Entries about mountains

Kununurra is another small town which impressed us with its layout, cleanliness and facilities - as well as the usual friendliness that we have experienced on our travels. Now recovered from our cruising, we were ready for another early morning pick up for a flight out over Lake Argyle and the Carr Boyd Ranges to Purnululu National Park and its star turn, the Bungle Bungle Range. Amazingly, the Bungle Bungles only became known to the public in the 1980s - a well-guarded secret.

Our transport awaits

The co-pilot?

The Ord River snakes through the Carr Boyd Ranges

Part of the dam wall and Lake Argyle Resort

Lake Argyle

Part of the Carr Boyd Ranges

Two views of the Bungle Bungle Range

The weathered ranges provide colours all the way through

A gorge cuts its way through the range

An access road runs along in front of some of the dome-like rocks

The Argyle Diamond Mine

The Diversion Dam

Ivanhoe Crossing

Kununurra township with irrigated fields around it

Purnululu means sandstone in the local Kitja Aboriginal tongue but the origin of the name Bungle Bungle is less clear. It is believed to be named after a nearby station and the station may have have been named after 'bundle bundle' which is apparently the Aboriginal name for a grass that grows in the area. According to the Aussie Towns website, "The Bungle Bungles are notable for their distinctive beehive-shaped towers. These towers, which were formed between 350-375 million years ago, are the result of sedimentary layers of pebbles, boulders, conglomerates and sandstone all being laid down in the Ord Basin. The strange horizontal banding is layers of cynobacterial crust - black lichen and orange silica [stained by iron and manganese deposits]. Over millions of years the layers were eroded by a combination of wind from the Tanami Desert and rainfall. Some layers were stronger than others and so, as erosion occurred, weathering produced the beehive or bell-like shapes. Fault lines in the horizontal bedding resulted in huge gullies and caves. The sandstone is so fine that it crumbles when touched. The area is a wonderland of Aboriginal art, huge gullies and dramatic caves." Not all of the latter features are easily accessible but those that are, are well worth the trip.

After our flight, we enjoyed finding what Kununurra has to offer and visited The Hoochery, a rum distillery, where we had a good lunch. Heading back into town, we stopped off at Mirima National Park (also known as Hidden Valley National Park and the mini-Bungle Bungles). As usual, we had far too little time and only managed a short walk around which was a pity as there was much more to see. This was one place which I had not found when researching and had allowed too little time in Kununurra to see all that we found we wanted to see. Always the way!

Two views of the cliffs in the park

On our way out of Kununurra we stopped off to wander around the Celebrity Tree Park and on down to Lily Lagoon.

View through Celebrity Tree Park to Lily Lagoon

A boab in the Tree Park

Judith in the Tree Park

Grey-crowned Babbler (most of!)

Scarlet Finch

View across the lagoon to the jetty

Nymphoides water lily

Intermediate Egret

Having enjoyed our flight, we then drove to Bungle Bungle Caravan Park on Mabel Downs Station. The latter is named after Margaret May 'Mabel' Bridge. 'Mabel' was a 10 year old girl who took charge of a four-horse wagon in 1895 and rode with her family of five (including a newborn baby) 3,000 km from Normanton on the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Halls Creek area where her father staked a claim of 709,000 hectares named Mabel Downs in honour of his amazing pioneering daughter (sourced from Dianne Bates on Travel Blog site). On the way to the station, we drove through some interesting country.

Back among the boabs

A lumpy bumpy termite mound

The hired Hilux in front of one of several mounds of brokem rocks which resembled smaller Devil's Marbles

A boab imprisoned by its own offspring?

One of a few occasions when the journey slowed to a crawl - the load had about 5cm clearance either side

Here we stayed in tented accommodation and had time to wander around enjoying some of the station life.

A hazard of bird watching - actually rather placid

The odd one out, a Corella among Galahs

Crested Pigeons roosting near the tent

Steve roasting in the tent, checking his pics!

Two Rainbow Bee Eaters

An Agile Wallaby with joey

Corella in casual pose

We also booked onto a 4WD day tour into Purnululu National Park where we had close views of the domes and a walk into Piccaninny Pool and then on to Cathedral Gorge.

Sunrise before we set out for our drive

Pandanus palms by creek on the way

The 4WD coach from Mabel Downs

"Elephant Rock", actually two elephants!

