Purnululu-Nationalpark

The Purnululu National Park (English: Purnululu National Park, formerly the Bungle Bungle National Park ) is located in the eastern Kimberley in the Australian state of Western Australia, in a straight line about 160 kilometers south of Kununurra and 100 kilometers north-east of Halls Creek. Since 2003, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area is located just over 60 km east of the Great Northern Highway and is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicle. Characteristics of the Purnululu National Park are the one of the world's singular, beehives similar sandstone mountain range ( Bungle Bungle ), and on the other hand extremely narrow rock gorges in the sandstone plateau with palm oases.

The Lost World of the Bungle Bungles, as described, is a natural wonder in the middle of remote wilderness. Until recently, this area was known only to the traditional indigenous people and some farmers, livestock herders, geologists, scientists and locals due to its remote location. Only since this area made ​​headlines beginning of the 1980s in the media, and the public became aware of it.

History

What today is the Purnululu National Park, has for millennia been the home of the original inhabitants. In this area there are numerous art and tombs of the Aborigines. The name " Purnululu " means sandstone in the language of the local Kiya tribe. It is believed that he was either misunderstood as " Bungle Bungle ", or that it is the misspelling of common Kimberley grass Bundle Bundle. However, rumors are circulating as to the real origin still and the true meaning of Bungle Bungle, what makes this " lost world " seem even more mysterious.

The results of radiocarbon measurements suggest that the indigenous people have lived in this region for at least 20,000 years. After Alexander Forrest had the central Kimberley along the Fitzroy River and east thereof explored in the years 1876-1879 and recommended it as a cattle pasture, was started in 1884 with the grazing of the flat savannas. 1976 was declared then a large area along the Ord River Nature Reserve, to allow for revitalization of severely eroded land.

The Purnululu National Park in the northwest of this nature reserve was established in 1987. It covers about 240,000 hectares ( ha), the nature reserve further 110 602 ha

Geography and Geology

The formation consists of delicate sandstone, covered by a thin layer of silica and lichens. The massif extends over approximately 45,000 ha and is Devonian origin, about 375-350 million years old. It is made up of sand and pebbles, the rivers have transported zoom from nearby mountains. This sediment is compacted into sandstone over time. Tectonic movements have raised the massif twice, once before about 250 million years ago, and again some 20 million years ago.

The sandstone formation in the Purnululu National Park has essentially two different structures.

The rounded towers of the Bungle Bungle massif (also called hives or dome ) in the south and east are the result of severe erosion that created the heavy downpours of the rainy season. The sandstone is low bound and porous, so he SANDET easily.

In the north and west, the plateau has, however, essentially get that rises with about 200-300 meters above the surrounding plains and have washed out of the scattered fluxes some deep ravines and steep ravines. From the savannah of west and north grows abruptly the escarpment of the plateau up.

Northeast of the Piccaninny Gorge, leaving less than 360 million years ago a meteorite impact the seven km -diameter crater Piccaninny. The inaccessible terrain structure is recognizable from the air.

In order not to accelerate the erosion, which is caused by the low binding, thermal expansion and wind, all rock climbing are prohibited and restricted access generally limited to the flow regions.

Flora

The plateau and the domes themselves are without vegetation, but both between the beehives as well as at the canyons inputs there are green islands with more than 600 documented species of plants. The park is home to plants, some of which previously did not even have a name, as they have been recently discovered.

The fan palm Livistona victoriae falls especially in the eye; she clings mainly in the northwest on dangerously steep spots on walls and columns and reaches stature heights of up to twelve meters. Tree species that dig with their roots in the rock, the rock fig are (Ficus platypoda ), the milkwood tree ( a Tabernaemontana species) and the dwarf eucalyptus -Art " Tropical red box " (Eucalyptus brachyandra ).

Much of the park consists of undulating, deep red or yellow sandy plains, covered with acacia bushes and silver tree, eucalyptus forests and with spinifex and other grasses. Kapokbüsche, Kimberley Bauhinie ( Bauhinia cunninghamii ), Kimberley Heath ( Calytrix exstipulata ) and Grevillea species mix the savannah country on color.

Fauna

Biodiversity is remarkable; it is particularly associated with the boundary location between tropical and arid climate, which ensures that both types of climates occur together. About 40 species of mammals and over 80 species of reptiles have been documented in the park.

From tropical latitudes, for example, the flat nail kangaroo, from rocky drylands comes, however, the wallaroo. The frilled lizard comes from the north, the brown snake is adapted to both wet and dry habitats on.

Animals that are in the park most easily discover the birds. There are about 150 species, including Spinifextauben and shoals of colorful budgies. Other species like the nocturnal Tawny Frogmouth, the white mirror dove and the brown chest thick head are so well camouflaged that they were hardly distinguishable from the rocks they inhabit, stand out.

Infrastructure

The Purnululu National Park in the south in the plane has an airport ( Bellburn Airstrip ), can be taken from the organized during the dry season trips.

Custom arriving can head to the park alternatively difficult Spring Creek track from the Great Northern Highway from ( entry location 304 kilometers south of Kununurra and 160 kilometers north-east of Halls Creek ) with a four-wheel vehicle. For about 53 km of slopes requires two to three hours and then has only the Visitor Center at Bellburn Creek west before reaching the escarpment.

At the Visitor Center, the track is divided into a northern and a southern route.

The 20 km long northern route runs along the escarpment to a hiking park with three ways:

• Walanginjdji Lookout, is a viewpoint on the west side of the escarpment, 500 m.
• Echidna Chasm, a two- kilometer-long hiking trail in an extremely narrow gorge, which lets in a sunbeam in itself. It narrows at its end to a width of only one meter. Before the entrance to the gorge an area is crossed by high Livistona palms along the rocky riverbed.
• Mini Palms Gorge, five kilometers, another gorge with young fan palms.

The southern route (27 km) ends at the trail parking lot Piccaninny in the marginal zone of the Bungle Bungle " beehives ", which are accessible only to a small area on a circular route.

From this parking lot two other Canyon trails are accessible:

• Cathedral Gorge (3 km), an entrance to the gorge, which triggers the association of a cathedral: The trail leads through the " nave ", bounded by high walls, in the round " apse ", which encloses a remaining even in the dry season, small pond.
• The Piccaninny Gorge ( 30 km) is the longest and deepest of all canyons in the Purnululu National Park. The trail, which branches outside the entrance to Cathedral Gorge is only be accomplished through several days' march; Condition are wild camping and complete supply self-sufficiency. The project must be registered with the National Park Service.

The National Park Administration resides in the Wilderness Lodge, for campers, there are the camp sites Walardi and Kurrajong with toilets and running water, but no meals.

The park is open from April 1 to December 31 and can be visited with an Australian National Park Pass. As the rainy season begins usually in October / November, the park closes depending on road conditions in some years earlier under certain circumstances.

Management

CALM ( Conservation and Land Management, the Western Australian nature and landscape protection agency) has carried out since 1986 numerous conversations with the " Purnululu Aboriginal Corporation " on the future of the park. This organization represents the interests of the indigenous people who play a significant role in the development and management of the park. The root of the Purnululu living on leased land within the park and will continue to play its traditional role as guardians of the region. So Aborigines are active, for example, as a ranger in the park.