Amelia the explorer: Purnululu (bungle bungle), WA

Purnululu National Park

Purnululu as it's now know is the area we once called the Bungle, Bungles and was declared a world heritage site in 2003. The name is given by the Kija Aboriginal people who have lived in the area for 20,000 years and means sandstone. We camped in the National Park and learnt a valuable lesson in camping- NEVER book a camp site unseen- even if all the information says you have to! Our site was hot, dusty and completely unshaded. I mean not even a blade of high grass to shade our feet. It was horrible. So, next time we'll go with the old fashioned way of doing things and check out the possible sites prior to paying. (Some sites did have adequate shade and we would have preferred them). The second day was so incredibly hot, Amelia had a meltdown and we just had to drive around the park with the AC on so she could calm and sleep.

The road in- through private pastoral leased property was very rough but that altered when we reached the National Park. Although in saying that the 50-60 kilometre journey took almost 2 hours, with plenty of dust, blind corners and tricky dry creek beds to navigate. This is why they say it's unsuitable for caravans and is closed during the wet season.

A few creek crossings can't stop our "Snowy". Glad we bought a Landrover!

Echidna Chasm

A spectacular walk this was a rush for us, given we began mid afternoon. As the sun started getting lower Amelia helpfully offered some words of wisdom, "Daddy it would have been a good idea if you'd brought a torch!"

My first photo is always of a sign- it helps me keep track of where we've been.

This one has an interesting reflection as well.

Great rock layers- check out the conglomorate

Livistonia Palms

The rocky creek bed was difficult to walk on

Contrasts

I can do it by myself you know!

Bungle bungle (not bungle, bungles!)

The bungle bungle range is composed of Devonian age quartz/ sandstone which has eroded over the years, 20 million or so into dome shaped structures. The impressive beehive shaped structures are made of sandstone and the bands are created due to the differing amounts of clay and porousness of the sandstone. The black or grey layers have gathered cyanobacteria as moisture has accumulated in this layer. The red or orange layers have been created with a high iron content, which then oxides and dries out too quickly for the cyanobacteria to grow. Parts of the cones can be as high as 578 metres above sea level.

Black Headed Python (Purruyura) only found in northern Western Australia and Northern Territory

Cathedral Gorge

A stunning spot with excellent acoustics giving the gorge its name of course, this was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in the heat of the day. Not for swimming (the water is very shallow and occupied by a few tiny fish and other small creatures) but for resting and contemplation. Here are some photos of the walk and the final "money shot" as they say...