Bungles to Broome

After a slight delay of 2 days (in a caravan park with a pool) waiting for a replacement electronic brake controller, we were then off to the BUNGLE BUNGLES - first discovered in the 1980s by a helicopter fly over.

We love being out in the countryside the best, the towns are just too busy, so this stretch of our trip was outstanding

We parked the van on Mabel Downs Station for 3 nights, and camped in the National Park for one night as there is too much to see in a single day, and very hot. We let our tyres down, and a very early start, 1 1/2 hours to do 50km on rough windy hilly dirt road with 7 water crossings 

and we were at our campground where we pitched the tent, 

then time to explore the northern end at Echidna Chasm, a 2km walk through a slot canyon comprising of conglomerate rock walls some 200 metres  high..just spectacular between 11am and 1pm... the light changed every few minutes as we walked up and down the chasm right to the dead end for  nearly 2 hours

The evening was spent having an early dinner, watching sunset and star gazing with travel buddies

After a weird night sleeping on a punctured air mattress, we packed up early next morning (so hot by 10am) and drove an hour to the southern end of the National Park to the iconic Domes, Cathedral Gorge and Picanninny Lookout hikes. The Domes or beehives as they are known were massive, and more numerous than we thought

Picanniny Creek dry river bed


Termite mounds built on the side

Cathedral Gorge colours also changed

then back to the caravan for a hot shower and a bbq dinner at the Station. Love the outdoor toilet and showers...no roofs

After an overnight stop amongst the cattle at Mary Pool camp, on the lovely Mary River with probably a hundred other campers

we visited Geikie Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing and then let the tyres down again and on to a fabulous free camp in the middle of nowhere for 3 nights, that we didn’t want to leave. RAAF BOAB camp. An old quarry site, filled with the clearest water so had a swim, and caves to explore

Our travel buddies caught up with us

The caves were hidden amongst the black rocky range, a little spooky with bats and spiders 

Next day after unhitching we drove 60km further up the road to TUNNEL CREEK NP wow, a 700 metre cave walk with a river running through it, most crossings we waded at knee deep, but this year after a great wet season one was over my head so had to swim 15 metres whilst Derek walked on tippy toes......red fresh water croc eyes were spotted in the distance as we waded and swam in the pitch black water

Me at the second water crossing, we waited over 20 minutes for some other people to come as there was no way I was doing it on our own, we had no idea the route to take, and felt more comfort working it out with others, so 6 of us did it together

The other side

Looking back at the entrance

It gets darker and darker

Half way was a little light, then we ventured further down the tunnel cave

Great formations sparkled in the light

Then out the other end, then after exploring some aboriginal rock art we turned around and did it all again

then on to WINJANA GORGE a further rough 35 km, then back again to camp.

The entrance

The end of the walk trail, 7km return, Black Rock lookout

Drive back to camp along the Fairfield Leopold Downs Rd, the cows were happy to keep drinking as we crossed it

And the strangest of things......cds on this wreck, all ads to the awesome fun

Police Station ruins near Winjana Gorge, unruly blacks caused heaps of trouble for the early cattle stations in this region....really the middle of nowhere - no town or even a settlement nearby, only stations.

The Kimberleys consist of one cattle station after another, many going back to the 1880s, many unfenced, and cattle are allowed to wander the highway.

We arrived in Broome at our caravan park which we booked in March, (thank goodness as everywhere is booked out) after a detour via Derby, where we visited the sad Boab Prison tree where many blacks were often locked up overnight on their way to trial. This one is 1500 years old.

A trough built in the early 1900s to catch water from a natural spring to water cattle, it is 120metres long and can water 1000 head of cattle

and quickly got to Broome to wash the Pindan (red dirt) from the van and car in a car wash, then sheets, towels and clothes were washed after settling into a caravan park, at Cable Beach, and our first sight of the ocean in months