A jumble of banded rocks and domes forming part of the range

Closer views of some of the domes

And still more domes

An unusual termite mound on the side of one of the banded cliffs

Some of our group looking at Piccaninny Pool

Not a lot of water in Piccaninny Pool

Aboriginal handprints on one of the rock surfaces

A few more domes and a cone

Holes scoured in river bed

Other visitors leaving Cathedral Gorge

Grotesque rock formations near the entrance to Cathedral Gorge

Inside the gorge

A pool inside the gorge

Panoramic view inside the gorge

Our guide gave a solo performance to demonstrate the acoustics

After some refreshments, we were taken to the other end of the Bungle Bungles where had the opportunity to walk into Echidna Chasm. Unfortunately, the walk in over a boulder-strewn dry riverbed put too great a strain on my hip (replaced on our last visit!), so we turned back. Nonetheless it was great to see different aspects of the range and to walk at relative leisure through parts of it. The drive back was at rather a rapid rate over a poor road so that we were thoroughly shaken up by the time we got back to camp and desperately needed a cold beer!

The riverbed leading to Echidna Chasm

Loaded up and ready for our 576km drive

And, as usual, we had a back seat driver

Last time we went to the Flinders Ranges, we travelled through the Barossa Valley and then on to Hawker. This time we let Gladys guide us and 'she' took us to Port Wakefield which has to be one of the least inspiring drives we have had. The drive on from there to Quorn was little better but it did gradually improve as we neared Hawker (for any new readers, 'Gladys' is our Garmin satnav and has such a prissy (male) voice that we nicknamed it Gladys).

The town of Hawker was proclaimed on 1 July 1880 and named after George Charles Hawker, an early settler, Commissioner of Works and a member of the South Australian Parliament 1858-1865 and 1875-1883 (thanks to Wikipedia and Aussie Towns).

The old Ghan (railway) line ran through Hawker and I had hoped to find where this ran but we were running out of time, so continued on into the Flinders Ranges. We were here in March last year but this time, although it is still magnificent country, it is much drier and animals and birds appeared to be less obviously abundant, although still enough to keep us happy.

We stayed at Skytrek Willow Springs Station which is excellent, with several good walks and a long 4WD trail which we did not really have time for and, in any case, were not game to undertake the drive in our hired vehicle in view of the constraints in the hire agreement! We stayed in the Overseer's Cottage which had been used for the School of the Air and was well equipped and very comfortable. On our last trip, we visited the ruins of Appealinna Station Homestead and have now found that Willow Springs Station is part of that original station, giving a sense of continuity.

The entrance to Skytrek Willow Springs Station

We arrive at the Overseer's Cottage

One of the original radios used for the School of the Air

On our first full day based there, we headed up nearby Stoke's Hill (the only place we could get a 'phone signal) and Judith was able to post
a Facebook entry from there just to keep in touch. We then revisited Wilpena Pound where we had a picnic lunch and then cruised back, stopping at Wood Duck Pond where we hauled our chairs out and relaxed for the afternoon, watching birds come and go and wallabies coming down to drink.

The mast on Stoke's Hill which we needed to get near to check emails¬

A view from Stoke's Hill

Wilpena Pound in the far distance with a relief map of the pound in the foreground on Stoke's Hill

Wallaby startled by a family of Grebes interrupting drinking time

Whistling Kite perched in tree by the pond

Whistling Kite soaring over the pond

When we got back to the cottage, we ran the tap for a cuppa but after a short time, our water then stopped. We reported this to the office and just about everyone on the station turned out to trace the problem and then dig up the pipe where the blockage had occurred (calcification). In the process, one of the guys managed to puncture the pipe so they had to charge around finding a long enough but thinner hose plus reducing joiners and we had water back on tap shortly after sunset.

Some of the guys waiting for the reducing joiners to be found

On our arrival, the owners had kindly made bookings for us for the mine tour at Blinman followed by lunch at The Prairie in Parachilna. On the way to Blinman we pulled off to see the massive rock formation known as the Great Wall of China.

The drive up to the Great Wall of China

Part of the Great Wall of China

Panoramic view of the Great Wall of China

The mine tour took us underground where we could see the old workings and the conditions under which the (mainly Cornish) workers laboured - obviously H & S did not exist back then! The town grew to about 1,500 people at its peak but after the mine closed as being no longer economical, the population dwindled to around 200 and is now about 18 (although there are 20 on the Progress Council as two local station folk have been co-opted).

A band of malachite, a copper compound, in the mine

View from underground to open shafts

We drove from Blinman through Parachilna Gorge to get to lunch. This gorge is another very attractive and interesting drive with more lovely river red gums lining the route. My favourite is still Brachina Gorge but this was most enjoyable.

