Crossing we’d followed the track
into West Arnhem Land towards the
unofficial ‘capital city’ of the area;
Gunbalanya (Oenpelli). Cahill’s
Crossing, the causeway across the
West Alligator River, stands almost
as a defender for the lands ahead,
the water flows rapidly, and croco-
diles wait patiently for a meal. The
landscape changes dramatically
from Kakadu into this most ancient
of traditional lands … Arnhem
Land.
Beauty abounds. Every vista
more spectacular than the last.
Every rocky formation, every ‘jump
up’, seems to reveal more histo-
ry than any textbook could ever
describe. Art, tradition, legend,
it’s everywhere. A working gallery
here, a working initiation ground
there. And still, we were being
watched.
Gunbalanya, is undoubtedly
the capital of the area. Boasting a
population of around 1,200 people
TRAVERSE 35