I have been off the grid for the past 10 days and have loved every second . Mairead Ashcroft 5/1/17

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you may have noticed that I haven't been
around over the holiday season. That is because I was lucky enough to spend 10 days at the top end of Australia in the Northern Territory with no computer access. The photos shown on either side here are at Kakadu National Park, Yellow River. Kakadu is 20,000 square kilometres of natural habitat owned by the Indigenous Australians who are the oldest living culture on Mother Earth.

Kakadu is also the home                                                                                   to about 10,000 crocodiles,                                                                         three species of
sharks, stingrays and numerous fish. The largest concentration of bird species, about 280, live and breed in this one area and there is an enormous amount of bush tucker and medicines available in the 2,000 different plants that are in abundance at the moment during the wet season. The wet lands and the history of how the people of the different

areas hunted , gathered and survived this harsh terrain was breathtaking but the rock and cave paintings took me to another world. For example, Nourlangi Rock in Arnham Land, hold the spirit of the Lightning Dreaming, and in Particular Namarragon Djadjam, Lightning Man. My adult Daughter and I climbed to the top lookout to see the splendour of the environment. Because it was early in the morning on a day of the Big Wet (wet season in a tropical climate) we seemed to be the only tourists around on that part of the Nourlangi at that time. Suddenly there was a bright flash in the sky and the loudest crack of thunder that I have ever heard. My daughter and I both jumped and my heart was pounding. It was only then the that I realised that we had not introduced ourselves to the place and all of the beings past and present. I thanked the land and the animals for allowing us to visit and we made our way back down in silence. On the way back down to our car through crevasses, rocks and eventually a walkway, we were greeted by frill necked lizards, wallabies, huge spiders, magpie geese, crows, and many other living things.
The torrential rain held off long enough for us to make it to shelter and back to the car so I think we may have been forgiven by Namarragon Djadjam for our previous disrespect. When we got back into Darwin I created a temporary thank you to the land on the beach by using the seas beautiful offerings that washed up on the shore.
Australia is a stunning and spiritual place with the oldest living culture. Sadly, the indigenous cultures from here and other countries are not given the respect that they deserve.  Many people experience racism in their own countries and are expected to play the game of the privileged whites. I see things that I feel ashamed of as someone who came to this country from another place. I wish I

new all of the answers but I hope to learn what I can do to "Bridge the
Gap." If you live in Australia or anywhere else for that matter, learn about your country, even if you only look at the one kilometre circle in your neighbourhood with fresh eyes. What colours are in a single blade of grass, what insects live in your trees, what does the soil feel like in your fingers, do the local weed flowers have a smell, can you find the vegetation,animals and/or rock that naturally reside in your area in other neighbourhoods? Check out this beautiful earth. Your mental health will thank you.
It is deadly ! (Australian Indigenous colloquialism for fantastic)

Live your Bliss
Mairead