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Many locum tenens visit Kakadu National Park to experience its amazing natural scenery, but you can also learn about the area's aboriginal heritage when they visit Ubirr.
Ubirr is a collection of rocky outcroppings located on the edge of the Nadab floodplain, approximately 25 miles from the town of Jabiru. These formations create natural shelters that are now known for their indigenous rock art.
Some of the paintings at Ubirr date back more than 40,000 years, although the vast majority of the artwork was created within the past two millennia. Several paintings have even been redone in the modern era, allowing visitors to see the continuum of native culture from prehistoric times through the present.
The rock art at Ubirr depicts creation ancestors from aboriginal mythology as well as local animals such as the barramundi, catfish, mullet, goanna, long-necked turtle, pig-nosed turtle, rock ringtail possum, wallaby and thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger).
Tourists can best see this artwork at three separate rock galleries, each of which is staffed by national park rangers who give lectures about the paintings and their importance in aboriginal culture.