{"id":2452,"date":"2017-01-09T06:38:25","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T19:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.stillaslife.com\/?p=2452"},"modified":"2017-03-04T22:19:51","modified_gmt":"2017-03-04T11:19:51","slug":"darwin-to-perth-day-3-kununurra-to-fitzroy-crossing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stillaslife.com\/zh\/darwin-to-perth-day-3-kununurra-to-fitzroy-crossing\/","title":{"rendered":"\u8fbe\u5c14\u6587\u81f3\u73c0\u65af\u7b2c3\u5929\u2013\u5e93\u52aa\u7eb3\u62c9\u81f3\u83f2\u8328\u7f57\u4f0a\u5341\u5b57\u8def\u53e3"},"content":{"rendered":"

This one really is a tough one because between Kununurra and Fitzroy Crossing is Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungles, arguably one of the most remote but spectacular rock formations in \u6fb3\u5927\u5229\u4e9a<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Bungle Bungles \u7684\u72ec\u7acb\u7802\u5ca9\u5730\u5c42<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These sandstone beehive-like rocks are quite literally in the middle of nowhere, the very definition of woop woop.<\/p>\n

\"Sandstone<\/a>
Sandstone domes at the Bungle Bungles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Purnululu National Park turn-off is near Warmun Roadhouse, about one-third of the way from Kununurra to Fitzroy Crossing.<\/p>\n

\"Purnululu<\/a>
Purnululu National Park Entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s then a dirt road into the park that is four wheel drive only and can take a couple of hours each way. Top it off with no facilities inside the national park, so you really need to be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least one night, maybe more depending on how much hiking you want to do. In other words, you can’t just rock up. You need to figure out exactly what you are doing before you leave Kununurra.<\/p>\n

Being in a hired camper van there is no way we could take that road without breaching our hire contract. The only other way to see the Bungle Bungles was by air.<\/p>\n

There are scenic plane flights from Kununurra airport or helicopter flights from Warmun Roadhouse. Both are around the $399 per person price. However, the plane flights from Kununurra are 2-3 hours long compared to the helicopter flight from Warmun that is only 30 minutes long. To top it off, it rained for half the night and was still raining in the morning, so everything was pretty wet.<\/p>\n

\"Rain,<\/a>
Rain, mud and a boab tree at Kununurra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally we had planned to book a scenic flight from Kununurra, but it turned out that the flights were not running on the day we were there, so we continued on to Warmun.<\/p>\n

Warmun and the Bungle Bungles<\/h3>\n

We stopped at Warmun Roadhouse for a break and to make a decision on whether to do the helicopter flight or not. We almost decided not to worry about doing a flight at all, it is expensive, and the formations are meant to be similar to Mirima National Park, just on a much larger scale. So we thought maybe we could leave it for another time if there ever is another time.<\/p>\n

\"Warmun<\/a>
Warmun Roadhouse Helispirit Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the end, the helicopter pilot convinced us that it was worth the money and he was available to fly straight away without a booking so we did it.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>
Matt with our helicopter pilot, Luke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I cannot emphasise enough how glad we are that we went.<\/p>\n

\"Rain<\/a>
\u6c83\u8499\u5c71\u4e0a\u7684\u5c0f\u96e8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Bungle Bungles truly are breath-taking.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s hard to believe something like this is still so inaccessible, yet in a way, that adds to its mystery and majesty.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We didn’t see them from ground level but thinking about Mirima National Park and Kata Tjuta (we went there on a previous trip) I don’t believe it is possible to actually grasp or admire their vastness and their combined beauty unless you see them from the sky.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Bungle Bungles seem to go on as far as the eye can see<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Bungle Bungles incorporate so many rock formations and the Ord River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sandstone hive formations and gorges rise up out of nowhere and dominate the landscape.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From above seeing these rocky domes appear to go almost as far as you can see makes it hard to imagine what it must be like from the ground where your view is limited to only a few immediately around you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Our pilot, Luke, was of the opinion that the birds-eye view is far better than the view from the ground. I think we need to see them from the ground before we can really compare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before we knew it, our 30-minute flight was over, and we were back on the ground.<\/p>\n

\"Warmun<\/a>
Warmun Helipad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It didn’t seem to go for long enough, but in the end, it was a good thing. If we had taken a plane, we would have lost a few hours from our day. As it was, we only got into Fitzroy Crossing at sunset. This shorter flight allowed us to see the Bungle Bungles but still keep to our schedule without pushing our arrival too late after dark.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

There is a small community, but there isn’t much at Warmun itself except for the roadhouse and helipad, so after some morning tea in the back of our van, we got on the way again.<\/p>\n

\"Warmun<\/a>
\u6c83\u8499\u793e\u533a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next stop: Halls Creek.<\/p>\n

\u970d\u5c14\u65af\u6eaa<\/h3>\n

Halls Creek is a remote town in WA about halfway between Kununurra and Fitzroy Crossing.<\/p>\n

\"Welcome<\/a>
Welcome to Halls Creek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It has a large Aboriginal population, predominately of the Jaru and Kija tribes, and the local council laws around alcohol sales and consumption are a bit different, so it is worth reading up on them if you are planning to bring alcohol into the town, purchase it, or consume it while you are there.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights of Halls Creek is China Wall, an exposed quartz vein just out of town that rises up out of the ground looking like a miniature Great Wall of China.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>
Matt at the Halls Creek China Wall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This quartz is believed to extend for hundreds of kilometres, all the way to the West Coast and up to the Bungle Bungles.<\/p>\n

\"China<\/a>
China Wall Panorama at Halls Creek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The access road for China Wall is located on Duncan Road, on the left as you enter Halls Creek from the North. There is a small sign at the turn-off. It is on private property so do be sure to close the gate after you, and keep an eye out in the carpark for the zebra rocks.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The entry to China Wall is on private property just out of Halls Creek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They are really cool rocks made up of lots of different coloured layers that give them the appearance of zebra stripes. You actually follow the wall for part of the way to the carpark, and you can see the top of the exposed section from the carpark.<\/p>\n