Gulgurn Manja Shelter Walk (1.5km)

The Gulgurn Manja Shelter Walk is a 1.5 km return hike in Grampians National Park, Victoria, graded as an easy walk and typically completed in about 45 minutes. The walk begins at the Hollow Mountain Carpark, leading through scenic landscapes with views of surrounding rocky cliffs and ridges. The Gulgurn Manja Shelter, meaning "hands of young people," is a significant Aboriginal rock art site located at the northern tip of Gariwerd. This site holds cultural importance for the Jardwadjali people, who were able to observe fires from other groups on the plains to the north from this vantage point.

The shelter is known for its unique rock art, including bars, emu tracks, and numerous handprints, many of which were made by children. These handprints are a feature of the local art style in northern Gariwerd, used historically to tell stories and pass down the laws of the people. The fine-grained sandstone of the area was also used by the Jardwadjali to make stone tools, with visible marks in the shelter where stone was removed.

Gariwerd, the Aboriginal name for the Grampians, has deep cultural significance for the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali people, who have lived in the area for thousands of years. The Djab Wurrung primarily inhabited the plains to the east, while the Jardwadjali moved between the plains and the mountains depending on the season. The mountains were not only a source of food but also a place for fulfilling religious and kinship obligations.

The nearby plains, rich in swamps, lakes, and rivers, provided an abundant supply of food, including waterbirds, emus, possums, kangaroos, and fish. Local plants like yam-daisy, eucalypts, and wattles also offered essential resources. Fire was an important tool for the Aboriginal people, used to encourage new plant growth and increase food supplies, a practice that continues in some areas today.

Gulgurn Manja is one of over 100 Aboriginal rock art sites in Gariwerd, the richest area of Aboriginal rock art in Victoria. This site, along with four others, is promoted to visitors, offering a glimpse into the cultural heritage of the region. The story of fire, a significant part of Aboriginal mythology, is also connected to this landscape, teaching lessons about the use and control of fire that remain relevant today.