Aborigines - Ancient times to the present

Having said good by to a few of the local kangaroos waiting to see us off, we headed south with Adelaide as our final destination today. First stop was Arkaroo Rock where ancient Aboriginal paintings dating back 30, 000 years were found a few years ago. The weather was crisp (about 50 degrees) and clear, perfect for a hike. We climbed to about 2500 ft. over red sandstone rocks passing occasional kangaroos who blithely hopped away as we huffed and puffed our way up the rough path. The climb, however, was definitely worth our efforts. When we reached the overhang there were ancient ochre and charcoal images depicting the creation of the Wilpena Pound which we'd flown over yesterday.

I love Australia and Aussies for many reasons and one is the fact that they never go very long without an excuse for eating. In less than an hour after leaving Arkaroo Rock, we pulled off the road and drove to the Kanyaka homestead ruins for a native bush morning tea with scones. The homestead was once a huge sheep station in the pioneering days of the 1800's. The photo is one of me standing in front of one of the remaining structures.

As we left the ruins, the scenery changed to vast expanses of scrub brush flat lands, reminiscent of The Thornbirds. Hayden, our Aboriginal guide since landing in Adelaide, was passionate about his culture and arranged a stop for us to meet his Auntie Clara. What an enlightening and delightful experience this was for our group. In 1934 Auntie Clara at age 6 became one of the Stolen Children. Beginning in the 1920's the Australian government felt it would be beneficial for Aboriginal children to be taken permanently from their parents. The goal was to erase any connection they might have with their native culture and be raised in the missionary culture instead . Auntie Clara was delightful and her story was very moving as she never saw her mother again. Amazingly, she had no bitterness. Having become a kindergarten teacher, she eventually reconnected with her relatives and related her story to us in the photo.

By now we had gone almost 2 hours without food so it was time for lunch We stopped in Melrose, the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges and nestled at the base of Mt. Remarkable. It was a center for copper mining when the mineral was discovered in the 1840's.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent driving to Adelaide where we are spending the night.
Tomorrow will be a busy – and fun day – as we have breakfast on the famous Ghan train and then go to an Aussie football game before flying to Kangaroo Island.

From Adelaide, Austin's Sister City....
Linda