The road to Kununurra and the WA border was lined with amazing landscapes, particularly Victoria River Downs. Could spend a day here watching the morning light set the deep red cliffs ablaze and the monolithic boulders teetering on the edge of the plateau or strewn across the landscape. Wish I could safely witness one of these break away and roll down the hillside.
It was nice to reach a town that actually had supermarket and a handful of cafes and shops. Those BOLD place names on the map were proving to be quite misleading to us unsuspecting city folk. Usually they consisted of a petrol station selling a few groceries, a picnic area and maybe a pub. Kununurra was nice to explore and get ready for our trip to the Bungles (Purnululu) and we happily stumbled upon Marglu Billabong which turned out to be a stunning wetland full of waterlillies and birdlife. This was all I was looking for when considering Kakadu so I am feeling much better about deciding not to go there.
Tip: When chosing a campsite, look for aspect, shade, overhanging branches that might rub on your camper, level ground and BATS. I’m fine with them until you have a colony that returns from feeding at about 3-4am chaotically screeching and waking all children who now think it is morning. This is not helped by the fact that dawn is at 5am here. The smell burnt my sinuses and felt like I had an infection.
The Bungles. We made it! Simple bush camping. Big landscape but the iconic domes were a 30min 4WD ride around the other side of the range we were camped beneath. Who cares. There were chasms and rolling hills, clumpy balls of deceivingly soft looking spinifex on mass, wildflowers, palms perched on firey red cliffs and beehive domes in multiple locations. Breakfast at the lookouts, walks in the morning and then rest in the shade in the afternoon. Happy days. Could have stayed longer.
Favourite thing about the Bungles
Angus “Cathedral Gorge”
Me “ Echidna Chasm and Piccaniny Lookout”
Eddie “Sleeping in a tent for the first time and walking to the lookout with Dad in the dark” (they forgot a torch)
Duke “....” Oh. He is asleep already.
Stopped at Warmun to see the Aboriginal Arts Centre. Stunning work. Would have loved to buy one of a boab. $750 ok?? Still thinking about it.