Kimberley & Pilbara
Bungle Bungles & Osmond Range
This page is out of date. It is still here because this site contains a variety of general information like our newsletters and our Covid Blog page which has not yet been uploaded to our new website.
For up to date information about specific trips, see our new mobile-friendly website.
April 11 - May 1, 2021
- World Heritage Purnululu National Park and the Bungle Bungles have been nominated for world heritage listing.
- Spectacular rock formations The rounded domes commonly seen in photographs are only part of the story. The Bungles contain some of the most spectacular gorges in the Kimberley.
- Off the beaten track Our walks take you far beyond where any other tour will take you.
- Too long? Any section can be done on its own.
This trip spends a week and a half in the Osmond Range to the north of the Bungles followed a week and a half in Piccaninny Gorge part of the Bungles.
Section 1: The Osmond Range: April 11-21
We begin with a 330 km drive from Kununurra to the Bungles airstrip where we board a helicopter to take us into the heart of the Osmond Range.
The Osmond Range is very different to the nearby Bungles. There are many permanent springs and a dense vegetation that does not exist further south.
|
See a gallery of photos from the Osmond Range.
Section 2: Piccaninny Creek and Gorge: April 21- May 1
We return to the main road at Turkey Creek, then drive to the end of the vehicle track at the base of Piccaninny Gorge. We then begin our walk up to a campsite about 12 km up the gorge. We use this camp as a base as we explore some of the beautiful side gorges.
Some of the walking is quite flat and easy. Some is more difficult and requires a bit of rock scrambling. Having a base camp means that we do not have to carry full packs over the roughest terrain.
|
Terrain and difficulty. Most of the walking with full packsis relatively flat. Many of the day walks, however, involve clambering over large boulders and may involve pushing through thick spinifex. Some people, especially those who have never done this kind of walking before, are likely to find this fairly difficult.
Your rewards are waterfalls, wildflowers, rugged rock formations and, on sections two and three a chance to be among the first non-Aboriginals to explore some areas. You get an incredible Kimberley wilderness experience no other operator can offer you.
Bungle Bungles & Osmond Range detailed trip notes.
Video: The Bungle Bungles
Paul Blattman, one of our guides, prepared this 5 minute video using photos and video clips from a number of our trips. More than anythng else we've done, it gives you a taste of what our dry season trips are like.
For more information about this trip or to find out how to book email us for Bungle Bungles & Osmond Range Information
Purnululu was listed as a world heritage site in July 2003. The following quote is from the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage website.
"Famous for the 45 000 hectare Bungle Bungle Range, with its huge expanse of striking banded beehive structures, sandstone cliffs and towers, Purnululu has been listed as an outstanding landscape that is a superlative natural phenomenon, revealing the history of its formation over hundreds of millions of years. Purnululu National Park has such outstanding universal natural values that it enriches the world and should be conserved for the benefit of all people. Before 1982, when aerial pictures were first released, it was virtually unknown except to pastoralists, scientists and the local Aboriginal community. It is now seen as one of the scenic jewels of outback Australia."
See the UNESCO Description of the World Heritage listing.
If you would like more information about the Bungles, here is a 72 page PDF of the Australian government application for World Heritage status for Purnululu. The document contains a wealth of information (much more information than in the actual listing) as well as some beautiful photos. It's over 2MB, so you'll need a lot of patience if you don't have a fast internet connection.
share