Page 233 - Mit dem Wohnwagen durch Australien

The heat increases to 50.2 C and our air-conditioning cannot cope any longer it only cools down to 35 C in the
caravan. We drink huge amounts of water. Alcohol is deadly in this heat. We are on edge all day and listen to the
wireless. We have implemented our fire plan. We packed the bare necessities, things like papers, medication etc.
into a box. The chairs and table are already in the car. The fire in the vicinity has been put out and two others as well.
Work which can produce sparks, like welding or sawing metal is forbidden. We stay close by and go to cool McDonalds
to go to the internet. Slowly Clouds move in. This could be the biggest fire hazard of all. Lightning! Back at the
campground we dive into the swimming pool. This is also the Safe Area. A main road passes close by. It does not
bear thinking what could happen, if a careless driver threw out a smouldering cigarette butt. An inferno could be the
result.

Slowly night is closing in; the temperatures are still around 40C. So far there has no fire gotten out of control. For
tomorrow there is a weather forecast of lower temperatures, towards lunch time a cool south wind is supposed to
bring some rain. We still have Code Red, but the catastrophic danger is gone for the time being. Now Melbourne
and the easterly parts of Victoria are threatened.

The rain came and the temperatures fell down to 16 C. We changed the aircondo to heating.

GARIWERD – THE GRAMPIANS
We have explored the Grampians. That is a mountainous National park which was developed Eons ago by Volcanic
activities. We hiked for hours on end, over soft sandy paths, through shady Bush paths, over steep rocky inclines,
up hot aluminium ladders and stony volcanic plateaus. On the hottest day this summer we explored the partially
shady “Grand Canyon” only to find on top, that the way down did not have any shade at all and led over steep stony
slopes. We were cooked by evening. On the other hand, we have glimpsed normally dry waterfalls, because we
hiked on a day after a big rain. We have caught sight of wonderful things.

In free nature we have observed plenty of Wallabies and Kangaroos, a herd of Emus, colourful Cockatoos, a
Wombat, a hare, a voracious Currawong, a 1.5 m long snake, various lizards and one blue tongue lizard. We had an
unsurpassed experience when a wedge-tailed Eagle majestically soared above us. Could it have been Bunjil?
Unfortunately most of the very shy animals disappeared before Beat was able to get his camera in position.

ABORIGINAL ROCK ART
We have followed our special interest, the prehistoric Art. After having visited many sites in Europe, the oldest being
18’000 years old with the beautiful polychrome lifelike pictures in Southern France and Spain, or the younger rock
carvings in Scandinavia and other prehistoric Art sites in Spain and Portugal, we wanted to know, what stories the
up to 40’000 year old Aboriginal Art would tell us.

We have explored five rock shelters in the Grampians with Aboriginal Art. In the first we found Bunjil, the creator of
the Universe with his two helpers, the dingoes. After he had finished his work, Bunjil metamorphosed into an eagle
and can so still overview his works. In the other shelters we found lots of hands. Some of them are negative, some
positive. The negative where made by the Artist holding his hand against the rock and then spray a mouthful of red
ochre over it. We also found paintings of Kangaroo- Emu- and other animal tracks, but most of all, humans. They
are mostly depicted as stick figures. There are hardly any animal pictures so far, same as in Scandinavia. The
oldest paintings in Europe however show mostly animals. On both, the European and Australian pictures one finds
numerous graphic designs, which, as of now, have not been deciphered. Very intriguing contrasts and coincidences.

Latest scientific research has shown that the dream stories of the Aborigines, their verbal historic lore, are in most
cases based on true facts. For instance, one story tells of a huge object fallen from the sky, which built a large
crater. The scientists have now found that millions of years ago, before the emergence of humans, at the indicated
place, actually a meteorite has fallen. The Aborigines have already had very good astronomical understanding tens
of thousands of years ago.

The Aborigines lived off the land, its fruits and animals and have rarely cultivated plants, or domesticated animals,
with the exception of the dingoes. The Australian continent was so plentiful, that its inhabitants had plenty of time to
tell their tales and construct their art work. Almost paradise, but certainly a sign of higher civilisation.