Even people with long experience of rockart sites would struggle to remain emotionless at Kudjekbinj (goo-jik-bin), a rock shelter about 320 kilometres east of Darwin, in the heart of Arnhem Land.
It's a majestic place in the shadow of an imposing escarpment. A massive slab of sandstone, some 25 metres long, lies separated cleanly from the rock above, its shiny surface rubbed smooth by generations of Bininj people – traditional custodians of this country. The presence of the ancestral figure of Naworo (nar-war-o) is palpable. This is his place, the surrounding land shaped by his journeys. According to Bininj senior custodian Terry Maralngurra, Naworo's body lies beneath the block of sandstone.
And there, above, only an arm's length away, is his imposing spirit. Few places in northern Australia hold such a close association between the physical and spiritual.
Conrad Maralngurra, his older brother Terry and other Traditional Owners of the Ngalngbali (nglun-bali) clan estate in Western Arnhem Land feared the revered painting of Naworo at Kudjekbinj was on the verge of disappearing. The white clay, or delek, that characterised the 9.5metre painting had faded due to time and weathering.
After consulting with the clan, Conrad and Terry Maralngurra decided to revive Naworo, one of several nayuhyungki (na-yu-yungi) – ancestors – a giant, who arrived from the north to travel Arnhem Land thousands of years ago. They would repaint the image of the one-armed being with six fingers and six toes
