Where to see Indigenous rock art in Queensland: a beginner’s guide
Guide
By Laura Walls
It’s not every day you get to stand before thousand-year old artworks and contemplate your own existence, surrounded by landscapes of startling natural beauty. But that’s all in a day’s work for the custodians of Queensland’s ancient Indigenous rock art sites.
Thanks to the generosity of the Indigenous Australians on a mission to preserve and share these ancient wonders with the rest of the world, it’s an experience you can have too. Get ready to discover the stories and inspiration behind Queensland’s oldest artworks with this beginner’s guide.
Where to start
From South East Queensland all the way up to Cape York, Indigenous rock art can be found all over the Sunshine State (in fact, some estimates reckon that only a third of Australia’s Aboriginal rock art has even been recorded). But to find many of Queensland’s most extensive and awe-inspiring examples of rock art, you’ve got to get off the beaten track. And for that, you’ll need the help of an expert local guide.
For a mind-expanding experience that combines art, history and spirituality with the great outdoors, try these Indigenous rock art tours on for size.
Open your mind to an ancient culture at Normanby Station
Join the Balnggarrawarra Traditional Owners on a tour of their homelands in Queensland’s Cape York. Starting out from Cooktown, you’ll be picked up by 4WD and taken on a journey 70km north west to Normanby Station, home to Indigenous rangers the Harrigan brothers.
Learn about traditional bush tucker and remedies as well as contemporary Aboriginal life, and hear stories handed down from generation to generation on your full-day ranger tour. Traverse the Normanby River and remote bush tracks on your trek to see rarely-seen rock art that dates back thousands of years. Feel the presence of an ancient culture as you wander sacred caves and rock shelters dotted with intricate etchings of jewfish, catfish, crocodiles and more.
Don’t have time for the full-day tour? Check out Culture Connect’s half-day Aboriginal Rock Art Experience which includes a guided interpretive walk among the rock art galleries. Just be sure to pack your hiking boots: both tours involve a 5km round trip over rugged terrain.
Set sail on the Ngaro Sea Trail in the Whitsundays
It’s not just the land that Indigenous Australians have a deep connection to. Immerse yourself in the history and customs of the seafaring Ngaro people, Traditional Owners of the Whitsundays, and learn about their spiritual connection to the water.
Hop aboard your charter boat, the Whitsunday Paradise Explorer, for a guided cultural tour of Hook Island and Nara Inlet. Explore tidal beaches and surrounding rainforest with your Aboriginal guide. Learn traditional spearfishing techniques and forage for bush tucker. Then follow the uphill track reach an ancient cave decorated with Ngaro art that dates back over 9000 years.
How to explore rock art sites solo
Photo by @photobohemian
While guided tours are highly recommended - and in some cases, the only way to access these remote and sacred spaces - you can still access some rock art sites without a guide.
Pay a visit to Carnarvon Gorge National Park, to experience two of Queensland’s most impressive Indigenous art sites: Cathedral Cave and the Art Gallery. Each is a 4-6 hour round trip over occasionally challenging terrain so you’ll need moderate fitness levels - but the reward is well worth it. Once there, marvel at sandstone walls adorned with thousands of fragile ochre stencils of hands, boomerangs and axes, thought to be the work of the Bidjara or Karingbal People.
Head north-east from Carnarvon to reach the Blackdown Tablelands, traditional home of the Gungalu people. Spend the day exploring this plateau characterised by waterfalls, sandstone gorges and eucalypt forests. Walk and rock-hop your way along Gudda Gumoo Gorge to spot Aboriginal handprints stenciled in rich red ochre, before cooling off in the rock pool at the base of the falls.
Whether you engage a guide on or explore on your own, here are five simple rules of thumb to help you (and future visitors) get the most out of your Indigenous rock art experience.
- Do your homework. Research the meaning of the rock art before you go to get a sense of the history and context.
- Look out for extra info. Plenty of self-guided walks provide signage along the route to help you understand the stories behind the art.
- Learn about the locals. Find out about the local Traditional Owners where the site is located. Who are they? What’s their connection to the land?
- Be respectful. These artworks have defied the odds to survive thousands of years - but to make sure they survive another thousand, it’s important to treat them with reverence and care. Look, don’t touch - and if you’re travelling with younger kids, keep a close eye on them.
- Leave no trace. Queensland’s national parks are areas of outstanding natural beauty - and everyone who visits is responsible for keeping them that way. Be a good citizen by taking any rubbish with you and leaving the sites exactly as you found them.
Seeking even more ways to connect with Queensland’s Indigenous culture? Check out this list of must-do Indigenous experiences for inspiration.
