Oprah's Ultimate Adventure
In December 2010, we had the privilege of taking 14 of Oprah's Ultimate Audience members to an ancient and hidden rock art gallery on our country in south-west Arnhem Land.
The women were taken on a charter flight from Darwin to Jabiru, where they then boarded helicopters for a tour over Kakadu National Park, along the escarpment and onto the Arnhem Land plateau.
On arrival at the site we call Gabarnmung, the women were greeted by three Jawoyn women - elder and traditional owner of the site Margaret Katherine along with Jawoyn elder Lily Bennett and Sybil Ranch.
Elders Margaret and Lily then lead the women to the base of the cave where they blessed each of the ladies' heads with water from the nearby spring. Margaret also called out to her ancestors to ask them to welcome the special visitors.
Following the sacred introduction, the women and rock art specialist Robert Gunn took the women on a tour of the site, explaining the paintings, their style and the stories associated with some of the hundreds of figures painting on the walls.
They then showed them artefacts found at the site when it was rediscovered in 2006 - including stone axes, stone flakes, a woomera and message stick.
Additionally, the women were able to get up close to a shard of a ground-edge stone axe found at the site during an international archaeological dig held earlier in the year. The piece has been dated at 35,500 years old.
After marvelling at the site's rich cultural works, the Territory's own Walkabout Chef Steve Sunk treated the group to a smorgasbord of bush tucker - including barramundi, kangaroo, buffalo, damper and an array of jams made from bush berries and fruits.
The experience was screened as part of Oprah's four-part series on the Ultimate Adventure in Australia.
Additionally, oprah's website - www.oprah.com - is featuring a special on the site, our country and a documentary in production 'Spirits in the Stone'
To view the online exclusive, you can visit the following links: