30 Jul 2025

Mesmerized by ancient Rock Art at Swift Bay

Another beautiful warm morning greeted us in the Kimberley Coast. After a delicious breakfast, our Zodiacs were at the ready and we headed ashore onto the mainland of Australia to walk inland and visit ancient Kimberley rock art. Today’s first rock art site displayed Namarali Wandjina art style, famed for being the power of the wind, rain, and lightning and providing a productive wet season. At this impressive site, we could lie down and enjoy the art, imagining how these art forms were created. Back on the beach, there was a myriad of shells to enjoy, and Hermit Crabs to watch racing along the sand. 

Our afternoon was relocating to Swift Bay. We had the treat of two art sites, one displaying Wandjina art and the other the older style, Gwion Gwion. Arriving at high tide meant we had easy access up the rocks to the Wandjina site, and with an informative interpretation of the morning site, we all enjoyed the different artworks. 

The second site, after a scramble up the rocks and roots, was well worth it to see the different figures depicted on the rocks. Here we also headed into a cave encountering bats, spider webs, small lizards and insects. At the landing site, the large fig tree provided shade while we watched for rays cruising in the mangroves – having a great encounter whilst awaiting a Zodiac. 

Others opted for an art-free afternoon and headed out for a Zodiac cruise up a small mangrove-lined river, watching the fish shoal together. The larger fish basked in the sunlight and mangroves, slowly revealing themselves as the tide went out. Further into Swift Bay, we enjoyed sightings of Beach Stone-curlew, an Osprey nest and Crocodile tracks up on the beach. 

Images © E. Bell, Heritage Expeditions