Saturday 13 May - Purnululu, the Bungle Bungles

The view from our tent verandah

From our tent looking towards the central bar/restaurant area

A magnificent ghost gum

Breakfast cooked to order

A slightly later start, even so there were stragglers, and we left 10 mins after our scheduled departure. George had tried to emphasise the importance of timeliness and again this morning stressed the need to take only minimal time at short photo stops.

Our first glimpse of these unusual 'beehive' rock formations

Our morning hike was a first challenge for those who were not fully aware of their capabilities. It soon became apparent those who would hold up the group. Though to some this had looked apparent from the start.

George was so patient, but it was good we had an additional guide with us. We drove to a parking area where it was once again emphasised the necessity of hats, sunscreen and above all water. Sadly, this was disregarded by one traveller who ended up falling behind and eventually succumbed to heat stroke. Hopefully a lesson learned for future hikes. I drank almost four litres of water and never needed to use the toilets! A clear indication that all the fluid is essential.

Piccaninny Gorge and the extension to the lookout were moderate to difficult but certainly a good first hike. Then we continued on in to Cathedral Gorge. We had lunch here and I was able to find my voice to sing the Peter Allen song, I still call Australia Home. The acoustics lived up to their reputation.

The black forms are termite mounds built on the side of the cliffs

Another termite mound rising high into the sky

This is the route the 'creek' takes during the Wet. No water here now

Piccaninny Lookout

Looking out to where the creek flows during the Wet

Some tricky sections to get to Cathedral Gorge are made easier

Inside Cathedral Gorge

Looking up through the fracture

The sky reflected in the pool

After lunch we were taken to the airport where most of us had a heli flight booked. Worth every penny. The photos speak for themselves.

Livistonia palms, indigenous to the area, growing high up on the cliffs

As we fly across the park to the north, the 'beehives' give way to flatter uneroded plateaus with deep gorges

Our tented accommodation

For our last night we were treated to sunset drinks overlooking the range. It wasn’t so much the setting sun which was the feature, it was the colours changing on the range which was the highlight of the evening.

Returning to camp after dark our driver/guide, George, had some fun and turned out the coach lights but set them to flash on and off and played some disco music – we had a genuine Disco Bus! A lot of fun.