In a desperate bid to change her fortune and "save a life", a woman has taken to social media with an unusual request: Can someone return rocks we took home from the Northern Territory?
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The woman, who did not want to be named, said she and her family had been cursed after taking souvenir rocks from a sacred place within Nitmiluk National Park.
"It's been hell since then," the 36-year-old said, adding she and her family had been riddled with bad luck since the rocks left their place of origin.
The body corporate manager said her husband had picked the rocks during a bush walk to take home to the Sunshine Coast as a harmless souvenir, but then the "horror" began.
"Someone said once we were home it was a bad idea, and then all the bad followed," the woman told ACM's Katherine Times.
"The first thing was our cousin had a freak accident at work on a big farming machine and passed.
"We also lost my husband's dad and a work mate to a freak allergic reaction."
The woman said the sudden deaths weren't the only bad luck the family had been experiencing.
"Yesterday we found out one of my two egg donor embryos failed," she said.
The rocks have since embarked on a journey back to the NT, after the woman connected with a stranger via social media whom she sent the souvenirs to.
"I kissed them goodbye and said sorry.
"Hopefully by sending the rocks back our second embryo has some good juju," the woman said.
"I owe (the stranger) my life."
A spokesperson for Nitmiluk National Park said due to the original location of the rocks being a sacred site, a cultural advisor and Traditional Owners would take the rocks off the person receiving them via mail before taking them back to where they belonged.
The curse of the 'sorry rocks'
The so-called "sorry rock phenomenon" is not uncommon across the Northern Territory.
Every day, rangers at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park receive parcels containing souvenired rocks and sand, sent back by guilty or unlucky travellers from as far away as the United States of America or Europe.
"More often than not, the parcels are accompanied by personal hand-written letters of apology. The letters reveal that many visitors return the rocks because they recognise the error in their ways and wish to see the pieces of Uluru return home," a Parks spokesperson said.
"(Some) visitors believe that they have been riddled with bad luck or even been cursed as a result of removing the rocks."
According to Traditional Owners, under Tjukurpa, the Indigenous Anangu law governing life and land around Uluru, there are consequences for disobeying the law of the land.
Traditional Owner Johnny Jingo said rocks needed to remain on country.
"It's fine to take a photo of this place and take that away ... but leave the rocks," he said.
At Uluru, removing rocks and sand from the landscape is not only disrespectful to Anangu culture, it is also illegal.
Under Australian law, visitors can be fined up to $5000 for removing rocks, sand or soil from the National Park.
Annie Hesse
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
I am an award-winning media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcast, as well as photography and videography. I am the NT Correspondent at Australian Community Media and I write for my hometown newspaper, the Katherine Times. I love telling people's stories, and I am passionate about giving those a voice who may otherwise remain unheard. When I am not busy putting pen to paper, I spend time in my garden, go bushwalking or travel across the Northern Territory, Australia or the world. In my spare time I write, illustrate and publish books.
