Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles)

Diane on the Echidna Chasm Walk

After leaving Parry's Creek we travelled down the Northern Highway to Turkey Creek (now called Warmun). This is a busy place centred around the roadhouse where the caravan park is located. It's an important rest and fuel stop for traffic on the major road between Broome and Kununurra. We left our van here for two days on our trip into The National Park. The ranger station is 107km from Turkey Creek (54km on bitumen and 53km on dirt. The dirt part was something else - 34 water crossings and about 2 1/2 hours to negotiate

Majestic Echidna Chasm

Echidna Chasma is one of the main attractions in the Purnululu Park. It has a moderate walk for about 45 minutes return through a short stretch of undergrowth and into the chasm. This is a spectacular long narrow chasm (not unlike Standley Chasm near Alice Springs but I think this one is longer). The ridges are up to 200m high and yield striking red and golden colour variations from the sun. We were fortunate to be there around midday to see the sun enter from directly above. Note the size of the people in the photo compared with the chasm walls!

Diane is dwarfed by the Size of the Chasm

The walk is up a creek bed and the walls of the chasm slowly close in on each side. It finally gets to the point where the crevice in which you are walking is only a metre wide and a hundred metres high. The light reflects off the orange domes above you and creates an eerie fluorescent glow on the creek bed below. It is simply stunning. It was created by millions of wet season rains and is adorned with tall Livistona palms.

The Magnificent Rock Formations of the Bungle Bungles

The name Bungle Bungles only came into being in 1930. They were named after the old Bungle Bungle Station but the origin of the name is not known although there are a few theories. We are told that this area has been part of Aboriginal Life for 20,000 years, but we didn't see many on our visit. As a result of it's botanical importance and significance, the WA government established the Purnululu National Park in 1987. In 2003 the 240,000 hectare park and 80,000 hectare reserve were declared a World Heritage Area.

View North From Osmand Lookout

In the north of the park and just near Echidna Gorge is a lookout from where you can see the Osmand Ranges. In the foreground you can see the sweep of Red Rock Creek as it drains into Osmand Creek. Truly a fantastic view.

The Domes were formed Millions of Years Ago

Walking in the Park is generally easy. The paths are well marked with plenty of information on grades, distances and amenities. The climate was ideal for walking - not too hot or humid. The park is closed during the wet season (Nov to March) as the place is covered in water.

The Natural Landforms have a Mystical Quality

The beehive like domes are known as karst formations and are regarded as the most exceptional examples of sandstone in the world. They were shaped by the right mix of dissolution, weathering and erosion. Such is their appeal they attract visitors from all over the world, despite the relative remoteness and difficult access.

Our Camp at Walardi Campsite

There are two campsites in the national Park - Kurrajong (northern) and Walardi (southern). Both have their own caretakers and well looked after. We stayed at Walardi for 2 nights and the experience brought us back to our youth with basic tent camping. The caretakers kept the toilets in good shape and provided wood for the fireplaces. They didn't allow anyone to burn wood from the bush. We were pretty well set up with stove, lights, fridge and good bedding. Almost as comfortable as the van!

Bungle Bungle Range with Fabulous Wildflowers in the Foreground

There are several bird, reptile, mammal and frog species in the park but unfortunately we didn't see many of these. We did see a plains turkey (Australian Bustard) a few honey eaters, finches, swallows and of course Kookaburras.
Vegetation in the Kimberleys is typical tropical savannah. Tree species include bloodwoods and snappy gums and numerous species of spinifex  cover the understorey.

Blue Winged Kookuburra on our Picnic Table

We spotted a few Blue Winged Kookaburras near our camp. They were very tame as they came right up to us to be fed. This fella had a feast on bread and toast and would take food from the hand. These may not be rare but we hadn't seen any before.

Entry to the Unnamed Gorge

One of the gorges in the south of the park is unnamed. Amazing as it is such a great spot and an easy walk to get to it. We were told by the ranger that it had special meaning to the aborigines as they used it to herd wild life to catch for their food. Not sure how true that is but sometimes I think they make stories up for the tourists.

Cathedral Gorge

Cathedral Gorge is a vast amphitheatre cut out of the sandstone rock mountain. The walk into the gorge is through striped sandstone beehives, creekbeds, looming cliffs and evidence of waterfalls that would cascade down the rock faces in the wet season. The gorge amphitheatre must be 150 m across with a permanenent pond in the middle.Everyone we spoke to were in awe of the place.

Piccaninny Creek

Piccaninny Creek is a major waterway in the park. In the dry season it's as you can see in the photo - dry as a bone.However, in the wet it becomes a rushing torrent metres deep. The creek bed consists of soft rock which has been worn away in a curved fashion. The path follows the creek bed and it's easier to walk on than the normal creek pebbles!

Wild Flowers in the Bungles

Not sure what they are called but the red bush flowers were stunning. They were everywhere in the open spaces and had a distinctive scent. They may be Banksia or Arcacia but were really beautiful.

View south from Piccaninny Creek Lookout

The walk along Piccaninny Creek to the lookout was well worth it. Although a bit hard going for some, the 3km round trip culminated in a fabulous view of the Bungles looking south. This is a favourite spot for the tour operators and we tagged along for a while to hear their commentary. The view to the north was over Piccaninny Creek and the famous round rocks. There's a longer walk along the creek to Piccaninny Gorge  but we didn't consider this as it's 13 km each way and an overnight hike. A bit much for us.

After a full and very interesting 2 days at Purnululu we headed back to the van at Turkey Creek and ready for the next stage of the trip (The East Kimberley)