Bungle
Bungles (Purnululu National Park): 25
July [92 km]
We were up early to get to the
heliport for our flight over the Bungle Bungles.
In cool but crystal clear conditions, we enjoyed a truly remarkable flight over the Bungle Bungles. Again, our helicopter did not have any doors - but, as we were not flying tight figures of eight (as we were over the Mitchell Falls), we felt far more secure as we flew over the range.
Our pilot, Glen was a fount of knowledge and his insight into the range and the influences which had formed it was exceptional. At last, we were able to appreciate the structure of the Bungle Bungles: the ‘beehives’ are on the south east corner of the range and there are tremendous gorges cut right into the range. The most notable of these is Piccaninny Gorge, with its five ‘subsidiary’ gorges or fingers reaching even further into the range.
In cool but crystal clear conditions, we enjoyed a truly remarkable flight over the Bungle Bungles. Again, our helicopter did not have any doors - but, as we were not flying tight figures of eight (as we were over the Mitchell Falls), we felt far more secure as we flew over the range.
Our pilot, Glen was a fount of knowledge and his insight into the range and the influences which had formed it was exceptional. At last, we were able to appreciate the structure of the Bungle Bungles: the ‘beehives’ are on the south east corner of the range and there are tremendous gorges cut right into the range. The most notable of these is Piccaninny Gorge, with its five ‘subsidiary’ gorges or fingers reaching even further into the range.
Our flight ended as we spent a few
minutes circling over the striped beehives – the orange and black
beehive-shaped domes – and seeing how some are layered within the range itself,
while others have become separated from the major part of the range.
This flight was excellent and essential to
gain a proper appreciation of the structure of the Bungle Bungles. It was an exhilarating start to our day in
Purnululu.
We drove into the south east part of
the Bungle Bungles to Piccaninny Creek.
There, we walked on a reasonably easy track along the creek watercourse
(it was dry) and then turned off into Cathedral Gorge. As we walked in, it was possible to appreciate
from a different perspective, the size of the domes and the cliffs. Some of the cliffs were 300 metres high and
they were vertical and sheer.
There is a fault line running right through this gorge and it can emphasise the brilliant colours of the rocks.
This is a superb example of a fault line running through the most remarkable amphitheatre at the end of
Cathedral Gorge: an extremely large area with overhanging rock
which provides excellent acoustics.
The entire effect was
overwhelming: the high cliffs; the colours of the fragile sandstone rocks; the narrow gaps between the Gorge walls. What an extra-ordinary place!
We dragged ourselves away to return to
our camp for lunch. After lunch, a
number of us drove to Echidna Chasm (so named because of Aboriginal stories) in
the north of the park. While this walk
was far more demanding, the effect of the Chasm was even more pronounced. Here, the walls narrowed in to the extent
that at some times it was just possible to walk without touching either side of
the cliffs.
High above, there were overhangs of rock (and some pieces had fallen over the years and were snagged in the narrow gaps: we assumed they would not fall any further!) and plants, including palm trees, growing everywhere.
This walk provided a
different perspective on the Bungle Bungles, as the rock was sedimentary and
much more resilient than the sandstone of the domes in the south east. As we walked out, the sun produced a blazing
effect on some of the cliff faces:
again, this was an absolutely amazing sight.
Purnululu National Park: Wow!
This place is an absolute ‘must’ for people to visit.
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