On The Road: Purnululu National Park, Western Australia

Nothing compares to the Bungle Bungle Ranges.

Left Leycesters Rest – Ord River at seven twenty this morning - after a restful night.

Seven kilometres further north along the Great Northern Highway we turned off to Mabel Downs Station. The access track to Purnululu National Park runs through this property – fifty one kilometres of it, and every bit of it four wheel drive.

After yesterday's report from the visitors' centre, we weren't sure what to expect.

The road was winding, in parts, it was corrugated but not all of it, it was dusty, there were dips and crests and three or four water crossings with one major wet crossing. Sometimes the road turned back on itself. There was one bad stretch, about ten kilometres long, but mostly it was a pleasant drive through very scenic country.
The speed limit is fifty kilometres per hour so I guess fifty one kilometres at fifty kilometres per hour is going to take at least one hour's drive no matter what condition the road is in. A lot of the time we were doing less than fifty kilometres per hour but in the end it took us ninety minutes.

We have chosen an ideal time to visit Purnululu. About four weeks ago the Kimberleys had unseasonal substantial rainfall.

So everything is green and a lot of the wildflowers are out too. Although it is hot, it could be hotter, and we found out that mid winter (or as they call it here, dry season), can see the skies become hazy. So the best time is now!

The hills are punctuated with infinite full stops of startled looking bright green spinifex. The intense blue sky looks so near that each time we topped a crest I felt I could reach out and touch the sky.

We had morning tea at the Kungkalanyi Lookout carpark, after we'd walked to the lookout. There is nothing to compare with the Bungle Bungle Range and its uniqueness is one natural criteria that earned Purnululu World Heritage Listing.

As we turned into Piccaninny Carpark Road,just past the Walardi Campsite, the Bloodwoods took on a soft sage green colour, as if they had been lightly dusted with talcum powder.

The national park is sprinkled with a variety of trees but mostly Bloodwoods, Snappy Gums and Acacias.

At the carpark proper we had a quick, early lunch and started the Domes Walk in pretty hot conditions. I wondered about our decision to head out for a walk at this time of the day but the woman at the park's visitors' centre said we should have no trouble completing the walks at the southern end of the park today.

Once we'd come back to the main track we made our way to the Cathedral Gorge. In the hot sun the spinifex released a warm buttery aroma.

Just after the Potholes we descended about six metres into the gorge by a set of stairs. The temperature dropped dramatically and we were now in full shade and air conditioned comfort!

It wasn't long before we'd reached the end of the track and found ourselves in a phenomenal natural enclosure.

After all the gorges we've visited over the past few weeks, nothing prepared us for the Cathedral Gorge.

We spent around thirty minutes in the gorge, taking photos, sitting and taking the enclosure in, having a drink and talking to other tourist. One man told us that Cathedral Gorge beats the Grand Canyon hands down, mostly because of its remoteness and therefore the small amount of tourist in the enclosure at any one time. Unfortunately we were not able to spend time in the Cathedral on our own, as there were people there when we arrived and more arrived after they left and again before we left.

Not to worry. We then decided to walk eight hundred metres further to the Piccaninny Creek Lookout. By now it was really hot! But once again we found relief at the lookout itself and we were able to spend some time, just the two of us, taking in the scenery and the tranquility. Just so rare to have this combination these days, as we are finding out! A bird came to visit us while we were there and it got close enough for me to take some photographs of it.

We trudged back to the car, arriving at about three, energy drink, more food, and a thirty four kilometre drive to our campsite. (As is typical for Western Australian, nothing is close in the park.)

We set up camp while the sun was setting, (sorry, no sunset photos today, as the campground is under trees and blocks out the ranges and the sunset). Tomorrow we plan to do the walks at the northern end of the park, then after lunch travel a bit further north as we aim for Wyndham.

I thought you might like to know that I typed this sitting at our fold out table, under the stars, balmy breeze blowing, and the moon shining down.