Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kakadu's other reptiles include the frill-necked lizard, 11 species of goanna, and five
freshwater turtle species, of which the most common is the northern snake-necked turtle.
Kakadu has many snakes, though most are nocturnal and rarely encountered. The striking
Oenpelli python was first recorded by non-Aboriginal people in 1976. The odd-looking
file snake lives in billabongs and is much sought after as bush tucker. They have square
heads, tiny eyes and saggy skin covered in tiny rough scales (hence 'file'). They move
very slowly (and not at all on land), eating only once a month and breeding once every
decade.
Rock Art
Kakadu is one of Australia's richest, most accessible repositories of rock art. There are
more than 5000 sites, which date from 20,000 years to 10 years ago. The vast majority of
these sites are off limits or inaccessible, but two of the finest collections are the easily
visited galleries at Ubirr and Nourlangie.
Rock paintings have been classified into three roughly defined periods: Pre-estuarine,
which is from the earliest paintings up to around 6000 years ago; Estuarine, which covers
the period from 6000 to around 2000 years ago, when rising sea levels brought the coast
to its present level; and Freshwater, from 2000 years ago until the present day.
For local Aboriginal people, these rock-art sites are a major source of traditional
knowledge and represent their archives. Aboriginal people rarely paint on rocks any-
more, as they no longer live in rock shelters and there are fewer people with the requisite
knowledge. Some older paintings are believed by many Aboriginal people to have been
painted by mimi spirits, connecting people with creation legends and the development of
Aboriginal lore.
As the paintings are all rendered with natural, water-soluble ochres, they are very sus-
ceptible to water damage. Drip lines of clear silicon rubber have been laid on the rocks
above the paintings to divert rain. As the most accessible sites receive up to 4000 visitors
a week, boardwalks have been erected to keep the dust down and to keep people at a suit-
able distance from the paintings.
T
Tours
There are dozens of Kakadu tours on offer; book at least a day ahead if possible; operat-
ors generally collect you from your accommodation. There are plenty of tours departing
from Darwin.
Indigenous Tours & Sightseeing
