Bungle Bungles
Submitted: Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 18:39
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WBS
I'm trying to work out the best plan to drive in and see The Bungle Bungles (Echidna and Cathedral Gorges). I am not sure if a one day trip from Warmun (Turkey Creek) return is realistically achievable.
Can someone who knows more about it than me (ie someone who's actually done it), tell me how long I can expect to take to drive from the Great Northern Hwy turn off, to the
track junction for tracks leading to Echidna
Gorge and
Cathedral Gorge then the time I can expect to take from there to Echidna
Gorge, and the time I can expect to take from Echidna
Gorge to
Cathedral Gorge.
I'm driving an 80 Series Land Cruiser,
Thanks
WBS
Reply By: Member - Rob Mac (QLD) - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:01
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:01
Hi WBS, I was there Aug last year, and the 53 Km from the highway to
ranger station takes at least 2 hours, unless you dont care about your vehicle. This link has a map on it. It is also about 53 Km's from Turkey Creek to turn-off, so time wise whatever your bitumen highway cruising is. One option if you do not want to
camp there may be to fly in from TC and get chauffered around the sites and flown back in same day.
Cheers
DEC site
AnswerID:
411726
Reply By: Tenpounder (SA) - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:17
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:17
Hi there. What's the rush?
I would say that from the
carpark back to the
carpark to visit
Cathedral Gorge on foot is a two hour trip. Likewise, from the
carpark to the
carpark via Echidna is an hour and a half at least.
Add to that the return trip into the area (two hours each way), plus the travel within the Bungles (say an hour if you don't stop (!!!!) and you have a 8+ hour day trip. from the highway and return.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - John and Val - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:35
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:35
If you want to see what the Bungle Bungles has to offer then realistically a day is not enough. Cant give you actual driving times, and the time it takes will vary according to track condition. The road in can be a bit rough, and its winding and very scenic. There are also some creek crossings, so you do need to take your time and drive carefully, so that you dont add to the accidents that do happen on that road.
Apart from the driving you need to do a bit of walking to see
Echidna Chasm and
Cathedral Cave, and walk down Picaninny Creek to the
lookout. Also the domes and for that matter
Echidna Chasm look different as the light changes through the day.
Suggest you give yourself time to really get a feel for the place by arranging to stay overnight.
Cheers,
Val
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AnswerID:
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Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:59
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 19:59
Hi WBS
We left the caravan at
Kununurra where we were staying with friends, and spent the greater part of three days there, staying one night at each
camp ground to do the adjacent walks early in the day and late in the afternoon to avoid walking in the heat. You can
check out my blog on Purnululu in the My Blog section. We missed out on a helicopter view as we hadn't pre-booked and a group of tour buses got in just ahead of us and fully booked the choppers for the rest of the day.
Well worth spending two or three days there.
Motherhen
AnswerID:
411742
Reply By: Fatso - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 20:06
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 20:06
If you are not set up for camping maybe you should enquire about accommodation in there. There used to be a safari tent set up in there somewhere. I have spoken to several people over the years who have stayed there & had only positive feed back.
It realy is worth a couple of days.
I recommend you blow the budget & experience as much as you can afford.
Take a helicopter flight over it as
well. Definitely worth it.
AnswerID:
411744
Follow Up By: vk1dx - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 23:30
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 23:30
We stayed in of those accommodation
places for one night and froze. Not one blanket in the safari tent. Just the bed cover. Should have stayed in our tent like we did the first night and were as comfortable as usual. $500 blown. Got a sandwich for the next day and it was rubbish. Big chunks of lamb with some yukky sauce on it and that horrible thick stuff they call bread these days. I asked for just an ordinary sandwich, no sauce nor any salt and pepper etc . The type you take to work. If I had time I would have taken it back and stuffed it where etc . . . . . And just a lousy BBQ for dinner. And we paid $500 for ONE night.
On a brighter note you should stay, sorry
camp, at least two nights. With two full days and some to see the greater majority of it.
Phil
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 20:25
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 20:25
Another vote for staying at least one day. If it's worth all the effort to get there, you might as
well have enough time to have a good look. And it really is worth doing that helicopter trip.
AnswerID:
411748
Reply By: Member - Barnesy - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 21:27
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 21:27
You could go to those
places in one day if you really wanted to. But why would you? All you would gain is being able to tell people that you've been there!
It's a world
heritage area that needs time to look around and absorb the place. Take as much time as you can afford. At least 2 or 3 days minimum.
Barnesy
AnswerID:
411753
Reply By: get outmore - Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 21:39
Monday, Apr 05, 2010 at 21:39
now from memory those gorges are at the northern end - you still will need to drive to the southern end to see the bungle bungles as you see them in books
its a slooow drive
without making it sound like yet another spot you need to spend a month at to properly apprececeate
you definitly will need to stay overnight
AnswerID:
411754
Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 01:08
Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 01:08
Another vote for staying over night and definitly the helicopter ride. I want to go back again, was a magic spot, so much to see, really do need a couple of days.
Cheers
D
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Reply By: WBS - Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 06:53
Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 06:53
Thanks to all who took the time to reply. You have given me considerable advice to ponder on. I get the message loud and clear that a 1 one day visit is not really giving me much of a chance to see the place properly. Now its back to the drawing board.
WBS
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 09:04
Tuesday, Apr 06, 2010 at 09:04
We spent the money and flew in from
Kununurra 1 1/2 hour flight.
Had Cooked b/fast at the resort. Got in a Cruiser and went to
Echidna chasm at the north end. Walked in there and back at a leisurely pace.
Came back and went south to Cathedral chasm and had our lunch(provided)
walked back out and back to the resort for afternoon tea.
Flew back to
Kununurra via the Argyle diamond mine
Got
home about 6pm
A marvelous day and well worth the $1500 it cost us
Meals at the resort were Ok as was the picnic lunch
The guide we had said it took him 2 hours to come in from the highway and it appears they dont maintain the road to a higher standard to keep the traffic down.
AnswerID:
411783