift them back up when they are finished. The Mimis were the ones who taught the
other Aborigines how to paint, and even though they no longer exist as a people, they
remain as spirits
As the bus came to a stop, I anxiously made my way to Ubirr Rock, completely oblivious
to my surroundings. In my reality no one else existed, only me and the sacred land. I
began walking down a trail that was so familiar to me, even though in this life I had never
been to this world. I stopped for a moment to view the rock art, the most ancient in
Australia, believed to be at least 20,000 years old.
As I walk up the trail leading to Nourlangie Rock, an enormous boulder rising from the
dry earth becomes visible. Our first lesson of the day will come from this rock we see
before us. To those uneducated in Aboriginal culture, the rock does not appear to be
anything particularly special, however, its importance in Aboriginal culture, from the
perspective of the Aboriginals, the rock is not just any ordinary rock, and rather it is a
sacred site depicting their history and culture. The rock, named Dove Rock, or Feather
Rock, represents the story of a man named Namanjolg
THE STORY:
The story of Namanjolg is one of incest. It is said that Namanjolg and his sister had sex
and later eloped. Ashamed of what they did, Namanjolg's sister told their family. Upon
hearing of their sin, Namanjolg's family sought him out to punish him. When they found
him, he was on top of what is now known as Feather Rock, dancing around a fire. A
member of his family then pushed him into the fire. Namanjolg, covered in ash, dove into
a nearby billabong and became a crocodile. Namanjolg's sister took a feather from his
headdress and placed it at the site to remind others of the Aboriginal laws regarding incest
which she had broken with her brother. Namanjolg's sister later becomes the Rainbow
Serpent, Ngalyod, the subject of many Aboriginal stories from the Dreaming lore.
That rock now contains her eternal spirit which is why the native aborigines come here to
tune into these sacred powers.

COMMUNICATION:
As with many other Aboriginal stories or rock art sites, the site of Feather Rock serves to
educate and remind people of Aboriginal laws:
Namanjolg teaches that incest is wrong
The Corroborree teaches the importance of ceremonial law
Mabuya teaches not to steal
Namanjolg is a perfect example of how Aboriginal people use rock art to inform and
instruct. When laws are broken, there are always consequences. The Aboriginal people
never developed a written language and spoken languages between different Aboriginal
clans vary greatly. They see the rock art as the most effective and universal form of
communication between groups. It is also the most effective way to instruct successive
generations on their law, culture, and history.
At this point I left the main trail and began walking around the back of the rock and began
climbing the 100 ft. vertical wall, at the time carrying 40 lbs. of camera gear on my back.
As I began my ascent my reality began to change, I was no longer as American
photographer visiting Australia, I was transformed into a native carefully climbing a
vertical wall, placing each hand and foot in a strategic place, never pausing, but slowly
climbing upward as I had done many times before. Always finding a tree, root or rock
ledge enabling me to continue my climb, never pausing but slowly climbing upward in
my search for truth.
Reaching the top of this sacred Shrine in the middle of some of the most isolated land in
the world I began to feel overwhelming love and peace and a sense of being home, I had
returned to The Land of Oz.
I felt my consciousness leave my body and rise high above the earth, looking down I
could sense two realities, I had a sense of being high above the earth and looking down
upon my lifeless body lying on the rocky cliff, I could observe a bird walking on my right
arm, at the same time I was the lifeless body on the cliff, feeling and sensing that same
bird walking across my arm.
As I lay on this sacred monument my mind began to pass through the veil of time, into a
place from whence all things are seen, back in time, back to a previous millennium, back
to the birth of Australia. .
As the land rose from the sea, the mountains began to form high above the plains; the
Rainbow Serpent began to transform the land into a new world called Australius. I
suddenly re-entered my body and came back to the present reality, slightly dazed about
what had just taken place.
Upon my return to the bus, Mark, our Aborigine driver informed me that I had been on
sacred ground, where no one is allowed without permission. There is a $5000 fine for
that. He then looked at me, winked and said” But you had permission!”

Some text taken from Aborigine Elders teachings that were conveyed to us while on Walkabout.

Now you can follow me on Kindle.

Create your own photo gifts.

The Rest of the Story!