 |
| Linda's 98cm threadfin |
After 55 days at Pardoo Station of fishing, beer, fishing, fishing, beer, food, wine, fishing, and more fishing we decided to take a day off to visit the Aboriginal Rock Art out towards the deserted Shay Gap townsite.
After the
late autumn rains up in the Pilbara the countryside has that rare green tinge
to it and the early flowering of some of the native vegetation hints at a
spectacular spring to come.
It’s a 170
kilometre round trip out to the area where the rock art is situated but an easy
drive on mostly good condition dirt road.
 |
| The original punk rocker |
The rock art
is surprisingly in good condition and looks as though the local indigenous group
return occasionally to touch things up? Looking at my photos and visiting the rock
art made me realise how little my generation of Australians know about the
culture and lifestyle of the first settlers in Australia. I probably know more
about the ancient Egyptians than I do about our Aboriginal culture – a sad
fact.
It’s a good
half hour walk through the spinifex into the rock outcrop where the art is
displayed but well worth the walk.
 |
| Railway to nowhere |
The rock
art site is adjacent to a section of the now abandoned Port Hedland to Shay Gap
railway line (closed in 1994) – the Shay Gap townsite prospered for over 20 years
and I am told that it was one of best mining towns in Australia to live in at
its peak. More information on Shay Gap can be found here - Shay Gap
No drone
video this blog as since I had last used my drone my phone had an update and
the drone app no longer worked – bugger!
Very short
video is - HERE
