It was a long battle for the extraordinary Murujuga landscape across the Burrup Peninsula in the Pilbara to secure World Heritage Status in late 2025.

UNESCO's recognition of one of Earth's most significant concentrations of ancient rock art was only the second site in Australia honoured by the global body for its First Nations cultural heritage.

The rock engravings represent the continuous cultural practice of Aboriginal people across tens of thousands of years, with the Ngarda-Ngarli people caring for Country for more than 50,000 years.

The argument for inclusion was led by the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and federal government.

The Murujuga Cultural Landscape was one of four Australian inclusions in TIME magazine's World's Greatest Places 2026 - one of the masthead's handful of special edition listings; recognising the growing global interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural experiences and heritage sites.

The release of TIME's annual list curated by an international network of correspondents spotlights destinations offering the most compelling new travel experiences to the New York-based publication's million-plus readers.

MAC chair Peter Hicks told National Indigenous Times the authorised cultural body of the spectacular Murujuga Cultural Landscape was "absolutely thrilled" to see it recognised on the magazine's global list.

"Murujuga is not just a place of ancient art, it is a living, breathing cultural landscape recognised by UNESCO and cared for by the Ngarda-Ngarli people for the past 50,000 years," Mr Hicks said.

"Its significance lies in the ongoing relationship between people, Country and culture, making it one of the most important heritage sites on Earth.

"We are immensely proud of this international recognition."

Murujuga's ancient rock art of prehistoric megafauna and early human life etched into its red boulders were among the magazine's 'Places to Visit' category.

The World Heritage nomination for Murujuga supported by representatives of the region's five Traditional Owner groups - the Yaburara, Mardudhunera, Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo peoples - was advanced through a 10-year process involving scientific and cultural assessments.

Custodians travelled to Paris last July to promote the nomination, joined by senior Australian officials and Environment minister Murray Watt, who engaged in direct diplomatic efforts to secure support from voting nations.