9th October 2014
Another really cold night followed by a beautiful day. Between sunrise at about 6:50am and 10:00am the temperature rises about 18 degrees.
We walked into the pound and climbed Wangarra Lookout for a great view of the surrounding mountains.
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| Wilpena Pound |
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| Floor of pound with Pattison's curse |
The pound is an interesting geological feature, an oval shape ringed by mountains with only two passes through them. The floor of the pound is almost level and prone to big floods. The name pound was given by European pastoralists because the mountains made a natural fence to keep in livestock. The indigenous name, Ikara, is far better. It means meeting place and every year the tribes for huge distances around would meet for corroborrees, trade and initiation ceremonies so it is of huge cultural significance.
Unfortunately the pastoralists over grazed and introduced weeds one of which, Pattison's curse, does look very pretty. The land is making a slow comeback.
Later we visited Sacred Canyon, a place of great spiritual significance to the local Aborigine.
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| Rock engravings, sacred canyon |
It is a narrow gorge through which water gushes when the rains come leaving behind several waterholes.
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| Sacred canyon |
Animals that come to drink at the waterholes could be easily ambushed as they have no escape. The rock art, in the form of engravings, depicts the animals that visit. The place is starkly beautiful and so peaceful.
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| Sacred canyon |
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