Purnululu, meaning “sandstone,” has long been the home of local Indigenous people, but it remained unknown to the rest of the world until the mid-1980s.
Located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia is the Purnululu National Park. This park is home to the striking Bungle Bungles, featuring sandstone formations with many spectacular shapes.
The most popular area of Purnululu National Park is the Bungle Bungles.
Rising more than 300 meters above the surrounding grasslands, the orange and black sandstone dome formations are among the most captivating geological landmarks in the world. Many people liken this maze of domes to giant beehives.
Twenty million years of weathering have created the eroded sandstone towers of the Bungle Bungles.
The rock formations were created over a period of 20 million years as water gradually eroded the karst sandstone, resulting in the beautiful shapes we see today.
Like giant beehives, these unique sandstone mountains vary in height.
Thousands of giant orange and black striped domes create an impressive landscape in the Bungle Bungles.
The park’s trails guide visitors through a maze of narrow gorges, secluded valleys, and majestic caves. Purnululu National Park is also home to 130 bird species, as well as unique native wildlife.
Hidden within this captivating site are deep gorges, narrow chasms, palm trees, and seasonal waterfalls.
Despite its existence for about 350 million years and having been managed by Indigenous Australians for over 40,000 years, this area only became known to the public in 1983 when treasure seekers accidentally discovered it while filming a documentary.
Visitor sites in Purnululu National Park are located at the north and south ends.
With its unique geological significance and Indigenous history, Purnululu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
Each direction in the park offers a variety of walking trails and clearly marked attractions.
UNESCO has described the Bungle Bungles as “unparalleled in scale, grandeur, and diversity of form anywhere in the world.” The beehive shapes of this site are visually appealing, while their natural stripes add to the uniqueness found nowhere else on the planet.
