Nourlangie, Kakadu National Park June 16 2021
 
  Kakadu has a central floodplain and wetlands with the Arnhem Land escarpment to east and south.

Its like a very big amphitheatre.

So far we've been camping in the centre, the floodplain.

Now we venture towards the escarpment.

Nourlangie is a bit of an outlier, it sort of protrudes into the plain.

There are two aboriginal art sites, on to the north, one to the south. While looking at those sites we are going to walk between them. Over the hill (so to speak).

Peter and Margaret will meet us at the other end, to avoid the 5km walk back along the flat plain to vehicle.
     
  We wake early, drive 30km to the car park (the first 6km slow from Sandy Billabong).

Start walking before 8am. A still, humid, day.
     
  First the rock shelter. Used more frequently as the climate changed.
     
  Then the rock art gallery. This towards the end, a part of "singing and dancing" according to the interpretive signs.

Something doesn't quite ring true for me.

The Anbangbang Gallery.
     
  There's a lookout. We make a small detour from our "Barrk Walk".

The Gunwarrdehwarrde Lookout.

We can look at the edge of the rock.
     
  And the plain below.
     
  The sandstone is a bit mixed. In this area a conglomerate.
     
  The silica stones are uneven, not the rounded stones that have been river worn.

How far they have travelled depends on how heavy they are and how fast the water is flowing.

Those that don't travel so far are less rounded.
     
  We climb through a river valley to a saddle.

And look back.

Our clothes are sodden with our perspiration. Muscles a bit tired.

But nice to be here.

The Koomboldie Sandstone is about 400m thick, laid down between 1400 and 1800 million years ago. Same formation we met at Katherine Gorge, the escarpment is about 240km long, north to south. The structure extends through Arnhem Land.

I've been unable to find where the sand came from ...
     
  Through some forest. Perhaps an apple fallen from a tree?
     
  Kaarst.

The sandstone on the plateau has been eroded to interesting shapes.

The bedding planes are horizontal, but some metamorphosis.
     
  The track has been carved between the shapes.
     
  Towering above us.
     
  With small clear areas between.
     
  And spinifex, which seems oddly out of place until we realise there is no surface water up here and just a few dry creeks.
     
  We reach the northern edge and look out over the plain.

A couple or more tortuous km to find our way down and to the northern rock art site.
     
  The spinifex gives way to grass.
     
  Sometimes its difficult to notice what isn't there.

The only parrots we've seen as we've headed north have been corellas.

Not sure what this is, but there was a pair.
     
  Still dry, the turkey bush nicely in flower.
     
  Not horizontal!
     
  The grass becomes taller, and thicker. But the track is well marked.
     
  We find our way to the Nunguluwarr Art Gallery.

The sailing ship is patently not European, a lack of square sails.

Perhaps from Indonesia or Arabian.
     
  Very recent, the artists were still alive in 1967.

Fish, with internal organs intact.
     
  Nayuhyungki. Creators of the world, and providers of laws.

Nayuhyungki is one of them. Invisible, and come out at night.
     
  More Nayuhyungki.
     
  After our lift back to the start we gracefully retire to Sandy Billabong again.

Parked at the day use area for a while.

Modem at top of pole is providing good internet at all our campsites so far. Very occasionally a signal at ground level but not really usable.
     
  Helped by the shelducks.

We are tired, and a bit dehydrated.
     
Nourlangie and Anbangbang Billabong, Kakadu National Park June 17 - 18 2021
     
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