A Place of Haunting Beauty – In Outback Australia…

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Mungo National Park

In the far west of New South Wales, some one thousand kilometres from Sydney, lies Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area…

 

Now before you go strapping the kayak to the top of your vehicle or hitching the “tinnie” to the back of your four-wheel drive it is worth knowing that Lake Mungo has been dry for some 15,000 years.

 

But don’t be put off by that fact, this is a fabulous place to spend a few days exploring what is a very special place to three Aboriginal tribal groups, the Paakantji / Barkindji, Ngyiampaa and Mutthi people.

These people have walked this land for close to 50,000 years.

Yes, 50,000 years…!

To put some context to that, they only started building the pyramids about 5,000 years ago, and Christian’s celebrated the arrival of Jesus Christ just over 2,000 years ago.

And in more contemporary history of Australia, Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay less than 250 years ago.

Life would have been substantially different when the waters were teaming with fish and the land abundant with food sources. And remarkably, evidence of this era has been enshrined in the “Mungo Lunette” and uncovered by the moving sand dunes in this windswept land.

A Lunette is a crescent-shaped sand dune similar in outline to the first quarter of the Moon. The Mungo Lunette is also known as the “Walls of China”.

I visited the region recently with the hope of photographing the “Super Red Blue Moon” that rose in the skies on 31 January, the prospect of capturing a photograph of a remarkable event over the Walls of China proving irresistible to me.

The Walls of China is where the remains of “Mungo Lady” an aboriginal women of some 18 years of age was discovered in the late 1960s. Her discovery and subsequent removal from her “spiritual home” by archaeologists’ was not without controversy, especially for the aboriginal people from this region.

Mungo Woman was eventually returned home to rest in country by her people and similarly, Mungo Man, whose remains were removed from his resting place has also made the journey home to country.

Scientists’ estimated that Mungo Man walked this land over 40,000 years ago.

It was against this cultural backdrop that I stood alone at the Mungo Lunette, a number of camera’s at hand to capture this remarkable lunar event.

But it wasn’t too be as cloud cover “eclipsed” my view of the moon as it rose over this ancient land.

Looking to the west, the sky was ablaze as a fiery sun cast its final rays into a darkening night sky…

I closed my eyes and let my mind drift and wondered if the spirits of those who had walked this land were sitting around the glow of this eternal fire, breathing life to this place of Haunting Beauty…

Photo’s: Baz – The Landy, Mungo National Park, Outback Australia

12 thoughts on “A Place of Haunting Beauty – In Outback Australia…”

  1. Warren Bassee February 5, 2018 / 3:15 pm

    Have always subscribed to you but never commented. A simple thank you that was good. We were there few years back for 2 short days on our way to Meenindie and further north. I always enjoy your photography. Cheers bass

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    • Baz - The Landy February 5, 2018 / 5:00 pm

      Thanks Bass, a pleasure and glad you enjoy the photographs! Cheers, Baz

      Like

  3. Lavinia Ross February 5, 2018 / 6:51 am

    What a beautiful and spiritual place, Baz! So you had clouds obscuring your moon viewing as well.

    Kennewick Man was a controversy over here. He was finally returned to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, and the Wanapum Band of Priest Rapids and buried according to custom.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennewick_Man

    Liked by 1 person

    • Baz - The Landy February 5, 2018 / 7:39 am

      Hi Lavinia, yes totally obscured. Mind you, the sun and moon control a lot of weather on earth, so no surprises that significant lunar events can cause adverse weather…! And the Mungo Woman and Man story is fascinating. I spent some time discussing the issue with one of the Elder’s on this trip. She appeared in a television documentary on it recently…Cheers, Baz

      Liked by 1 person

  5. ksbeth February 4, 2018 / 8:34 pm

    this whole thing is simply stunning – we are newcomers toour lands when compared – beautiful –

    Liked by 1 person

    • Baz - The Landy February 4, 2018 / 8:50 pm

      Mere fledglings we are, ain’t that the truth, hey! Trust you are well, Cheers Baz

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Barbara Grandberg February 4, 2018 / 6:11 pm

    you live in such an amazing and beautiful country :] thanks again for sharing it with me :}

    Liked by 1 person

    • Baz - The Landy February 4, 2018 / 8:55 pm

      It’s always such a pleasure to have you along for the ride BG. And when I get a coffee table book finished you’re getting number 1…! Take care Baz

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