Purnulu National Park, in the East Kimberley Region, north-east of Western Australia, is close to the border of the Northern Territory, about 3,000 km from Perth, the capital of Western Australia,1120 km from Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, and 2,397 km2.
Purnulu National Park is the last wonder of Australia's mainland, where the entire national park was created in 2003 Common National UNESCO has named the world's dual heritage of natural culture, with the park's Bangle Bungle Ranges, a sandstone landscape squeezed by a 350 million-year-old sediment of ancient riverbeds, often compared to the giant honeycomb, orange-and-black-striped sandstone maze, one of the most beloved places in the Kimberley region.
The two closest municipalities to Purnulu National Park are Halls Creek (about 100 km) and Kununurra (about 250 km), from which either town can take a helicopter or join a four-drive tour, or rent a four-drive car and enter the park for a self-driving expedition. Take the Great Northern Highway, pass the vast cattle farm, and turn to a rugged, narrow path for 50 kilometers to the visitor center (Purnululu National Park Visitor Centre) of Purnulu National Park.
Despite being so close to the main highway, banguluban gururange was known only to the natives and herdsmen until a documentary crew unveiled her in 1983. Today, the range has become part of Purnulu National Park. Named after a nearby cattle herd, the landmark Bangulubanggururange is situated in the south of the park, where honeycombed peaks rise hundreds of meters above the edge of the range, sheltering deep canyons and palm-lined rocky pools. Visitors can fly by sightseeing helicopter over incredible sandstone landscapes that were squeezed 350 million years ago by sediments from an ancient river bed, with distinct orange, gray and black stripes formed by interlaced sediment bands with varying levels of clay. In the south of the park, you can also try your voice here by hiking into the giant church canyon known for its amazing natural sound effects. Or try the picturesque route to Piccanny Creek, which takes a three-kilometer loop, or challenge yourself to the Piccanny Gorge, which can be camped out overnight... and the narrower canyon is a completely different experience in the north of Ponuru. Easily walk 2km to Echidna Chasm, where you look up at the towering 100-metre vertical rock walls on either side of the marvel. Or try a five-kilometer round trip to the miniature Palms Gorge, which has clusters of elongated Livingstone palms and a traditional Aboriginal fertility cave.
It is said that the aborigines have lived in the area for more than 40,000 years, and there are many historical traces in the park where they can find ancient rock art and burial places throughout the park.
Purnulu National Park is inland in the wilderness, with poor infrastructure, only four-drive access, ordinary two-drive and real estate unable to enter the national park, where roads are unpoured dirt roads (Unsealed Roads), which are washed out for most of the year because of heavy rainfall, only accessible in the dry winter (May-August).
Access to Purnulu National Park requires the purchase of tickets (prices as of early 2020):
- Below 12 cars: A $15/car
- Cars over 12: A $7/person (over 6 years old)
- Tickets are valid for one day and can be re-entered and re-entered, with the exception of Yanchep National Park and Nambung National Park, which enter the vast majority of other Western Australian national parks on the day of purchase without re-payment
- Free walk or car access to National Park
