Lift em up foot

While we stayed with Murray and Justine, they told us stories of their time working with the Yalata people on the edge of the Nullarbor. One story involved a dirt road with a dangerous corner which the community thought needed a warning sign. So they took matters into their own hands and painted a sign on an old car bonnet along the approach to the curve which read "lift em up foot".

Now after 2 weeks of driving with the pedal to the metal, past scores of things we would liked to have looked at, it is finally time for us to lift em up foot.  Time to slow down and enjoy a few more stops along the way to our first 'destination', Karijini National Park.

The first of these stops was Walga Rock, which was as fascinating as London Bridge was disappointing. It is a huge lump of granite, apparently Australia's second largest monolith, sticking out of the surrounding plain. Walking over its surface you see intricate weathering patterns that have carved out the rock, depressions where the water pools to allow pockets of life, mulga with the most beautiful red bark, and expansive views of the surrounds. Next life I am definitely coming back to sit atop this rock at dawn, the sunrise would be awe inspiring.

weathered granite, Walga Rock

Walga Rock

an oasis in the rock

red barked mulga

shagged on the rock

As interesting as all this is, Walga real gem is the rock art gallery at its base. Amoung a large collection of traditional ochre paintings is a real curiosity, a picture of a three masted sailing ship, that is has the boffins really stumped. One theory proposes that it was drawn by a survivor of a Dutch shipwreck, despite being 350 km from the coast. Another, that it is a 'first contact' drawing. Yet another that it was drawn by an Afghan because it is subscribed by what looks like Arabic script. Personally, I reckon they are making it up as they go along.

Walga Rock art

Walga Rock art

the mysterious ship 

We'll see you when the dust settles