Some caves like the private one where the men meet were strictly off limits to photography due to Aboriginal requirements. Cheryl asked that we delete any such photos from the camera if we inadvertently shot them. The Aboriginals also don’t want people to climb their rock; they feel it is horribly disrespectful. When the tourist rules were negotiated, the white people would not agree to a complete ban, and left one area open for climbing. We observed many of these tourists obsessed with climbing making a line up the hot rock along a handrail, but personally I think the government should have banned climbing completely. Mainly, I think I think the wishes of the Aboriginals should be respected, but also climbing this steep and hot rock in the hot summer is very dangerous. Forty people have died on the rock and scores more have died after climbing from heart attacks. The Aboriginals also don’t like to be photographed, so we kept that courtesy in mind, too.
