Home Made Boats

Traditional bark canoes made in Arnhem Land are made from a single piece of bark cut from a stringybark tree, seasoned over a fire and sewn together at the ends to make a canoe shape. The tops of the two sides are held apart with branches that are used as seats. An anchor can be made from a rock attached to a rope.

Canoes are an important way to get around in the monsoonal wet season, when many of the rivers and creeks in Arnhem Land are flooded by the frequent heavy rain and storms.