Sat, 26th May, 2018 Spring Creek Rest Area to Kurrajong Camp, Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles), WA (exploring north Bungles)

Woke to the lovely call of whistling kites. 6am 9.7 degrees, clear sky. Then a chorus by the kookaburras – just love their laugh. Lots of birds around here. The chap beside us must be a ‘twitter’ as he has a huge lens on his camera and sat down by the water from early in the morning looking at the birds.

7am it reached 12 degrees so it was ok to get up now. The white cockatoos moved in with their racket. We packed up and drove up the road a bit then turned into Spring Creek Track. Our brochures say it is a 53km, 2.5 – 3hr drive in and restricted to 4WDs only and only single-axle off-road camper-trailers allowed. Must be rough. There is a caravan park one kilometre in where people can leave their vans etc. The helicopter was there too for those who just want the flight over the landscape. Jeff brought me a brochure for here and the Horizontal Falls. $299 for 18 minute flight here so I think I will save the money as we definitely want to do the falls and you can walk to them. They will cost us a penny or two but will be worth it.

First part was a bit bumpy but we have definitely been on worst. We are travelling through Mabel Downs Station so we are not permitted to go off the track or camp anywhere until we reach the national park. Stopped at the Information area – looks good with the walls shaped like the ‘Domes’.

Oh no the dreaded cane toad – won’t tell anyone we are from Cairns.

Continued on the formed road which was a bit corrugated but fine. A big 4WD tour bus came past – glad we had the windows up and the a/c on.

Through hills and spinifex just like Halls Creek. Lots of recently burnt areas too. Signs on the tracks saying ‘no entry’. Lots of vehicles coming out, many towing campers and small vans so can’t be too bad. Across a few dry creeks. The locals were hogging the track and didn’t want to get off it. Well it is their station I suppose.

Bit of water in this creek crossing.

Two wet crossings as we crossed Calico Spring twice.

Weaving through some very high hills then around the end of a long ridge. Into another wet creek and onto open ground between tall hills. Across the wide and rocky Frank River with a couple of little pools.

Left the pastoral land and heading into the National Park – only took us an hour to here so they have obviously improved the road a lot. We would have brought our van in here – slowly of course.

Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area by the Aboriginal people and covers an area of almost 240,000 hectares. The Bungle Bungle Range has been a tourist destination since 1983 and was granted World Heritage status in 2003.The Range is estimated to be 360 million years old and it rises over 200 metres high, formed during the Devonian age, carved over 20 million years through erosional forces. The Bungle Bungle Range is renowned for its striking sandstone domes, striped with orange and grey bands -  the grey banding is formed by cyanobacteria, the orange banding is the result of oxidised iron compounds within the layers.

Up and down more hills and through more burnt areas. First view of the Bungle Bungle Range as we crest the hill.

Another 20 minutes and we reached the Information Centre. Paid for two nights in the Kurrajong Camp ground on the north side. The staff are from Kununurra and work a 10 day rotation. Takes them 5 hours to go home.

We continued on then turned left at the t-intersection – good signage. 

Passed the lookout area – good for sunset apparently and continued up a bit further into the campground. Only half is open at the moment – they have 106 campsites and there is also the other campground on the southern side. Very popular especially in June/July.

Chose a spot and put out our mat and table and the washing that had been getting a good tumble in the ‘washing machine’ to mark our spot. Filled up the solar shower with the bore water and laid it out so we can have a warm shower later as no fires are allowed in the National Park now – used to according to the maps etc. A few other camper-trailers were here. Nice toilet and good bore water is available.

Our map of today’s travel.

Had a cuppa then headed north to explore. We received a great map and some great aerial photos.

I drove Steve made wanting to stop and take photos but it was pretty impressive.

Turned off into Bloodwoods carpark. There are two walks from here. Mini Palms Gorge and Hoemstead Valley. The one to Mini also joins the Escarpment Walk around to Echidna Chasm.

We walked up to the little lookout first. Lots of river stone rock up here so you can imagine how that was all a river bed and eroded away slowly.

Great view too. You can see where waterfalls would cascade during the wet. Took a video.

A fire has been through here recently – the toilets got a bit warm. Made some lunch and sat at the big shade-cloth covered picnic tables.

We decided to do the Mini Palms trail first. Filled up Steve’s camelback and grabbed some apples and our walking sticks. There were a few plaques along the way.

Looks like a good cave under there.

Turned off the Escarpment Trail and headed in towards palms in a gorge.

Up a creek bed. That’s hard walking over those river stones.

The hills are towering over us now. I zoomed in on an anthill right up on the top – amazing.

We smelt this tree before we got here – so sweet with honey and the bees like it too.

Very pleasant walk up the creek into the gorge.

You can see the river stone on the sides of the hills and in big rocks in the creek bed.

Don’t think he took the right track here – not so squeezy but we made it through.

Climbed up and down and around some more boulders.

Straight up.

Slow process with me stopping to photograph so much but it was beautiful.

Zoomed in on the crack as palm trees were growing out of it.

This tree fell over but hasn’t died so just bent at the other end and started upward again.

Stopped to read the sign about the palms. There is a musty sandalwood scent as we walk along – will have to ask someone if it is from the palms.

Good view back through the gorge.

Up some stairs over bigger boulders.

Looking forward as the sun is shining on the sandstone wall then back down the gorge.

A few more stairs up onto the top of another big boulder to a platform (installed 2015) and the end of the walk. Lovely view into the gorge. We sat and enjoyed the view while we ate our apples. Took a video.

The colour changed on the wall as the sun moved across the opening.

Another couple with two young boys arrived – that was the end of the quiet. They are doing a 14 week half lap of Australia and are 8 weeks in and loving it.

Headed back down – zoomed in on the view back out.

Back to the Escarpment Trail and we had noticed it said Frog Hole 1.1km further on so we continued on for a look.

More information then across another creek that leads up to another gorge. A lot of the creeks have a sign saying cultural area – no access but we haven’t read any information about the cultural significance of these areas.

More info. Lots of pretty wattle in bloom.

Arrived at another creek where there was a picnic table and toilet – the ground around it all recently burnt.

No sign about a Frog Hole so we walked up the creek to see if we could find it. Didn’t find it but the views were great. Interesting waterfall up there.

I spotted some red stuff on the ground and realised it was a Bloodwood bleeding.

Getting some good exercise for more ice cream tonight. Back to the truck for a cold drink.

Back to our camp spot – washing all dry. Drove around to Kungkalanayi Lookout to wait for sunset. A tour group had just arrived and were heading up the spinifex covered hill too.

They went left. I saw some seats on top of the hill to the right so we headed there. Fabulous view. Took a video before more people started coming up.

There is a 500 million year old limestone ridge in front of the Bungle escarpment.

Took more photos and another video as the sun dropped.

Turned west to capture the sun disappearing behind the hills.

Spotted the moon over head.

The sun is down so I panned around the Bungles Escarpment.

You can see the rolling hills on this western and southern side of the lookout now.

Chatted with a couple from Melbourne while we were enjoying the view then decided we had better head down since no one brought a torch.

Back to camp for a warm shower heated by the sun.

Played some Skipbo before dinner. Cooling off quickly 7pm, 19 degrees. A few more games after dinner then some soft-serve ice cream. Hasn’t melted, just not as hard as in a normal freezer.

Finished off with a coffee and another game of Skipbo before we got too cold sitting outside without a fire to warm us. All quiet in the campground so we went off to bed too.