Derby and the West Kimberley

Geicke Gorge

Having left Turkey Creek we travelled down the Northern Highway and stopped for lunch at Halls Creek. Intended to stay here but decided differently when we saw the park. Instead we did some shopping, got fuel and continued on. Finally stopped at a rest area called Mary Pool on the Mary River. Fascinating place with at least 60 vans and tents there.The free rest areas in WA are terrific

Sandstone Cliffs on Geikie Gorge

Continued on the next day to Fitzroy Crossing and stayed in a nice park called Fitzroy Crossing Lodge. In the afternoon we took a boat cruise on the Geikie Gorge. Plenty of fresh water crocs on the banks and birds in the trees. The crocs were so tired from sunbaking all day they could hardly move!

Serene Waters of Geikie Gorge

Geikie Gorge was created when the Fitzroy River eroded a deep, narrow passage into the limestone. The water is 30 meters deep at this time of year. The multi-colored walls and cliffs are what is left over from ancient barrier reefs. These barrier reefs existed during the Devonian period millions of years ago, and layers of fossils are visible in the limestone. During the wet season the Fitzroy River floods, and water covers the entire park. The flood waters have been up to 16 metres high and have bleached the bottom layer of the Gorge's walls a bright white. The hut where we bought our ticket was under water (over the 5 metre roof) in the March flood this year!

Geikie Gorge - Magnificent Sight at Sunset

Geikie Gorge is an important Aboriginal cultural area and is known by the Bunaba people as Darngku. Although named after Sir Archibald Geikie in 1883,  I guess it won't be long before it has an aboriginal name. The Bunaba people are the traditional owners but the park is administered by the WA Dept of Env & Consv (DEC)

Entrance to Tunnel Creek

Stayed at the Kimberley Entrance Park in Derby and drove the next day into the Tunnel Creek and Windjana National Parks. This was a drive of about 380km round trip which we did in the one day. Tunnel Creek National Park is WA's oldest cave system and part of the same ancient Devonian reef system as Windjana Gorge. 

Diane Inside Tunnel Creek Cave

The cave has been carved by the waters of Tunnel Creek flowing beneath the Napier Range.You can walk 750 metres into the tunnel, wading waist-deep through freshwater pools.

Tunnel Creek Cave

Wading Through the Cave Water

The cave features many beautiful formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, and is also home to a variety of bats, olive pythons and freshwater crocodiles - so we were told but we didn't see any animals! The photos don't show it but it was very dark in most parts of the cave and we had flashlights and a headlight  to see our way through. The water was cool but not too cold and at the end we waded through waist deep water.

The Exit of Tunnel Creek from the Cave

It was very pleasant to see the exit of the creek - peaceful and serene. At the entry, the walls of the Napier Range are towering above you and you have to climb over and squeeze between big boulders to get into the cave. Walking the creek was quite an experience - it took us about an hour and a half in total and the wearing of old sneakers was essential as we were walking across many rocks on the creek bottom.
Apparently Tunnel Creek National Park, is famous as it was used as a hideout late in the 1800's by a rebel Aboriginal leader known as Jandamarra. He was killed outside its entrance in 1897.

Windjana Gorge (Complete with Freshwater Croc)

We did not realize how magnificent Windjana Gorge is until we got there. Although much smaller, it rivals the gorge at Katherine for beauty. It's also one of the best places to see freshwater crocs in the wild. We saw about 12 in the short time we were there. They were just lazing on the river banks oblivious to the tourists. Windjana Gorge National Park is part of a 375 million-year-old Devonian reef system. Carved out by the Lennard River, the gorge is over three kilometres long with 300 metre-high walls.

Freshwater Croc up Close

 This crocodile was a reasonable size for freshies (about 3 metres long). This one, along with all the others was very quiet, just lazing in the sun and we were able to get quite close - always on the alert, though!

Windjana Gorge in June

Beautiful Windjana Gorge

 At the base of the gorge, there are deep freshwater pools surrounded by native fig, cadjeput and liechardt trees which attract flocks of  corellas, fruit bats and of course, fresh water crocodiles. The area is of great cultural importance to the local Bunuba people who once lived there.

The Prison Boab Tree at Derby

This massive ancient Boab Tree is believed to be around 1,500 years old which makes it the oldest living thing in Australia. It sits on the outskirts of  Derby in the West Kimberley region. The tree is an incredible 14 metres in circumference. With its hollow centre and hole cut into its side for a door, this Boab Tree was once used as a prison by early police patrols in the 1880's as a staging point for prisoners being walked to Derby. Another prison boab tree of similar age and size is located near Wyndham.

World's Longest Cattle Trough

Near the Prison Boab Tree is this cattle trough. Not just any cattle trough but the longest one in the world! It is still in use, is 120m long and can water up to 500 bullocks at the same time. Pretty impressive eh?  It has a constant feed from a nearby windmill operated bore pump.

Finally we left the Kimberleys and headed for Broome and a restful few days by the sea.

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)