Purnululu National Park: A Complex Maze Of Towers

A natural sandstone area that has become a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites is situated in Western Australia and in the Asia-Pacific region. The Purnululu National Park covers an area of 2,397.23 Square Kilometre and is managing by the Department of Environment and Conservation which was established in the year 1987. The closest towns that are situated around are Kununurra from its north and Halls Creek from the south.

The name Purnululu is given by the Kija Aboriginal people. It is an area of the Bungle Bungle Range. The meaning of Purnululu is sandstone. This Bungle Bungle Range lies entirely in the park and has a height of about 578 metres above sea level. This place is well-Known for its sandstone domes. The domes have orange and grey bands and are due to the diversity of content like clay and porosity of the sandstone layers.

You can easily enter the park through the Spring Creek Track, an entrance from the Great Northern Highway with a distance of about 53 Kilometre at Southern Kununurra. You will reach at the visitor centre. But you have to keep in mind that the track from where you will go can be used only during the dry season with four-wheel-drive vehicles that has a length of 53 Kilometre. Normally the air facility is not that accessible but you can reach by helicopter that could be available to you. Helicopters will be available from Warmun’s Turkey Creek Roadhouse. This will be at southern Kununurra with a distance of 187 Kilometre.

This sandstone was corroded more than an era of 20 million years into a sequence of shapes like cones with vertical slopes and horizontal bands on it. This natural beauty that prepared for the Bungle Bungle Range is an exceptional model of cone karst in sandstones in the world. The method of cone karst creation has an enormous scientific significance. After 25 years of efforts still this formation was not understood entirely.

This natural scenic attraction was recognized globally and became one more tourist destination in Australia just for its mind blowing beauty. The major attraction is its uncommon banded and cone towers that include the Bungle Bungle Range. The diversity of its formation and the sculptured structures makes this place distinct from the others in the world.

Here you can see Echidna Chasm, Frog Hole, Piccaninny and Cathedral Gorges as famous tourist attractions of this place. These are actually the tall rock faces with a height of up to 250 m and are engraved by seasonal waterfalls and pools. This park provides a vast range of wilderness experience and is also rich in Aboriginal art. Here you will get many burial sites. Many people even today refer this park as ‘the Bungles’ or ‘the Bungle Bungles’. This place has exceptional landforms and is more fascinating. Especially, due to the orange and black striped beehive shaped domes that creates an unusual park of Australia and is only one in the entire world.

This place was found by a film team in the year 1983. A national television documentary brought these orange domes in front of the world. This park today is managing by CALM. The area covers by this national park is 239,723 hectare and the Bungle Bungle range covers an area of about 450 square kilometers. The road into the park normally reopens at the early month of April. So if you are coming at the month of April then make yourself sure to get the permission for entering the park. Due to the rainy season the park remains close as the roads are dangerous and people who love adventure must not try anything strange at this place during rainy season.

At the month of May you can experience a warm temperature and also can get refreshed by dipping in the water at the rock pools. The actual tourist visiting here starts from the month of June. June to August is the peak season and so the park remains very busy. These months bring the coolest climate in the year and are very pleasant. You will experience two different worlds over here during day and night. During this time the temperature falls down to 0 degree Celsius and hence camping is the only choice for you if you wish to stay at night. So take warm clothes along with you to make yourself warm and comfortable.

One more thing you should know is that the temperature during the month of October rises above 50 degree Celsius and this exhausting heat can become a real problem for you. So better avoid visiting here during this season or during the month of October. As per the weather condition the road to enter the park remains open till the end of the December month. With this, the visitor centre and camps gets closed in the middle of the October month. As due to the excessive rain and heat the park may be closed before time. In short, for those who love winter season visit this place between June to August or else if you can bear heat then visit during the month of September.

For more information this place is been divided into two separate parts that is northern and southern area. Both possess several walks for sightseeing and also have their own campground like the Kurrajong Campground and Walardi Campground. For camping you have Bellburn which is the commercial campground in the sourthern part of the Bungles and has luxurious facilities. You can also explore this place with the Bungle Bungle Tours. Better if you take a scenic flight from Kununurra which is the easiest way to explore the park and also the Bungle Bungles in Australia.

For any assistance or guidance you can ask to the visitor centre. There are also two general camping areas with toilets, showers and limited water. For your convenience you should carry some snacks or food as water, fuel, food or other supplies is inadequate and fees for camping is also applied. Remember that you cannot carry wood along with you inside the park for firing as they are supplied from outside the park so you can use that. You can light fire at the shared wood barbecues which is the only place for you. Otherwise, lighting a fire is been banned in the park.

The camp fee is $10 for a single person for one night. You have to register yourself and pay at the visitor centre while entering the park. To roam around you have an option of upmarket travel company APT that functions luxury wilderness camps at the entire Kimberley. This functions under the name of Kimberley wilderness Adventures. APT’s Bungle Bungle Wilderness Camp lies at the Bellburn Creek.

Other tours that functions here are the East Kimberley Tours which is among the most developed operators in this area. These two tours provide Safari style tented camps to the tourists with hot showers, crisp linen and of course, yummy meals. Well, you have to call the visitor centre for the payment of the park entrance fee.

Here you will get many animal species including 298 vertebrate species like 41 mammals, 149 birds, 81 reptiles, 12 amphibians and 15 fishes. Skinks Scincidiae, monitor lizard Varanus dumerilii, and shorteared wallaby Petrogale brachyotis can also be found here. Also you will get 17 vegetation communities ranging from the closed forests in the gorges and valleys to the open forests in riparian area. Also it could be found at the shrublands and grasses in the driest high grounds and nearby plains. Open woodland and spinifex grassland are the most dominant vegetation in this park. Besides these, eucalypts, acacias and grevilleas especially the silverleaf bloodwood Eucalyptus Collina and also the roughleaf range gum E.aspera, sandstone grevillea which is the Grevillea miniata and rock grevillea which is G.psilantha could be found only in the Park.

With all these facilities, vegetation, fauna, natural beauty and much more thing that are uncountable could be seen in this park. So just book a ticket to the Western Australia and explore the Purnululu National Park entirely. Remember the time never wait for us. So if you are getting a chance then just go for it and explode the balloons of happiness.