After two peaceful days at sea, the National Geographic Orion arrived at our first Kimberley destination: the remarkable geological formations of the Bungle Bungles and the picturesque Ord River.
Purnululu, or Bungles Bungles, is a national park declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. This geological landscape is unique and the sheer grandeur of the sandstone massifs did not fail to impress. Rising up to 578 meters above sea level, these rocks are about 350-375 million years old. Aboard our flight-seeing planes, we observed the grouping of multicolored domes and the alternating layers of orange oxidized iron and gray cyanobacteria of this cone-karst geology from the Devonian Age. Although this region was extensively used by Aboriginal people for 40,000 years, few Europeans knew of its existence until 1983.
The scenic flight also took us over the Argyle mine, the world’s largest diamond supplier, and over Lake Argyle, the largest artificial lake in Australia, created by the damming of the Ord River. Due to intense rainfall during the wet season, the Ord River experiences massive flows. The preeminent scenic area of this river system is located between Kununurra and the Argyle Dam, covering more than 55 kilometers.
We explored this section aboard a fast boat that raced up the stream, swerving around rocks and fallen trees. We observed thriving fauna and flora, spotting many freshwater crocodiles. Many species of birds were also sighted, including Australasian darters, comb-crested jacanas, egrets and royal spoonbills to name a few. We were also lucky to spot a short-eared rock wallaby. This important river ecosystem is the habitat of four species of turtles, more than 300 species of birds, and 6,000 to 8,000 resident freshwater crocodiles.
Afterward, we had the opportunity to visit a historical homestead that belonged to the Durack family and learned about pioneer life in this unforgiving terrain. At this charming house, a bowerbird proudly displayed his intricate and elaborate nest to a curious female.
Later on, back onboard the National Geographic Orion, the highly dedicated galley crew amazed us with a delicious seafood barbecue. Sailing into a magnificent sunset, we looked forward to more adventures in the beautiful Kimberley region.
