ARNHEMLAND ART SAFARI 7-12 MAY 2022
What an experience! After waiting for two years to get there, Mount Borrodaile didn’t disappoint! Ten artists took off from Darwin in a 13 seater light plane to fly to Davidson’s safari lodge in the heart of Arnhemland. It was a magnificent flight along the coastline of the Gulf. The patterns and shapes forming the landscape below were just magic.
The Rainbow Serpent Aboriginal painting sat high up under a ledge on the cliff face. Difficult to get to but a terrific painting- so very clear. There are a lot of Aboriginal art and we saw but a glimpse of it. Safeguarded from lots of tourists, Davidsons only have 40 cabins which restrict numbers. There are walls and walls of paintings and all of it has been preserved. A sunset cruise on the Billabong was amazing. So many birds- I was gobsmacked! We saw whistling ducks, Terns, Magpie Geese, Egrets, Jabaru, Jacana’s, Kites, and so many more. Crocodile were there too. Hidden among grasses with mouths open waiting for a bite.
At a site called ‘tassie tiger’ because of the Tasmanian Tiger drawing on the rocks, there was a variety of things to paint – the escarpment, with orange grass as high as an elephants eye forming a veil in front of it. Palms, bushland- it was a silent spiritual and beautiful place- but so hot that we all had to keep following the shade. One day we went to a swamp where there was a paperbark forest and where we had to find a flat rock to sit on so we could see over the grass to paint. We painted Mount Borrodaile from a boat! Our guide had to move the boat around until we all had shade under the canopy, quite difficult to do, but the scene in front of us- The escarpment, and the billabong laid out with the waterlilies in bloom in front, and the birds was just astounding. We visited a burial site and it felt eerie. It was special to be allowed to paint in that area but not too close to the actual burial catacombs.
We went swimming and sketching at a waterhole and it was just so cooling to escape the heat in the water.
Talking about the heat, it was hot and humid and very hard to deal with at times. No need for makeup- it just ran off your face! A cold shower cooled you off - until you stepped out of it. You were hot again!
But despite the heat, the mosquitos, the sandflies, and some difficult terrain, this was a special place. We were fortunate to have been there to experience such a beautiful place. Now I am home that landscape is in my head, and I can’t wait to do some painting from the reference I gathered!