The Bungle Bungle Range is one of those landscapes that doesn’t look real until you’re standing under it, hundreds of orange-and-black striped sandstone domes rising from the spinifex of the East Kimberley. It stayed largely unknown to the wider world until the 1980s, and it’s still remote and hard to reach. This guide covers what to see, when to go, and the honest truth about getting there.
Key facts
- What it is: a UNESCO World Heritage-listed park in the East Kimberley, famous for the 350-million-year-old Bungle Bungle Range.
- Where: the turn-off is ~250km south of Kununurra and ~108km north of Halls Creek.
- Getting in: a rugged 53km 4WD-only track (2–3 hours), or a scenic flight from Kununurra or Halls Creek.
- Best time: the dry season, roughly May–September. The park closes over the wet (about December–March).
A campervan honesty note
Let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t a trip you do in one of our campers, and we don’t accept hires for it, Purnululu is simply too far. It sits in the far East Kimberley, well beyond our Perth-based range, and the only road in is a high-clearance 4WD track with creek crossings. If you’re set on the Bungle Bungles, you’ll want a properly equipped 4WD, a guided tour, or a scenic flight. We’ve included this guide because it’s one of WA’s great places, but if you want a trip we can kit you out for, look at the coast and south-west instead.
Why the Bungle Bungles are famous
It’s the banding. The domes are striped in alternating orange and dark grey-black:
- The orange bands are sandstone where iron oxide coats the grains.
- The dark bands are layers where cyanobacteria grow on the more moisture-holding rock, a fragile crust that also protects the surface from erosion (which is why you never climb the domes).
Wind and water have carved the plateau into a maze of beehive domes, chasms and gorges over millions of years, one of the world’s best examples of cone karst, and World Heritage-listed in 2003 for both its geology and its living cultural significance.
The walks
Cathedral Gorge
The signature spot, a natural amphitheatre of curved red rock around a permanent pool, with acoustics that turn a whisper into something resonant. A 2km return walk (grade 4) from the Piccaninny Creek car park in the southern section.
Echidna Chasm
In the north, a narrow slot winding between walls up to 200m high, squeezing to a few metres wide. A 2km return (grade 4) with boulder scrambles and a few short ladders. Time it for midday (roughly 11am–1pm), when the overhead sun lights the walls a fiery orange.
The Domes Walk
A 700m loop right through the beehive domes, easy, flat, and the best way to take in the scale and the banding up close.
Piccaninny Gorge
For experienced, self-sufficient hikers only: a long day or overnight route following the creek deep into the range. Unmarked, navigation-dependent, and you must register at the visitor centre first.
Getting there
The park turn-off is on the Great Northern Highway. From there it’s the 53km Spring Creek Track, rugged, with around 30 creek crossings, rocky patches, blind crests and corrugations that need a genuine high-clearance 4WD, and 2–3 hours of slow going. Off-road single-axle trailers only, no dual-axle caravans. Don’t underestimate it.
If you don’t have the vehicle for it, scenic flights are a superb alternative and the way most people see the full sweep of the range:
| Operator | From | Typical offering |
|---|---|---|
| Aviair | Kununurra | Fixed-wing scenic flights, often combined with a 4WD ground tour. From around $549 for a ~2-hour flight. |
| HeliSpirit | Within the park / Warmun | Helicopter flights over the domes, from around $349 for ~18 minutes. |
Fill up before you go in, the closest fuel is Warmun Roadhouse or Halls Creek.
When to go
The dry season (about May–September) is the time: reliable track access and comfortable days. The park closes over the wet (roughly December–March) when monsoon rain makes the road impassable. Always check DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service site for current conditions and opening dates before you travel.
Two things to set expectations: unlike other Kimberley parks, Purnululu has no swimming holes to cool off in, and it’s commonly 40°C even in September, so plan walks for early morning and late afternoon and carry plenty of water. And drones aren’t permitted: the airspace is busy with scenic flights.
Where to stay
Two public campgrounds inside the park: Walardi in the south (near Cathedral Gorge) and Kurrajong in the north (the base for Echidna Chasm). Both are basic, toilets and non-potable water (treat before drinking), so come fully self-sufficient with food, drinking water and fuel. Park entry is around $17 per vehicle and camping about $20 per adult per night; sites are bookable up to 180 days ahead. For more comfort, private safari-style lodges (Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge, Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge) offer tents and meals.
Come prepared: a 4WD in top condition with two spares and recovery gear, at least 5 litres of drinking water per person per day, a solid first-aid kit, and a PLB or satellite phone, mobile coverage is effectively nil, and the nearest help is Halls Creek or Kununurra.
A cultural landscape
The Bungle Bungles are Country for the Kija and Jaru peoples, who have moved through this landscape for countless generations, “Purnululu” means sandstone in Kija. Rock art, ceremonial places and Dreaming stories are embedded throughout (the Echidna Chasm story tells of an echidna pushing through the rock to escape a cockatoo). Aboriginal-owned and -guided tours add real depth if you take one.
FAQs
Why is Purnululu famous?
For the Bungle Bungle Range, hundreds of orange-and-black striped sandstone domes, a rare cone-karst landscape that’s World Heritage-listed and was barely known to outsiders until the 1980s.
What’s the best way to see the Bungle Bungles?
Either drive in via the 4WD-only Spring Creek Track and walk the gorges, or take a scenic flight from Kununurra or Halls Creek for the full aerial sweep. Many people combine a flight with a ground tour.
Do you need a 4WD for Purnululu?
To drive in, yes, a genuine high-clearance 4WD for the 53km Spring Creek Track with its creek crossings. There’s no 2WD or campervan access, which is why a flight or guided tour is the alternative.
How much does it cost to visit?
Park entry is around $17 per vehicle and camping about $20 per adult per night. Scenic flights start around $349 (helicopter, short) up to $549-plus (longer fixed-wing). Guided tours and lodge stays cost more.
Can you see the Bungle Bungles in one day?
By scenic flight, yes, a half-day from Kununurra. Driving in for a day isn’t realistic given the 2–3 hour track each way; if you’re driving, plan to camp at least one night.