June 8th 2026: met up with Roy Banjo at 8.30 am at the Quinkan cultural centre and were joined by Allessandro, an Italian Bonds lawyer working in London.

We went to Split Rock along a well marked track with handrails and steep steps. Our guide Roy helped rangers and Percy Trezise build the walking track in the 1980’s. Roy explained the meaning of each painting, the oldest of which is apparently 14,000 years from carbon dating charcoal in a fireplace made inside an ant-hill. There were the bad spirits-the Imjim and the good spirits the Tamara  plus men and women and animals fish birds reptiles. We then went up to further sites with more paintings. Roy then offered to take us to the top of the escarpment via a closed off much rougher track with large rock steps then clambering over rocks and through a low rock passageway and we came out on top of the escarpment with spectacular views! On the way up he pointed our various flowers- kangaroo paw, kapok trees in flower, the bush clothes peg tree , the Laura apple, a native grape ( quite sweet with small fruit and large pip). We had mandarins at the top and then made our way down using our poles. 

We took it easy in the afternoon, seeing birds at close range to our van- a blue-winged kookaburra, a blue faced honeyeater, a little egret, flocks of galahs and corellas.

We had dinner at the pub again for the wonderful grilled gulf barramundi. 

                   Green ant nest
                   Roy with view from near Split Rock







Ibis to right
Echidna

Circular pattern indicates ceremonial site eg circumcision

Flying foxes hanging upside down 






Eel





The hunt with pig, young man taught by 2 elders 

View from top of escarpment 
Chinese person with Coolie Hat in gold rush days














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