Kitty And Buck: What I Wore - Outback in Bloom

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

What I Wore - Outback in Bloom

I didn't take 'proper' outfit photos, since it's so hot in the outback, there wasn't much accessorising going on! Just a simple dress and shoes that I could wear walking, that's the order of the day up there. You can see more pictures from Kunjarra in my last post too. Kunjarra is a sacred women's site in the Northern Territory and is used as a dancing site for the Munga-Munga Dreaming. It is said that men especially should not come here at dusk, or the Munga-Munga will take them away.

The site is open to tourists as a campsite, and was full of people setting up for the evening when we went there. The traditional land-owners encourage visitors, but I got the impression that perhaps the visitors were a tad disrespectful of the site. Possibly not on purpose either. There are a lot of local customs and beliefs that may not be apparent to a visitor, and this was one thing that bothered me quite a lot in the Northern Territory. There seemed to be a distinct lack of information about anything. Which is fine, except, say, when a tourist uses a sacred tree as firewood. Or maybe climbs on the rocks, bringing bad luck and worse upon the 'owners' of the rock. Or even (this happened) carving their name into the sacred rocks. Or letting their dogs run loose around the campsite, which is also the home of small native animals which are already at risk from feral cats roaming the area. I think that it's really important to respect other's beliefs and if they are allowing you into their home as a guest, to treat it well.

It would be nice to see a little bit of care taken to explain the cultural significance of these sites to the visitors, so that they can enjoy the site without damaging it, and learn a little about the culture of the area too. I think it's important to preserve traditions and culture, especially in today's world where everything is homogenised into a safe, beige lump. I'd like to have some colour and different ways of thinking out there to challenge our everyday existence. C pointed out as well, that the Aboriginal stories from the dreaming all serve a practical purpose. A story of a cursed tree with an evil spirit will stop people from eating the fruit, which is in fact, poisonous. All stories serve a practical purpose and are an invaluable guide for surviving in this harsh land. It's interesting to apply this to our culture (any culture!) as well, the stories we tell shape our beliefs and the way we move through life.

I left C in the car and did another round by myself. Once I escaped the hum of generators, barking dogs, and pan pipes coming from the campsite, I could understand why this place was significant. It is very peaceful and quiet, and I suppose the rocks have an effect on the 'aura' of the place, much like standing stones in the UK.

As the sun set, I found these tracks from a big red (kangaroo). He is HUGE! I waiting very quietly to see if I could see any animals at all, but they were frightened away by the sounds of the campsite. My brother-in-law has seen this particular kangaroo though, and said that when he stands up to full height, he is 9ft tall! I would probably wet my pants if I saw him for real! He was not agressive, apparently, just curious and a little bored. He'd come here for some solitude from his mob. I took some polaroids, and bid the whispering grass farewell.