DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK
ONE OF the top campsites in Outback Queensland is at Hunters Gorge in Diamantina National Park, and being so remote makes it one of the best locations for rejuvenation. Just getting here can be a challenge, but having the opportunity to relax and enjoy what the national park has to offer is a real bonus.
The old homestead and ranger base offer an information centre that explains the history of the place, from the first interaction between Aboriginals and the Europeans in the early 1800s. The traditional owners still consider areas of the Diamantina National Park to be significant sites relating to the Dreamtime. The rangers are not always on-site, so a satellite phone is an important tool out there.
There are great views across the Diamantina Gates from Janets Leap. The ‘gates’ are the shortest distance between the Hamilton and Goyder Ranges, about one kilometre, which squeezes the Diamantina Channels into one before the water spreads into five main channels again. During a flood, it’s an incredible phenomenon to witness as the water plunges through this gorge.
A self-drive tour on the Warracoota Circuit Drive is approximately 90km in length and will take you at least four hours to take in the experience. Mitchell grass plains, old rodeo yards, ruins, desert red sand dunes, gibbers, waterholes and boggy holes, it has it all. There is even a set of ruins three kilometres from the Warracoota Waterhole, thought to have been built by early settlers, but, as you’ll see, the layout looks more like a battlement.
There are two designated camping areas within Diamantina National Park, with pit toilets the only facility at both sites. The best being Hunters Gorge, an open and spacious area that sits beside a permanent waterhole and is suitable for off-road caravans and camper trailers. Gum Hole has small individual sites with plenty of shade provided by the coolabah and bauhinia trees that line Whistling Duck Creek.
Both sites are perfect for a canoe or kayak, especially at dawn and dusk when the resident birds are active. Expect to see Hall’s babblers, whistling kites, black falcons and oriental plovers, and as you drive around the park you’re sure to encounter emus, and western grey and red kangaroos. If photography is something you enjoy, the sunrises and sunsets are often extremely vibrant, as are the burnt orange sand dunes and colourful wildflowers.
JUST GETTING HERE CAN BE A CHALLENGE, BUT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELAX AND ENJOY WHAT THE NATIONAL PARK HAS TO OFFER IS A REAL BONUS
AS A natural wonder, Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) National Park has only been a tourist hot spot for a few of decades, but Aboriginals have known about it for thousands of years. These days it’s one of the most visually stunning, worldheritage-listed national parks in Australia. The road into the national park is notorious for being rough, but deflate your tyres a bit, reduce your speed and you’ll get to enjoy the views of the Osmond Range on the way. A high-clearance 4WD is recommended and only singleaxle off-road caravans or camper trailers are permitted. Once you’ve entered the park, a visit to the ranger station to check in is a requirement. They’ll want to see your WA Park Pass and campsite booking, and there is a Wi-fi hotspot outside the station that enables you to pay your park entry and camping fees online.
There are two camping areas within this remote wilderness: Walardi is closer to the Cathedral Gorge and Piccaninny Creek; while Kurrajong is nearer to Echidna Chasm and Mini Palms Gorge. Both sites have pit toilets and a non-potable water tap, so you’ll need to be self-reliant and bring in all your food, water and fuel.
If a bit of luxury helps you to relax and rejuvenate, the Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge is the place to stay. Located within the national park you’ll enjoy the ambience and comfort of a modern cabin with en suite. The lodge relies totally on solar power to keep it running and the hot water is backed up by LPG gas as it can be very cold in the mornings.
All meals are prepared on-site by the experienced chefs with breakfast, lunch and dinner available. The Bungles Bar is open daily and there’s no better way to finish the day sitting next to a fire with a beverage, chatting with fellow travellers.
It’s the ancient geological wonders that make this national park so special and having time to explore it makes it even better. At Echidna Chasm you can watch its walls change colour as the sun moves across the sky, while Mini Palms Gorge is full of prehistoric Livistona palms within its natural amphitheatre. Cathedral Gorge has stunning acoustics and The Domes have weathered over thousands of years to get a banded look like a beehive.
Piccaninny Creek is an attraction all on its own as the trail leads you to The Window, a natural hole in the sandstone, and onto Whip Snake Gorge with its small permanent pool feeding rock figs, ferns and mosses. For the experienced walkers, Piccaninny Gorge is a one- or two-night trek that you must register for at the visitor centre, carry sufficient food, water and clothing and carry a satellite phone or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).
The best way to experience the expansive wonders of Purnululu is in the air, and Helispirit offers several packages flying from within the park at Bellburn airstrip. It also offers a full-day heli-hike that lands you near the mouth of Piccaninny Gorge where it splits into five fingers. An Aboriginal guide then leads you on a 10km return hike explaining the cultural significance of Purnululu.
IT’S THE ANCIENT GEOLOGICAL WONDERS THAT MAKE THIS NATIONAL PARK SO SPECIAL, AND HAVING TIME TO EXPLORE IT MAKES IT EVEN BETTER