7 Aug 10 – Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungle)

By Craig: After our short but successful stay in Halls Creek we headed into the Bungle Bungles or Purnululu National Park.
We arrived a little late as usual, the road in was a little on the rough side with the usual corrugations, water crossings and rocky outcrop sections appearing on every second crest.

We knew of another group heading to Wilardi camp site so we thought we’d check to see if they had arrived.
It was a pleasant surprise to not only be welcomed but to know they had also been successful in catching up with other friends.
The group had altogether 6 boys, Sam was beside himself and loved every minute as they all got along fabulously.

I have been looking forward to seeing the Domes and I wasn’t disappointed.





























What a beautiful place, the gorges and chasms are magnificent with many of the walks leading deep down into narrow pathways with huge boulders wedged above, evidence that large rock falls had in the past happened and could happen again.




















































Two features I found fascinating within Mini Palm valley were the layered structure of the rock formations and the grow anywhere nature of the Palms.






























Disaster strikes at such inopportune times and as we left the Bungles relaxed and in peaceful resolve, I calmly said to Louise ‘All is good, what a wonderful experience, lets just cruise out of here and head to Broome’. Well if Murphy was present I’d kick his green backside. No sooner were my words spoken when the trailer wheel was hard against the guard. Corrugations 3: Newsomes 0. The spring hanger had torn from the chassis like it was alfoil and we were about to wait three days for a tow.
Looking back one good thing about sitting roadside, is the number of fellow campers that stop initially to check if all is ok and then stay for a while chatting about life and travel. We did get back on our way but we ended up in Kununurra, 300kms in the opposite direction. But everything happens for a reason, right?

Worthy of comment was a visit out of the blue on the second day when frustrations were all but at a peak, a couple were sent to deliver the worst news (tow truck delayed another day) and ended up staying for a chat about life and things. I can't begin to explain however it's suffice to say that their visit was an uplifting experience, one I won't forget in a lifetime.

By Lou: The Bungle Bungle’s lived up to my expectations and were magnificent.
It ain’t a World Heritage Area for nothing.
It was great to share camp with Liam, Mandy, Christopher and Luke (from Hall’s Creek) along with their friends Alison, Peter, Josh, Lachie and Finn.


On the first day we were there we explored Mini Palms Valley and Echidna Gorge.



















On the second day we walked along Picanniny Creek (setting for Qantas commercial), sat in awe of Cathedral Gorge and wandered amongst the Domes.










A significant feature of the area were termite mounds, some sprouting in the most unlikely of places.



















We were a very relaxed and content crew at the end of our stay as we pulled out of the campground for the 2 hour drive to the main highway. We were not even 10km into it before we heard an almighty whine and all three of us joined in a chorus of “oh no”. Craig pulled off the road and we jumped out to assess the damage. It was hard to believe it but the $@!&*^ springs had sheered away from the chassis of the trailer causing the axle to push the wheel backward. We were going nowhere fast. As Craig contemplated what to do, I silently prayed I had renewed our roadside assistance membership (I had). Initially the tow truck was to arrive the next day so we pulled out tents and sleeping bags to return to camp for the night and left the disabled trailer roadside. The good news was we had the sleeping equipment to cope with such an emergency, the bad news was the tents had got wet and then gone mouldy. When the next day the tow truck company again delayed pick up for 24 hours the ranger took pity on us and allowed us to set up our tents next to the trailer to save a return trip to the formal camping ground. We ended up leaving the trailer to be collected on day 3 while we gave up in frustration and drove 330km ahead to Kununurra, the opposite direction to where we’d hoped to be heading.

Despite the frustration, there were worse places to be broken down and we were heartened by the number of people who stopped to check we were okay, and were probably oblivious to our death stares as they cruised off in their perfectly capable camper trailers. We also felt very sorry for the couple who were selected at random by the Ranger on Day 2 to pass on a message to us from the tow truck that we were to be delayed a further 24 hours. They looked pained to have to pass on the bad news but even they ended up staying to chat for 45 minutes and brightening our day.