Bob, Doug and myself headed out to Maroota to look for some Aboriginal art sites we had recently heard about. On earlier trips we had visited several engravings sites in the Maroota area. This trip, we were hoping to find two cave art sites.
The first cave we visited was out along a ridge in what I think is now Maroota Nature Reserve. We followed a very overgrown fire road at first.
It was interesting to see the slug trail marks on this rock outcrop –
Then more ridge.
We found an overhang, but it was far too high on the ridge.
We continued a but further.
We scrambled down a few small cliff lines and reached the cave.
This cave contained a lot of charcoal art.
On the right is a bird – probably an emu, and another animal on the left.
There were plenty of motifs, but it was hard to work out what they were.
Perhaps another emu –
And some sort of bug? –
On the roof were some large snakes –
Here is an iDStretched version of the first emu panel.
This was a very interesting cave and well worth the effort of walking out and looking for it.
Fringe Lilies –
The second art cave was located near a well know engraving site, previously called the “Devil’s Rock” but now known as Guragalung Gayanayung Aboriginal Place.
Cantharellus cinnabarinus
On the way to where we thought the cave was, we came across this old survey line –
The cave was surprisingly small, but contained a lot of interesting and well preserved art. The most obvious art was in white ochre, but there was also art in red ochre and charcoal.
There were a lot of white ochre hand stencils, but also boomerang stencils and a stone axe stencil.
There were also two stencils of a twig.
Now looking at iDStetched versions.
Below, you can see a white hand stencil and some ochre art, but also a white kangaroo motif.
And the same photo but with a different setting to bring out the charcoal art –
Below, another white hand stencil bit also some white motifs, perhaps human figures.
There is a red ochre motif over the two hand stencils –
The same photo with a different setting –
This one is very interesting, as it features three snakes in shite ochre between the hand stencil and the boomerang stencil.
In a nearby creek were several sets of sharpening grooves.
Ramaria sp.
We then visited a rock outcrop that has three large wells or waterholes carved into the rock.
And lastly we visited the engraving site, but the light was poor for discerning the art.
You can make out a hand, part of a large spirit figure –
Part of the spirit figure –
Below is an emu engraving. the emu has a large clutch of eggs –
Sharpening groove –
Another spirit figure –
