Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
45 campsites near the station store, and there are another 28 more secluded
riverside campsites within a 6km (3
3
⁄
4
-mile) drive. All campsites are the same
price, A$13 (US$8.45) per person per night; free for children under 12.
Campers share shower facilities and a laundry, and use the bungalows' restau-
rant. No bookings are taken for campsites.
Note:
The Wilderness Park Permit
fee is not included in the campground fee. For contact details see above.
In Kununurra
Country Club Hotel
Just down the road from the tourist bureau, this low-rise
hotel is your best bet among Kununurra's modest choice of accommodations. Set
in tropical gardens, it has a lovely shaded pool with sun lounges and a bar, and a
couple of simple dining and bar venues. The rooms are nothing flashy, but they're
neat and clean, with plenty of space.
47 Coolibah Dr., Kununurra, WA 6743.
&
1800/808 999
in Australia, or 08/9168 1024. Fax 08/9168 1189. www.
countryclubhotel.com.au. 88 units, all with bathroom (8 with tub). Dry season (Apr-Oct) A$168 (US$109) double;
A$222 (US$144) 2-bedroom apt. Wet season (Nov-Mar) A$148 (US$97) double; A$191 (US$124) 2-bedroom apt.
Extra person A$24 (US$16). AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants, 3 bars; outdoor pool; tour desk; coin-op
laundry; hair dryer (at front desk). In room:A/C, TV, fridge.
PURNULULU (BUNGLE BUNGLES) NATIONAL PARK
250km (156 miles) S of Kununurra
Rising out of the landscape 250km (155 miles) south of Kununurra are thou-
sands of enormous sandstone domes 200m to 300m (656 ft.-984 ft.) high called
the Bungle Bungles. They are thought to have been named after either “bundle
bundle” grass or the bungle beetle. The Bungle Bungles get their distinctive
orange-and-gray stripes from algae found in the permeable layers and mineral
graining in nonpermeable layers. The formations are 360 million years old.
The domes look spectacular from the air—that's the way most people see them,
and it's the only way to see them in the Wet, because the park is closed to ground
traffic from January 1 to March 31, sometimes later. As the waters subside, the
soaring gorges and forested creeks at the base of the Bungle Bungles are accessible
to hikers. Highlights are the beehive-shaped walls of Cathedral Gorge, the rock
pool at Frog Hole Gorge, and palm-filled Echidna Chasm. Keep an eye peeled for
rainbow bee-eaters, flocks of budgerigars, rare nail-tailed wallabies, and euros, a
kind of kangaroo. It's a lonely, quiet, contemplative, and dramatic place.
VISITOR INFORMATION
For information call the
Department of Con-
servation and Land Management (CALM)
(
&
08/9168 4200) in Kununurra.
There's also a
visitor center/ranger station
(
&
08/9168 7300) in the park.
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
Most folks take a scenic flight
over the park in a light aircraft from Kununurra offered by
Slingair Heliwork
(
&
1800/095 500
in Australia, or 08/9169 1300) or
Alligator Airways
(
&
1800/632 533
in Australia, or 08/9168 1333). The flight takes about 2 hours,
incorporates a flight over Lake Argyle and the impressive Argyle Diamond Mine,
and costs A$190 (US$124) per adult and A$110 (US$72) per child 3 to 12 years.
Both companies also do combined air/hiking day trips, though they're pricey,
starting at A$445 (US$289) per person.
East Kimberley Tours
(see “Getting
Around,” earlier in the Kimberley section) runs an array of four-wheel-drive and
fly/four-wheel-drive camping and hiking safaris into the park, including some
1-day “express” versions.