River red gum in the gorge

View through the gorge to the ABC Ranges with our vehicle parked on the side

Once through the gorge, we left the ranges behind and drove through very flat country to get to Parachilna, where we enjoyed a shared platter of 'feral' mixed grill - kangaroo fillet, emu burger and camel sausage, the latter being surprisingly good.

The Prairie at Parachilna

Aboriginal art in the dining area of the Prairie

Our feral tucker - already carved by Judith for us to share

Having relaxed for a while in this rather odd place, we drove down to Brachina Gorge where we enjoyed the drive just as much as last time, although there was even less water at the Aroona River crossing than there had been last year. Nonetheless, it was a good spot for birds - it would have been even better if it weren’t for the Easter traffic! The camp grounds in the gorge are understandably very popular.

On our way into Brachina Gorge

A Wedgetail Eagle soaring over us when we stopped at the Arooma River crossing

It has been great to get away from 'city lights' and have a good view of the sky at night. Just now, we have had an almost full moon so although we have seen the stars more clearly, we haven't yet had a clear view of the Milky Way.

Having reached this far, it is now time for an update on why the road travelled is called the Explorers Way. The invention of the telegraph led to the next bout of exploration, including Burke & Wills' tragic attempt. In 1859 Charles Todd had the dream of an overland telegraph which would cross the continent from Port Augusta in South Australia to Port Darwin in the Northern Territory. This could then be linked to existing submarine cables to reach the rest of the world. At this time, it was taking several weeks for messages to be transmitted by sea. Various explorers had set out to find inland rivers, or dreamed of pastoral land, north of Adelaide, including Stuart's first expedition under the leadership of Charles Sturt. Stuart's second expedition, his first as leader (not counting various surveying missions that he had carried out), started in 1858. On one of these he had come across promising country north of the Flinders Ranges and his patron, James Chambers took out a holding which became Oratunga Station; it was from here that Stuart set out in 1858, financed by William Finke, with a squatter named Foster and an Aboriginal companion. On this trip, they travelled to the west of Lake Torrens and progressed for a considerable way before turning back when they were near Coober Pedy and could not find a source of water.

The following year, Stuart again headed north, this time with William Kekwick as his second in command, in search of a safe stock route. This time he travelled to the east of Lake Torrens and reached the site of present day Marree. He continued northwestwards finding more springs near the site of today's Oodnadatta. We are now headed for Marree (formerly known as Herrgott Springs, named after the artist who travelled with Stuart)

Had we not overslept, we would have seen that Tuesday dawned fine! Anyway by the time we got going it was heading for another hot day, albeit with a slight breeze. We decided that we would go to Wilpena Pound but first drove to Station Hill Lookout from where we had good views of the ranges around the station.

Rwnsley Range

Elder Range in the distance

The scenery between Rawnsley Park Station and the turn off to Wilpena Pound was again very eye-catching but did not delay further and on arrival at the Visitor Centre, we bought tickets for the shuttle (walking was going to be hot enough without adding extra kms!). This took us to a trailhead and we chose the most direct route towards Hills Homestead. Along the way we saw kangaroos and several birds, some of which we even managed to identify at the time!

On the way to Wilpena Pound

Western grey kangaroo

Path leading back towards the trailhead

The Hills Homestead

The homestead is a reconstruction of the homestead that the Hills lived in from 1899 to 1914 when they were forced out, not by drought but by floods! The Pound itself had been 'discovered' by William Chace in 1850. The following year, it was surveyed by Frederick Sinnett and the lease was taken up by Henry Strong Price who owned the property until his death in 1889. The homestead is in a very attractive area of the Pound, close to the creek so would have been quite a pleasant place to live. From the homestead, we made our way past a Dreamtime sculpture up to the lower of the Wangara Lookouts which gave splendid views over the Pound. I have been unable to find any other information about the sculpture or the derivation or meaning of Wangara (other than as a Perth suburb!).

Dreamtime sculpture

View down to Hills Homestead

Panoramic view from the lookout

We walked back, with fewer delays than on the way in, caught the shuttle bus and enjoyed a picnic lunch, surrounded by a couple of ravens, a magpie, a yellow-throated miner and nine, very noisy, apostle birds.

The magpie had a beady eye on our food

Yellow-throated miner

One of the apostle birds

Now replete, we drove about 9km to the Bunyeroo Gorge Road. This is another unsealed and quite bumpy road but with magnificent views back over Wilpena Pound and with more amazing geology. The two lookouts, Bunyeroo and Razorback were well worth stopping for.

