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  • 2 days ago
The waterfall was closed in 2019 due to a dispute between traditional owners and Parks Australia over damage to a sacred Aboriginal men's site.

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Transcript
00:00Swimmers return to the top pools of the spectacular Gundlum Falls.
00:06We felt really welcomed in because we were just part of the two of us.
00:09Refreshing.
00:10Yeah, refreshing after the time.
00:11For some Territorians, it's been a long time between dips.
00:15We came here when Eddie was two, probably just before it closed.
00:20Boongal dancers from West Arnhem celebrating the rebirth of one of Kakadu National Park's most popular campground.
00:27Just like it came back to life again.
00:32You know, everybody here.
00:35For traditional owners, the opening is also closure.
00:38Six years ago, Parks Australia built a walkway to the top of the falls too close to a sacred site
00:44and disturbed it and the traditional owners.
00:47The legal battle went all the way to the High Court
00:50before the federal agency ultimately pleaded guilty to breaking the NT's sacred site laws.
00:56It's like a healing place.
01:01It's just something that when you lose somebody, you want to come here and sit and the pain will go away.
01:12The walkway has been realigned and the federal government says the Commonwealth has learned lessons from the ordeal.
01:18The reopening of Gundlum Falls is not just about the opening of the falls as a tourist opportunity.
01:23It's the opening of a better relationship between Parks Australia, traditional owners and the Board of Management here in Kakadu National Park.
01:32With the top end tourist season in full swing, custodians say they're happy to once again share this special place with the public.
01:40I love this place. It's got a lot of powerful stories.
01:45Though they're urging visitors to stay out of the bottom pool for now after some recent croc sightings.
01:52The standards of the Jules
01:54A mid-lip-satmary
01:55BIRDS
01:57BIRDS
01:58BIRDS
02:00A mid-lip-satmary
02:03BIRDS
02:04BIRDS

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