Purnululu - The Bungle Bungles (May 15-19)

After an overnight stop in a wayside gravel carpark with very modern pit toilets we headed into Purnululu World Heritage National Park.  53km of 4x4 only road, with a few creek crossings or rather big puddles.  The Bungle Bungle Range is made up of sandstone deposited 360 million years ago.  Water erosion and weathering in the last 20 million years has carved out the domes, chasms and gorges this area is famous for.

We chose to camp in the northern part of the Park, Kurrajong campground as it does not allow generators or tour groups.  It has clean pit toilets and bore water.  The whole time we were here, there were no more than 5 or 6 other campers in the 100 or so sites.  We couldn’t imagine it full.  We have been pleasantly surprised as to how few travellers we have encountered overall .   It is a nice change to be camped on dry grass rather than red dirt.  It amazes us how the red dust gets into absolutely everything.

Spent our first afternoon exploring the dry creek beds (lots of dead cane toads).  A little while back a guy came in here and killed 45,000 cane toads in 2 months.  We were disappointed to learn they were even in this area.  We did our bit by eradicating a few from Whip Snake Gorge with heavy rocks.

The boys collected lots of round rocks and have continued a made up rock rolling game not unlike Bocce with an elaborate scoring system for the few days we have been here.

It is taking us some time to adjust to Western Australian time (2 hours behind Victoria).  There is no twilight here.  Come 5.30pm it is dark and by 5.30am it is completely light.  So we are in bed early and up early and heading off for our day of exploring, which is a good thing because come lunchtime it is very hot, the heat off the rocks is baking.  By early afternoon we are usually back at camp relaxing.  Even had a couple of very warm solar showers.  The weather is beautiful, cool mornings, blue sky and sunshine all day long.  Don’t mean to make our family and friends back in Victoria jealous!  The nightly sky shows are just spectacular.

We have spent our days here walking along the Escarpment into Echidna Chasm, trudging up sandy creek beds and rock hopping to The Domes, Cathedral Gorge and Piccaninny Creek and then a longer 10km walk into Whip Snake Gorge.  Not to mention the Kungkalanayi Lookout with the awesome 360 degree views of the setting sun.  Words and photos just do not convey the beauty of this area, the colours on the rocks, the immense heights of the ranges and deep gorges and chasms.  It would be amazing to see this area with some water in it.  They have had a very average wet season.  We even found a rare Splendida Green Frog which is only found in this part of the world.  Also watched a dingo wander up the creek bed by our camp.  Heard him and another howling to each other.  Very eerie.

Off to Kununurra tomorrow to restock before starting our journey along the Gibb River Road.

A creek crossing

 



Echidna Chasm



Echidna Chasm

 

 

 

 



 

 

Echidna Chasm

The Escarpment

Cathedral Gorge

Cathedral Gorge

Piccaninny Creek

Creek bed

The Domes

Kungkalanayi Lookout

 

Kungkalanayi Lookout

 

The Window

Whip Snake Gorge

Whip Snake Gorge

 

 

 

 

Tanami Track (May 12-14)

The first night was spent at Tilmouth Well Roadhouse at the end of 160 odd kilometres of single lane bitumen.  Had the whole place to ourselves.

Pool at the Roadhouse

Well the next 2 days of driving were something of a unique experience.  850 kilometres of corrugations, washouts, ruts and bulldust.  The view was of continuous long straight roads bordered on either side with spinifex grass, termite mounds of varying sizes, brahma cattle, brumbies and loads of eagles and kites, a dingo, 10 brolgas and 2 snakes but no camels.  We felt very isolated, only seeing one other traveller heading in the same direction as us.  Camped overnight at an abandoned gravel pit off the side of the road on the border of Northern Territory and Western Australia.  W.A. road condition definitely much worse than N.T.  Note from Ashley, the trip across the Tanami returned the best fuel consumption so far, despite the extra load of fuel and water we were carrying.

Spare wheel cover is actually black

 

Palm Valley (May 9-12)

After a cold and sleepless night at the Erldunda Roadhouse listening to road trains rolling down the highway and noisy backpackers we were again on the road by 7am heading into Alice Springs to get a new tyre and restock with food, fuel and water.  Our intention was to then head out on the Tanami Track.  After a family discussion we decided we were all (especially Jac) a bit over the early mornings and long days in the car and needed some rest.  Palm Valley here we come – the advantage of having no set plans.

We have seen a lifetimes worth of Wedge-tailed eagles so far, they are so magnificent and one advantage of travelling earlier in the day is you see them feeding on roadkill. This morning we saw 5 on a kangaroo carcass, absolutely magic to watch.  Passed a Parks and Wildlife planned burn and saw 20 eagles circling not far above the ground.  What a sight!  

The boys (all 3) desire for some ‘real’ 4WDing has brought us down the Finke River to Palm Valley.  4WD’s only.  The campground is amazing (flushing toilets and solar showers) and only $15 a night.  Palm Valley is known for its Red Cabbage Palms which are 200-300 years old and only grow in this valley.  They grow side by side with the Ghost Gums.  Fell asleep listening to the sounds of dingoes howling.

Sunday morning dawned, another cold morning with the promise of blue sky and sunshine (again!).  Drove the 4km along the 4x4 track into Palm Valley and happened upon a free guided Ranger walk which was supposed to be 45 minutes but ended up being 2 ½ hours along the Arankaia (2km) and Mpulungkinya Walks (5km).  Incredibly informative, all about the palms, indigenous history and stories, flooding, animals, reptiles, insects and birds.  A nice way to spend Mothers’ Day along with the earrings the boys had hidden away as gifts for me.

 

Watched the sun go down from Kalarranga Lookout, the colours of the rocks are just magnificent.

 

The next morning after a sleep in and bacon and egg breakfast we lazed around in the now empty campground – so peaceful.  Ash tinkered on the car, the boys whittled sticks into knives and spears and I just relaxed.  Late afternoon we headed off on the Mpaara Walk (5km) through the rocky escarpments and to Kalarranga Lookout to again watch the deep red colours on the rocks with the setting sun.

 

 

 

Tomorrow we head back into Alice Springs to fill up with fuel and water and a few supplies.  It is with some trepidation we proceed to the next stage of our journey.  900km of dirt road - corrugations, ruts and bulldust (sand) across the Tanami Desert.

Coober Pedy to Erldunda (May 6-8)

Arrived in Coober Pedy mid afternoon, pulled into the Oasis Tourist Park and Coen's first comment was, 'this is a dirt carpark', which wasn't far from the truth, but with very nice amenities. There was not a skeric of green to be seen anywhere. Coober Pedy is really nothing more than dust, piles of dirt and old machinery - a moonscape of sorts but with so much history.

Mullock heaps

Tried our hand at noodling (fossicking for opal) with no luck and did a tour of the Umoona Mine.  The Mine was 10 metres down with very narrow and low tunnels.  Ash had to watch his head! The museum was also well worth the visit with a lot of history of the area, both indigenous and of course all about mining.

Headed off early Friday morning towards Alice Springs.  One advantage of travelling early is the lack of traffic, especially all the enormous caravans driven by grey nomads/silver gypsies.  Saw our first dingo, curled up in the sun beside the road and three wedge-tailed eagles feasting on a kangaroo carcass.  What a spectacular sight that was.

Also had our first tyre blowout or should I say shredding.  Ash had it all rectified in no time.

Staying at Erldunda Roadhouse tonight, then off to Alice Springs in the morning for supplies, a new tyre and a visit to the Information Centre before heading up the Tanami Track.