The strange but beautiful dome shaped orange and black banded sandstone rock formations of the Bungle Bungle Range rise dramatically from the landscape across the East Kimberley. The unique domes look like layered cakes, waiting to be devoured by mythical creatures from the ancient World. Although the sandstone slabs were deposited more than 360 million years ago, it was only during the past 20 million years that the dome shapes were carved by erosion. The weathering was also responsible for creating the incredible gorges and rivers that weave their way around the domes. There is a rather scientific explanation for the colouring in the rock but my simplistic interpretation is that the black bands have more moisture and grow bacteria whilst the orange bands, stained with iron, have dried out and can’t support bacterial growth.
Surprisingly, the Bungles were effectively unknown prior to 1983, other than to local Aboriginal people, station owners and a few helicopter pilots. Variants of the ‘discovery’ story exist but it seems a documentary maker researching the Kimberley region met up with an old school friend who was a local helicopter pilot. He took his mate over what he knew to be the weird but fascinating big bumpy rocks and the footage was added to the final documentary. Soon after, the Bungles’ tourism potential was recognised as well as its cultural and geological significance. In 1987, the Bungles and surrounding area were established as the Purnululu National Park, which was subsequently heritage listed in 2003.
The striking landforms are undoubtedly unique and remarkable. The drawcard walks, of which we only did two, were interesting but less spectacular than those we’d seen at Karijini or across the Gibb. Again, to appreciate the full beauty and scale of the Bungles, a bird’s eye view would have been the best option but at $200 p/p for a 20 minute helicopter ride, it wasn’t possible on our budget. Instead, we opted to drive the 80km of unsealed road from our free camp near the Highway to the where the main walks began. I went the first day with Gemma while Michael, Jesse and Tasha stayed with the dogs at the camp. The road was truely awful. It took almost two and a half hours to drive the 80 kilometres. It was outrageously winding, hilly and corrugated AND if that wasn’t challenging enough, the road was littered with rocks. Not just pebbles but large, sharp rocks with diameters averaging 15-20cm. Although I lowered the tyre pressures, it still felt every bump was going to pierce the rubber. Given I was driving our only means of transport and I didn’t want to risk any damage, I took it very easy. It still wasn’t enough to stop Gemma from getting seriously car sick – something she’s never had before!
The walks were actually quite quick – less than 1 hour but the 5 hours of driving to get there and back were, without doubt, the exhausting part. It made the Gibb look like a cakewalk! Needless to say, Michael decided not to make the trip the following day; instead content with my oral description and accompanying photos! Perhaps the most crazy part of it all was the cyclist we saw in the carpark who’d obviously ridden the full 80km of the shittiest track in the country!
We saw people’s number plates falling off, reverse cameras jiggle out and a fellow camper being towed back with engine failure after unsuccessfully navigating one of the three river crossings. I reckon the road claimed more scalps each day than the Gibb would in a whole season. My advice to anyway wanting to see the Bungles…do it from the air if your budget can stretch that far! Or, use a hire car!!
We ended up staying four nights at the free camp across from the National Park and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to spend time playing cards and other ‘family’ games. We did some cooking to use up our veggies before crossing the WA/NT border quarantine point (we later discovered we needn't have bothered -- there's no checkpoint going east into NT, only coming west in WA!!) and I had a chance to catch up on my blogs after having no connectivity for almost 3 weeks! We were also treated to a couple of nights of live country music by a husband & wife team who were passing through. Not really our cup of tea but a bit of fun for everyone nevertheless.
After the Bungles, we headed into civilisation for a night, staying at an overpriced caravan park in Kununurra. We bumped into the lovely older couple who'd been our neighbours at Lake Argyle, which was a nice surprise. Our neighbours in Kununurra, who were also grey nomads, seemed very friendly...so friendly in fact that we were given a personal invitation to the nudist retreat they own in Robe, SA!! It seems these places attract the original hippy generation and i can't say i'm eager to spend my holidays having to look at saggy boobs, saggy bums and lots of inappropriate wobbly bits. We needed supplies and a laundry so it was only a quick one-nighter before bidding farewell to WA. It was with some sadness we crossed the WA/NT border. (Not because of the naff sign - see pic below - but because we'd have loved to see more of WA's beautiful and contrasted landscapes) After spending about 5 months with the Sandgropers, enjoying so many of the exceptional and special places from the south all the way to the north, we'd come to love Western Australia. Oh well, as they say, "onwards and upwards"!
Photos from left to right
Part of the Bungle Bungle Ranges - they are much more impressive when you're there!
Walking between the domes is incredible
'Elephant Rock' at the Bungles (not sure how it got its name - can't see any resemblance to an elephant!)
deep holes in the river beds between the domes are amazing
Cathedral Gorge, which everyone visits, is geologically interesting with amazing acoustics but can't beat some of the other Kimberley wonders across the Gibb!
spaghetti legs Gemmy at Cathedral Gorge
Gemma and Wendi at Cathedral Gorge
the rocks are pretty incredible
sunrise over our campsite at the Bungles
Bow River (between the Bungles and Kununurra) is apparently not THE Bow River from the Cold Chisel classic but plenty of people think it is! The local council has given up replacing the sign at the river crossing because it keeps getting pinched!!
Lake Kununurra - the view from our camp site in Kununurra (the Lake is part of the Ord River irrigation system connected to Lake Argyle)
the completely uninspiring WA/NT border crossing - surely they could do something more imaginative!