Ubirr

Ubirr is a rock formation in Kakadu National Park, Australia, known for its ancient Aboriginal rock art.

The rock outcrops on the Nadab floodplain feature natural shelters adorned with Aboriginal rock paintings, some dating back over 40,000 years. The art depicts creation ancestors and local animals, offering insights into ancient Aboriginal life. From the top of Ubirr rock, visitors can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding floodplains and escarpments.

To reach Ubirr, visitors can drive approximately 40 kilometers from Jabiru along a sealed road. Once at Ubirr, a short walk from the car park leads to the foot of Ubirr Rock. National park rangers, many of whom are Indigenous, provide talks at the three main galleries of art accessible to visitors.

The main gallery at Ubirr is a popular site featuring numerous examples of "X-ray art" and paintings of white men and Mimi spirits. The Mimi spirits are depicted high up on the rock, and it remains a mystery how the artists reached those areas to paint them. According to local belief, the Mimi spirits themselves painted the pictures and brought the rock down to ground level. The main gallery also showcases a painting of the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, highlighting the antiquity of the art.

The Rainbow Serpent Gallery is the most sacred site at Ubirr. Traditionally, it is a women-only site, but this rule is relaxed for non-Indigenous tourists. This site is visited by the Rainbow Serpent or "Garranga'rreli" during her journey across the