BUNGLE BUNGLE

The Bungle Bungle National Park covers an area of 280,723 hectares and is one of the largest parks in Australia. It is flanked on the north by Texas Downs and Osmond Valley Pastoral leases and on the west by Mabel and Alice Downs. The park was gazetted in 1987 and a fees are charged for entry and camping in the park.

The main feature of interest in the park is the sandstone massif or 'bee hive' formations which were laid down some 350 million years ago during the Cambrian period. The structures you see today were once part of an enormous coral reef system and the whole area was beneath the sea.

Mini Palms (C) Mick Beaton

The sandstone is soft and crumbly and is easily damaged. For this reason access is restricted to walk trails along streambeds.

Echidna Gorge on the northern side of the massif consists of a conglomerate of rounded stones and boulders cemented together with a mix of sandstone. At the southern end of the massif around Piccaninny Gorge there is pure sandstone with no imbedded stones.

The famous 'bee hive' formations are the result of bands of silica and lichen which have formed a protective layer over the sandstone and reduced the effects of wind and water erosion somewhat. It is essential that these protective layers remain undamaged, as the sandstone underneath would be quickly eroded during the huge downpours of the tropical wet season.

(C) Don Copley
 

It was not until 1982 when a television film crew flew over the area that the Bungles became widely known. In an effort to protect the area the access tracks are deliberately left in rough condition so that the numbers of people entering the park are kept as low as possible.

There are two campsites in the park at Belburn Creek and Kurrajong Camp. Toilets and water are available at both locations. Campers using the park are asked to use gas stoves and not to collect wood for campfires. Wood is scarce and provides important habitat for native fauna. All rubbish should be taken out of the park with you when you leave.
 

There are a number of bird and animal species found in the park including 130 bird species like the rainbow bee-eaters and budgerigars. The nailtail wallaby, euro and short-eared rock-wallaby are also commonly seen around the rock formations.

A large number of tour operators include the Bungles as part of a package or you can hire a 4wd vehicle at Halls Creek and see the area at a more leisurely pace.

Flying over the area by plane or helicopter is the best way to see the different structures and formations and is something you will never forget.

The park only opens between April and December.

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