cave painting

Wonderwerk is one of a handful of sites worldwide that show signs of human habitation up to 2 million years ago.  It contains dolomitic limestone formations that follow the form known as the Ghaap Plateau Dolomite Formation, and also another rock form called Asbestos Hills Banded Ironstone, dating from the late Archaean to early Proterozoic ages, making them 2.4 billion years old.

But the signs of human life are truly compelling. Oldowan stone tools are present, and there's rock art in several areas of the cave, signifying religious and spiritual practises going back 10,000 years.

According to the World Monuments Fund, which listed the site on its 2010 Monuments Watch List, partial erosion and threats of imminent collapose in certain areas have forced the cave to be closed to visitors.

Mount Borradaile is a series of sandstone outcrops in Kakadu National Park, located about 100 miles southeast of the Northern Territory's principle city, Darwin. It has been inhabited for up to 50,000 years by aboriginal tribes, and its cave walls house some of the country's best examples of aboriginal art. These range from animals to humans, and seem to preserve the spiritual way of life of the aboriginal people as well as any state-sanctioned memorial.

The paintings have been known to local tribes for millennia; however western observers have only just discovered them in the past few decades. They chronicle a huge range of dates and events - some even picture European settlers with startling accuracy. The mount, as well as surrounding Arnhem Land, are a massive draw for tourists wanting to see real Australian history.

Images

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One of the earliest parts of Australia to be settled, Kimberley was attractive to settlers because of its fertile land. Alexander Forrest, the first European to discover it mad a business out of parcelling up and settling land in the region to people coming there to make a life. The popularity of the area grew after Philip Saunders and Adam Johns found gold there in 1881. The area is now a popular destination for visitors and is particularly renowned for its fine collection of national parks, containing ancient Red Tingle trees, and sights such as the Bungle Bugnel, Horizontal Falls and Cape Leveque.

Images

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