Get a sense of the passing of time when you witness decades of change, documented on rocky surfaces throughout the Northern Territory’s Top End. Aboriginal art sites in Kakadu National Park’s icon, Ubirr, reveal when white man first arrived in Australia, a foreign figure wearing clothes and smoking pipes. These valuable rock art galleries will also teach you about Aboriginal spirits; some good, some bad, all captivating. Ponder the mystery of outdoor artworks painted in high, seemingly unreachable places as you float through Katherine Gorge or climb Nourlangie Rock. Marvel at the images of animals which became extinct thousands of years ago, often shown as if looking through an x-ray.
In Central Australia, every art piece contains a story, passed down through generations over tens of thousands of years. It's in this way that Aboriginal traditions stay alive: through the wood grains, along the bark or seeping into the canvas. Authentic art centres are dotted throughout the centre’s red heart, opening this unique culture to visitors and revealing a surprising variety of art styles, often dictated by the surrounding environment. A good place to start your artistic journey is in Uluru, where you’ll be introduced to the local Anangu people at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Discover their traditional law and how it weaves itself into Anangu art, and while you’re there, why not try dot painting for yourself? Create your own canvas and keep as an unforgettable souvenir.
As the Territory experts, let us enhance your experience – meet Aboriginal artists as they work, listen to their special Dreamtime stories and learn about their traditions. Drop into remote art communities that are well off the beaten track, visit a series of Indigenous communities and camp at a sensational spot on the Finke River.