Nele & Andrew Around Oz: Kurrajong Campsite, Purnululu National Park, WA

Day 114 – 10^th June 2011

Kurrajong Campsite, Purnululu National Park, WA

We left early morning to drive the 250km to Purnululu National Park (aka the Bungle Bungles). We were only 20min out of town when we passed another 4WD coming towards us and heard the unpleasant noise of a rock against the front windscreen. We couldn’t believe it! We were advised that there were road works further along the drive where the risk of flicked up rocks was increased but not on this straight stretch of road just out of town and you usually expect it to happen when you pass a truck, not a normal car. Luckily it only left a star crack so we are hoping it can be fixed. We really aren’t lucky in the windscreen department, but you gotta laugh with it!

We filled up at Warnum Roadhouse ($2/L) before taking the Purnululu turnoff. The road to the national park is only 53km but takes between 2 to 3 hours. We had to tackle 33 creek/river crossings before arriving at the visitor centre, so we immediately got some 4WDriving experience - quite exciting to cross the larger crossings. At the visitor centre we were informed that Mini Palms Gorge had just opened 2 days earlier (at the last information I saw it was still closed as there was quite a bit of cleaning up to do after the massive floods during the wet season) so that messed up the plans a bit – but in a good way! So we decided to do the Mini Palms walk first (5km return – 2h) as it was a bit clouded this afternoon and Echidna Chasm is better when there is more sunlight. After the walk we drove to Kurrajong Campsite to set up the tent before dusk set in. Easy tea tonight – yummy risotto! We had to rug up as it cooled off quickly – so we went to bed early, as it’s a lot warmer under the doona.