20th May: An average breakfast and then we proceeded to Bellburn airport about 10 minutes drive from Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge. We took Jill with us as she was going on a helicopter flight too, but a longer one than the one we had arranged. Nic and I were piloted by Gigi, just the 2 of us for an 18 minute fight. We had amazing visibility as the helicopter had no doors. I sat in front next to the pilot and Nic sat behind me. We had a fabulous view of the 35 square km National Park and we able to total visualise the layout of the beehive domes and gorges, something less easy to do from the ground. We flew over the Five fingers, Picanninie Gorge, Whip Snake Gorge and Cathedral Gorge plus saw where stockmen used to corral their cattle before it was realised what the walls of this corral were actually part of. 

Nic and I then set off for the Northern walks in order to catch the direct sunlight over head in Echidna Chasm at 11am. On the way we visited the Kungkalanayi Lookout with panoramic views of the edge of Bungle Bungle range ,  which began to be formed 360 million  years ago. To the North is the Osmand range, some 1400 million years old made of Dolomites and sandstone, and to the south the Ord River valley with the Ord river draining into Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra.

We walked through the lush Echidna Gorge along a dry pebbley creekbed flanked by Livistona palms. We reached the chasm at the right time for some amazing light effects as the sun caught the narrow walls of the gorge lightening then so that they appeared to glow an orange red.

Jill and Craig decided to do the Mini Palms Walk whilst Nic and I went to the Southern area of the park so that we could do the Cathedral Gorge Walk and the Piccaninny Creek Lookout today so that we didn’t have to drive back to El Questro in the dark the next day.

It proved to be a good decision as the beehive domes glowed in the afternoon sun and we had the walks virtually to ourselves. The cathedral gorge itself was very impressive such that we spent quite a lot of time just contemplating it! The view from Piccaninny Creek Lookout was spectacular!

We returned quite late to the lodge after Nic thought that he had lost his glasses on the walk, but fortunately I found them!

We had mushroom risotto followed by Barramundi on polenta with veg, followed by coconut milk panacotta.

                  

Sandstone Beehive domes

Area used in past by drovers for corralling cattle

                              Piccaninny Gorge

Suzanne & Nic with our helicopter pilot Gigi

Echidna Gorge

Beehive sandstone domes in the making 150 million years from now

Walk into Cathedral Gorge

The Cathedral

Walk to Piccaninny Creek Lookout