Shay Gap Rock Art

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