Purnululu

Photos will come later..,

Purnululu is amazing - unique, magnificent, tremendous, beautiful.

Purnululu - when you pronounce this name slowly and with emphasis, it feels as round and soft on the tongue as decades-old Scottish whiskey aged in sherry casks. But be careful, with all its beauty, this national park also has a wild and rugged side!

The drive (80 Km off the highway) is quite intense, over 3 hours on a bumpy washboard road with several rough river crossings until you reach the Picaninny trailhead (after having traveled hundreds of kilometers on the highway to get to the entrance). And if you walk among the heated rock formations in the early afternoon, it certainly feels murderous on hot days.

Our walking paths mostly ran in the shade. Thus, we could experience the beauty of this place at very pleasant temperatures. Wandering among the beehive-shaped rock formations, one almost feels transported to an alien planet.

The highlight of today, besides the Domes Walk and the Picaninny Creek Lookout, is the visit to the Cathedral Gorge. This pear-shaped end of a gorge (wider at the bottom than at the top) attracts thousands of visitors. It is the park's top attraction, and we were lucky enough to soak in the silence and atmosphere there for 15 minutes all alone. Unforgettable!

Overall, the number of visitors here is manageable, despite the park being reopened today after being closed due to heavy rainfall. You often encounter other people, but there are still moments of about a quarter of an hour when you can quietly let the beauty wash over you.

At the Walardi Campground, we found a nice secluded spot where we spend a quiet evening by moonlight.

Note: Our photos have turned out quite beautiful, but they do not do justice to this world heritage site.