DIARY OF AN AUSSIE WOMBAT

THE DEVILS MARBLES

(National Park and a very spiritual and

important place for our First Nations' People)

Poor dad, he drove for about three hours before we finally got to the camp site. I wondered if I could play marbles until I saw them.. they're HUGE! Some of the 'marbles' are almost perfectly round and all balanced on top of each other. I am amazed that they haven't fallen by now... Mum said they had been like that for thousands of years and they weren't likely to fall, but they did have some cracks in them caused by erosion. They had different shapes, and were called different things. There were some round ones that looked like someone had kind of sat on them, they were called Cheeserounds... because they really did look like a huge round of cheese!

I read about the Dreamtime stories, how four tribes met at this place and held ceremonies there. I read a story about the mischieveous spirits that stole children... One of the elders said "They are people that look like you and me that live in the caves below the big rocks, they come out... and you can't get away. It happened to me, I took my billycan down to the creek to get water for my mother when all of a sudden, there was a small person there "Come and play... follow me!" it said, I couldn't get away. My mother ran down to where I was and saved me. We never camped in that spot again. My cousin wasn't as lucky... he followed the spirit and was never seen again. The elder men in our tribe had a song about this, but time has past and that song has been lost to us... We can never get the children back. That made me sad.

We set up camp just after noon and at about 3pm heaps of caravans and motorhomes barrelled up the track and started jostling for the best camp sites. Dad looked at me and said "That's why it's important to get here early" so many people came in with huge vans and just couldn't turn around as the camp was full...

We were sitting outside enjoying the beautiful view of the sun setting over the marbles when all of a sudden, there was another Penguin... no, not another one... It was Leanne and John! Hooray.. I get another scratch. We went down to see them that night and John had his telescope and laser pointer out and we talked about the stars and the stories of the dreamtime. They were only staying one night, we stayed for three. We explored all around the marbles and surrounding hills. People think it's only a small pile of rocks, it isn't... they go on for miles and miles!

We climbed onto the granite face and slabs but we didn't climb onto the boulders as there was a sign that read "The Aboriginal people, respectfully request you do not climb on the boulders as this area is important and sacred". Dad didn't like this.... Mum said she wasn't going to climb on them and that was that! What we did do, was always keep in mind how much "Fred" a very dear friend of ours now departed from this world, had always wanted to see Devils Marbles. Mum and I went through all the photos and found one we though Fred would like, we used a programme on mum's laptop to write a message on it... We are not going to post that photo here, because it's personal between mum, dad, Bev, Bindi and Mandy... and me.

More photos for you, take care, safe travels and we leave for Alice Springs tomorrow... but we get to stop at Wycliffe Well... That's the UFO Capital of Australia! It should be a fun albeit short stop.

Cheers.. and may the force be with you... (he he)
Tahune xx