Bungle bungles

So we continued to make our way west across the Great Northern Highway. Destination: Bungle Bungles. It went something like this.

We dropped our van in Turkey Creek and packed a tent and some rations for our overnight stay in the Purnululu National park. We then drove 50km on bitumen followed by 53km on dirt and rock. The state of the road into the bungles is a shocker – metaphor intended. The drive was like sitting on a jack hammer looking at nice things for 3 hours.



Lots of water crossings.



So we arrive at our campsite mid afternoon reasonably exhausted after the pounding and setup tent alongside a dry creek bed. Stars were out in their trillions, pack of dingoes cased out the site, freezing cold night, Grace boycotting use of drop down toilet and we all smelt.



Carved over 350 million years, the bungles were inhabited by the Kija Aboriginal people for over 20,000 years, calling the area Purnululu.

The area was only discovered about 30 years ago by white man. In that time the Purnululu National park has earnt a worldwide reputation as one of the most striking sandstone formations going around.



Next day we drove 30 mins into Picaninny Creek.

We did the dome walk. The maze of curious orange and black striped beehive shaped domes was the most striking rock form I had seen so far.





Then of course Cathedral gorge. This circular gorge is a result of a giant wet season whirl pool.





Ambled through Picaninny creek.



And that was the guts of a night and day that no photo will ever accurately portray.

As for the weird name – it is guessed that the Bungle Bungles is a mangled version of Purnululu, or maybe it stems from the name of the bundle bundle grass that grows in the region. The facts are light on this subject.