Day 48 Purnululu (Bungle Bungles)

 Our plans for touring the Bungle Bungles, changed and kept changing. Initially, we were going in the 3 Clippers and staying in the national park and doing the walks; but after speaking with the manager of the caravan park located near the National park, when doing my initial homework for the trip, they strongly advised against taking in our vehicles, as the road was unpredictable and our size would be against us. So we decided to play it safe and not do it, (well 2 out of the 3 Clipper group decided this). So then we booked a helicopter flight from outside the park to fly over it, and the following day we were to do a 4WD bus tour in and a couple of walks. So I lined that all up and they were  booked and paid for, for our group. But about a month ago, we got contacted by the 4WD drive tour company saying they had to cancel our booking, as they hadn’t got the necessary authority from the government to run it. 😩. So while we were already away and on the road, I managed to find an alternative plane flight and walk tour, and was able to get full refunds for the other bookings. Meanwhile the 3rd Clipper managed to drive in no worries last week, oh well. Better safe than sorry. I had been really looking forward to the helicopter flight; as I had never been on one before, so I was hoping the plane flight would be just as amazing.

So the day finally arrived, and we had an early start to the airport and on check-in, we got weighed, yes we had to stand on the scales with our day backpack (I opted not to ask my weight😜). We had to watch a safety video before boarding the plane, which was a 12 seater with a further 2 seats for the pilots and it was a full plane of 14 people. Although it was bigger than the 4 seated Cesna plane that I had flown in for 15 minutes with the Scouts many years ago, it was still my first time in a plane this size. We had a smooth take off and before long were flying over the Lake Kununurra and its irrigation channels and some huge irrigated crop paddocks. As we continued to go up, the spectacular ranges began to appear. We flew over the Carr Boyd Ranges and out over Lake Argyle and the Ord River, (I thought I spotted some crocs in the water, way below). We went over a few huge cattle properties saw no cows, Evelyn Ranges, Osmond Ranges, Bow River and more. There were views both sides of the plane, you didn’t know where to look, you were spoiled for choice. The ranges were all quite green still, as it’s only the beginning of the dry season, and they had unseasonal rain a few weeks ago. You could see the rugged escarpments revealing the red rocks, all sorts of shapes of hills and mounds, gorges and canyons. They seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. We had a fair bit of turbulence and I was beginning to feel unwell, and was glad when the Bungle Bungles came on view and we flew over them. You could see the striped layers of rock in the beehive like shapes. Again, the ranges were spread out and seemed to go on forever. Finally, the Bellburn airstrip came on view and we had to wait for another plane to land, before we lined up and landed on the gravel airstrip. I was relieved to be back on the ground, and hoping my motion sickness would subside quickly. The trip had taken an hour. it was a bit of a rough ride

Once off the tarmac, we met our guide and discovered our names weren’t on their list, and they hadn’t got enough food for the provided meals for us. Fortunately a phone call back to their boss and this was resolved, but phew! So Matt and our friends Ian and Meredith had morning tea and muffins after all. We headed out in a truck converted into a 4WD bus, and were taken to the Picaninny Gorge area. We had a guided tour out through the Domes, and then onto the Cathedral Gorge (the Australian children’s choir sang ‘I still call Australia Home’ for a Qantas ad in here). We saw a monitor lizard lazing in the sun on the way, crickets and birds were chirping around us. The walk was easy but there was a lot of sand on the rocks, so you had to be careful as it was slippery. I was the youngest there apart from the tour guide, so it was a slow walk too, due to the age and limited abilities of some of the other participants, but it gave you the chance to make sure you looked upwards and took in the amazing rock formations and colours of the striped sandstone. Iron oxide gives the red colours and the grey areas is due to a type of bacterial algae. There were termite mounds constructed on the rocks, Kestrels with their nests, and trees and spinifex grass growing in places between the rocks. Lunch was provided whilst we sat in the cathedral gorge, and Matt being the audio technician, was checking out the acoustics of the place. Soon we had to head back, but as we walked we spied another monitor lizard watching us as we watched him, and he eventually slipped into the pool of water and proved to be a very smooth and fast swimmer. Matt had noticed when the ground hopped after I took a step, and then another look and this little frog was there. Except it wasn’t a frog, it was a tiny juvenile cane toad. 😬. i poked it, but didnt kill it. i wasnt convinced. They have become a real pest in these areas and are responsible for decreasing the native animals numbers greatly. Fortunately it appears some species are adapting to them, and have learned to flip them over to eat them and thus avoid the toxins on its back. Unfortunately, the species that have learnt this are bin chickens and crows.🙁. 

 We made it back to the 4WD bus and they handed out icy cold, wet face washers to refresh us all, before we headed to the nearby Savannah Lodge and had a big afternoon tea was served of scones, jam and cream, slices, and fruit. Nice. Eventually we were returned to the airstrip and we boarded our plane, but this time it was half full and we took a slightly different route and flew over Deep Gorge, yet another uniquely australian named gorge, its deep so we will call it "deep gorge". and some other gorges, (unnamed because they were also deep and "deep gorge" was already taken, and naming them "slightly deeper gorge" or "not as deep gorge" doesnt really sound very official...) before flying over the Argyle Diamond mine. Although the mine has closed, it is currently still busy as they work to rehabilitate the area before returning it back to the traditional owners. they've been at it for over 4 years and it still looks like a working mine site to me. The return flight was a lot smoother and I wasn’t feeling motion sick fortunately. Again you were spoiled for views, and I apologise in advance for the many photos. We had another smooth landing and headed back to our Clipper for dinner and my much needed IV nutrition. We are both still adjusting to WA time and waking up too early, so we were very tired. We both feel so blessed to have been able to do the plane flight, which enabled us to really appreciate how large these landscapes are, and how spectacular and breathtaking they are. It gave a totally different perspective on them, that walking around them or a short helicopter flight would never have given us. Although I felt small and insignificant, it made me feel so much awe for our creator God, who designed and made this vast, diverse and unique landscapes and reminded me how much he loves me, and that I am also fearfully and wonderfully made by this awesome God too, and so are you. 

Upon returning to Bridget after dinner with our friends, I looked up at the starry night and smiled, knowing God is with me, even though I feel small under this blanket of beauty stretched out above me.

argyle diamond mine