On Bunyeroo Gorge Road with Wilpena Pound in the distance

The Beast at Bunyeroo Lookout car park

View from Bunyeroo Lookout

Looking at the road ahead from Razorback Lookout

Two examples of the fascinating geology in views from Razorback Lookout

Once in the gorge itself, it was a case of must stop for the views, the trees, the geology and, to our surprise, more yellow-footed rock wallabies - what a delight!

A couple of views inside the gorge

Yellow-footed rock wallabies are so photogenic

Another part of the gorge wall

The drive took us through more beautiful scenery and finally joined the Brachina Gorge Road. As time was ticking by we decided that we couldn't make a repeat visit to Brachina Gorge, so headed east backwards the Flinders Ranges Way. Once again, we had to cross the Aroona River and again we stopped to see what wildlife there may be and again we were rewarded with some good sightings, a very productive spot for us.

Red arrow dragonfly

White-plumed honeyeater

Blue skimmer dragonfly

Female purple-backed fairy wren, in moult

A euro or common wallaroo by the river

Sadly, that was the end of our stay in Flinders Ranges and on a hot Wednesday, we made our way south-west. Someone we met in the area had recommended that we stop in Hawker to see the Jeff Morgan Gallery and this we duly did. It is not a large place, as galleries go, but has some truly amazing paintings. Morgan, understandably, specialises in painting in the Flinders Ranges but his hallmark is the production of magnificent panoramic paintings. The first we saw was of Ron's Creek, 15m long x 4.5m high and on the floor are stones and bits of wood etc., which run up to the painting giving a three-dimensional result. Similar effects were achieved with a panorama of Arkaroola Pan, 5.5m x 46m circumference. The first circular painting completed was Wilpena Panorama (3.5m high x 30m circumference), which shows the Pound as viewed from St Mary Peak and has a room to itself with a central raised viewing point. It really is an incredible piece of art. It has been formally recognised by the International Panorama Council which has recognised only about 70 circular paintings around the world, with very few having been completed by one individual (acknowledgements to the Jeff Morgan Gallery for this information). There is also a very good rock, mineral and fossil collection on display. We would certainly recommend this to anyone travelling in the area.

Our cabin at Rawnsley Park Station

The Beast at the entrance/exit for Rawnsley Park Station

The Jeff Morgan Gallery in Hawker

One of Morgan's panoramas

Panoramic view of circular painting (unfortunately, the canopy intrudes into the camera view)

Out of Hawker and on the road south, we again went through some pretty drear country in which we found a few ruins which are all that remain of the settlement of Wilson. In 1865, the Surveyor-General, George Woodroffe Goyder had drawn a line across South Australia showing where it was believed that, due to the likelihood of drought, farming was not safe. There had been god seasons in the 1870s into the early 1880s, defying Goyder's predictions, so settlers came to grow wheat and established the town of Wilson in 1881. There was no natural water supply but in spite of the return to the normal dry seasons, some people stayed on, some switching from wheat to sheep. These brave (or foolhardy?) pioneers struggled on until the last person left in 1954 and the town was left to gradually disintegrate.

Two of the ruined buildings

About half an hour further on, we came across Kanyaka Waterhole which was like a little oasis in the dry plains country. Apart from the well-treed waterhole there were also some interesting rock formations. As we approached the waterhole, we could see many birds but I slipped on some loose stone and everything within cooee vanished, so we have no wildlife photos from this detour!

Steve seeing if anything came back!

The waterhole

Two views of the weathered outcrops near the waterhole

By the time we reached Port Augusta, it was approaching lunch time, so we made for the Australian Arid Land Gardens where we had an excellent lunch in very photogenic surroundings.

Sturt's Desert Pea in flower

The ubiquitous red wattlebird

Not far from Port Augusta, as we drove west, we came across some roadworks and were mildly annoyed at the delay until we saw a flock of birds take off. Judith swiftly pulled into a handy layby and we watched the birds swirl around and then come in to land near our vehicle. It was a flock of banded stilts, a new bird for us so a pleasurable delay.

Flock of banded stilts coming to land

A little further on we could see a large cloud of dust and came across a very large mob of sheep being herded through the dry bush by the roadside by one bloke on a motorbike with a kelpie, which after some hot dry dashing around, took a ride on the bike!

The mob on the move

Kelpie hard at work

All sorted, the kelpie takes a break on the bike

Near Iron Knob, we saw some distant rain and thought we may be driving into it but it stayed on the range and we arrived in Kimba in the dry, although by then it was cloudy and windy.

Distant rain near Iron Knob

Other than being half way across Australia, Kimba did not impress itself on our memories, other than its Big Galah! However, it was fine for an overnight stop on our way to Streaky Bay.

The Big Galah