Arnhem Land, una delle zone più selvagge e sacre dell'Australia, si trova nella rigogliosa punta settentrionale del continente. È stata dichiarata Riserva degli aborigeni nel 1931 e rimane un luogo di forte tradizione con una cultura distintiva e famose opere d'arte, pur rimanendo in gran parte incontaminato dalla colonizzazione europea.
Gli splendidi paesaggi forniti dai diversi ecosistemi della zona includono coste frastagliate, fiumi, isole remote, una foresta pluviale, boschi e scogliere. Arnhem Land ospita sia coccodrilli di acqua salata che dolci dugonghi, per i quali quest'area funge da importante habitat di conversazione.
I visitatori attratti da Arnhem Land per la sua cultura non rimarranno delusi. Gunbalanya (noto anche come Oenpelli) ospita l'Injalak Art and Craft Center, dove gli artisti lavorano e le loro merci sono disponibili per l'acquisto. I tour spesso portano i viaggiatori nella vicina boscaglia per conoscere l'arte rupestre aborigena, i miti di Dreamtime e il bush tucker, i cibi originari dell'Australia.
Arnhem Land covers a vast area and includes a variety of landscapes, from coast to bush to gorge. Travelers usually visit western parts of Arnhem Land on a guided tour from Darwin or the Kakadu National Park. Outsider access to Arnhem Land is restricted, and while it’s possible to travel there independently with a free permit, this takes some time to arrange. If starting in Darwin, guided tours normally last two or three days, and include highlights of Kakadu as well. If starting from Jabiru/Kakadu, a single-day trip is more comfortable. Tours generally visit the Injalak Arts Center and ancient rock art galleries in the hills with a local Aboriginal guide.
Arnhem Land borders Kakadu, so is easily reached on a tour from the town of Jabiru. The popular Injalak Arts Centre (Gunbalanya) is about a 60-minute drive from Jabiru. Many travelers also come from Darwin, the main city of the Northern Territory, which is about a 4-hour drive west of Gunbalanya. If coming from Darwin, it makes sense to join an overnight or multi-day trip.
Tropical northern Australia experiences wet and dry seasons. Avoid travel to Arnhem Land in the wet season (November to April) as it can be uncomfortably hot and humid, and access may actually be blocked by flooding. The dry season (May to October) is preferable.
A major reason that many travelers want to visit Arnhem Land is to see the ancient Aboriginal rock art of Injalak Hill. There are also many impressive sites in the Kakadu National Park. Ubirr and Nourlangie Rock are both a short drive from Jabiru, with some paintings over 20,000 years old.
IT
