Day three of our journey through the Carnarvon Ranges, and the Little Sandy Desert continues to reveal its secrets in the most unexpected ways.
My mate Steve T and I set out early, eager to explore the rock formations we'd spotted from a distance yesterday. The morning light was perfect for photography – that golden glow that makes the red sandstone absolutely sing. These formations are something else entirely. Massive overhangs of layered rock, weathered by millennia into sweeping curves and dramatic shelters. The striations in the stone tell stories of ancient seas and shifting landscapes, each layer a chapter in Australia's geological history.
We scrambled through narrow passages between towering pinnacles, some rising like natural pyramids against the overcast sky. The rust-red tones of the oxidized sandstone contrasted beautifully with the hardy vegetation – tough little shrubs and eucalypts that somehow thrive out here where most things wouldn't stand a chance.
Then we found them. Tucked beneath one of the overhangs, protected from the elements by the curve of the rock – Aboriginal art. We weren't expecting it at all, which made the discovery all the more special. White ochre figures and symbols painted onto the smooth sandstone surface, still visible after who knows how many centuries. The concave rock face showed those beautiful colour gradations from deep orange to lighter terracotta, and there, preserved in this natural gallery, were the marks of the people who knew this country long before us.
It was humbling, standing there in that ancient shelter. You could almost feel the presence of those who'd stood in the same spot, looking out at the same view, leaving their mark for future generations. We spent a good hour there, photographing carefully, treating the site with the respect it deserved. These aren't just pretty pictures on rock – they're sacred sites, windows into thousands of years of culture and connection to country.
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The rich red sand beneath our boots, the dramatic rock formations surrounding us, and now this unexpected gift of ancient art – the Carnarvon Ranges are proving to be far more than we bargained for.