0027 Lake Argyle to the Bungle Bungles

13^th June 2017

 The incredible formations of the Bungles

Ord River

After packing up, we crossed the Ord River again on the way out of the park, with the water flowing down from the dam and on out for use in all the irrigation projects in the region.  We headed into Kununurra for groceries, fuel, and information about the Bungle Bungles, as well as to post a birthday car to daughter Sarah in America.  At the gas station we found some interesting toilets, with the doors painted up as old style outdoor dunnies, and paintings of boab trees on them – Quite fun ! 

Kununurra toilets !

Cattle on the highway !

After getting all our supplies, we headed out of town, south on the Great Northern Highway towards Halls Creek, and just at the Bungle Bungles turn off there was a free camping spot at Spring Creek.  We turned in but found it was a big tarmac area with vans already parked side by side.  There was also a section down by the creek, but that too was already crowded, so we turned back and went into the park itself, where we found a delightful campground in pleasant surroundings, and ideal for us as we could leave Jos & Tony’s van their safely while we went into the park tomorrow.  Once we had set up camp, we went up to the main camp at sunset for drinks around the camp fire, and met a few other travellers (mostly on tours) before heading back to the vans, playing some cards, and turning in.

River crossing

In the morning, we left J & T’s van in the campsite and took the two cars off down the trail into the Bungle Bungles National Park.  It is a pretty bumpy road, with quite a number of water crossings  - The first of which was the widest and deepest.  Safely through that one, we meandered in some 25 kms to the Ranger Station where we had to pay some park fees (reduced for

The amazing striped Bungles

Seniors !), before we took the turn down to the southern part of the park, with the scenery becoming more and more “Bungly” until we were right in the middle of it.  They really are the most amazing rock formations, made of soft sandstone encased in a thin protective skin of orange bands of iron oxide and grey to black bands of cyanobacteria.  If the banded skin is damaged, and sandstone underneath will quickly erode away, 

Cathedral Gorge

We first walked up the Piccaninny Gorge, and then eventually found our way to the Cathedral Gorge, with its enormous amphitheatre which has been eroded out by the heavy water flows in the wet season (January February).  The wet season up here makes all these areas impassable, with roads washed away, and rivers in flood of up to 2 metres deep and 100’s of metres across – sometimes several kilometres across.  The resulting gorges, and water-carved surfaces of the soft sandstone are just spectacular, and if one could see it in the wet, it must be really spectacular.

Tony in Echidna Gorge

Bower bird nest

After walking up Cathedral Gorge, we returned to the car park and had some lunch before jumping in the cars and heading one hour north, back past the Ranger Station, to Echidna Gorge, where just Tony and I went for the walk, leaving the girls to make a cup of tea and chat to other travellers, as it was quite a rocky trail up the stony river bed.  Echidna Gorge was amazing, and so narrow and littered with fallen boulders that at one stage Tony thought it was the end of the trail, and we nearly turned back.  But on closer inspection, I found a way

Troopie in the river as we head home

through, and we went on up to the end, where the gorge opened up a little into another chasm.  On the way out Tony found a Bower bird’s nest next to the path which  is quite an engineering feet, and surrounded by all the small pebbles that the male collects and arrays at the entrance to the next in order to attract a female partner.  We then hurried back to the car park, collected the girls, and started back out of the park as the sun was starting to get low, and because we would be driving west, we knew the dust from cars would make visibility very difficult – which was exactly the case.  Not very easy driving back at all.  And with 3 medium length hikes today, it was a quick supper and into bed !!

More pics here :- https://goo.gl/photos/wJvTgHWJZEJDti7F9

And of the Bungle Bungles, here :-  https://goo.gl/photos/dawRT2LA1J31HgC9A