In Retrospect: Purnululu National Park

The first time I came to Australia, I backpacked around the country for four months. I went through Purnululu National Park in Western Australia on my way from Broome to Darwin through what’s considered the final frontier of Australia: the Kimberley. It was May, 2003, in the early part of the dry season in this tropical part of the country. Days were dry and hot and the rain had already stopped for a few weeks – perfect for hikes and camping under the open sky.

Purnululu National Park is located in the Top End in tropical Australia.


The place is also called Bungle Bungle. The national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Area in 2003.

The national park is famous for its sandstone domes with alternating orange and gray stripes.

We arrive at the park in the late afternoon. I took a helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungle Range.

View over the range into the Northern Territory

Our chopper pilot-cum-tour guide gave us a running commentary as we flew over different parts of the park.

The setting sun cast a warm glow over the unique sandstone domes.

Watering holes were starting to dry up in the dry season.

Taking a hike among the domes

A couple of fellow backpackers were admiring the smooth craters created by rushing water during the wet season.

Termite mounds like this littered the landscape. Don’t imagine it to be a good place for building houses.

The tall but thin mini palms growing against the backdrop of rough sandstone rocks



Behind this grove of mini palms is a little pond called Froggy Pool, due to an abundance of tiny frogs that rely on the pool.