A long held secret of the Kimberley and the Traditional Owners of Australia’s North West, are the curious striated and beehive shaped formations now known as the Bungle Bungles.

It is one of the oldest treasures of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, formed some 20 million years ago from sediments deposited in the region more than 350 million years ago.

The awe-inspiring Bungle Bungles are located in the remote Purnululu National Park some 300km south of Kununurra or 850km east of Broome. Purnululu National Park gained its World Heritage Listing in 2003, highlighting the geological significance of the Bungle Bungle Range. These curious dome-shaped rock formations or karst, carved by wind and rain, are striped with different layers of sandstone from glowing orange to dark grey bands.

Reaching up to 250 metres in height the mysterious conical structures flank narrow gorges and slot canyons with dramatic cliffs and towering sides that glow with shafts of light. Highlights include Cathedral Gorge, Picaninny Gorge and Echidna Chasm with its sheer walls soaring 200 metres yet only metres apart.

The Bungle Bungles hold great significance to the Traditional Custodians of Purnululu National Park, the Karjaganujaru peoples, who have lived in this region for over 20,000 years. Because the Bungle Bungles are so remote they remained hidden from the outside world until 1983 when a documentary crew filming in the Kimberley was taken to the area by a helicopter pilot who had spotted the range from the air. They proceeded to make their entire programme just about the Bungle Bungles. Now it is possible to see these breath-taking formations on scenic flights or by 4WD, on tours and on safaris during the dry season.

The region is rich not only in geology but also in native fauna including 130 species of birds.

Quick facts about the bungle bungles

-   The national park is open from the 1st of April to mid-Dec each year but may close periodically with significant rainfall or fires.
-   Purnululu is only accessible via high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles, trailers must be single axle and high clearance.
-   There are 2 remote national park campsites with basic amenities within Purnululu National Park.