20th July
We had to set our alarm this morning which isn’t what you
want to do on a holiday however, it was for good reason. We had a 6am flight in
a light aircraft – an Australian made Airvan. Wow – what an incredible
experience. We took off from Kununurra airport and firstly flew over the
agricultural farms of the area. With the Ord River irrigation system, the
Kununurra region has lush, fertile areas where a variety of things are grown
including mangoes, melons, citrus fruits, chia and sandalwood. A popular place for backpackers to come and
do seasonal work.
From there we flew along the Ord River, the 6th
longest river in Western Australia and then over Lake Argyle. Lake Argyle is
the largest man-made lake in Australia (2,000 square kilometres) and is often
referred to as an inland sea. It was formed by damming the Ord River in 1972.
From this huge expanse of water, we flew over two enormous
cattle stations and then entered Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles).
The Bungle Bungle Range is renowned for its striking sandstone domes, striped
with orange and black like a beehive. The orange layer is iron oxide and the
black layer is formed by a bacteria. Purnululu is the name given to this
sandstone area by the Aboriginal people and covers an area of almost 240,000
hectares. The Bungle Bungle Range was only discovered by accident in the 70’s,
have been a tourist destination since 1983 and was granted World Heritage status
in 2003. Stephen and I drove into Purnululu National Park in 2001 when we were
in the Kimberley and walked amongst these massive structures - quite awe
inspiring. To see them this time from the air was also amazing.
Too soon we were turning around and heading back to
Kununurra, passing over the Argyle Diamond Mine – a huge scar on the otherwise
beautiful landscape, then over Ivanhoe Crossing and a smooth landing at the
airport. Such an incredible experience – will let our pictures tell more of the
story.
What's the movie on this flight?
Lake Argyle
The amazing Bungle Bungles
When I grow up I want to be a pilot
I didn't know that the Bungles were only found in the 70's! Have only flown over them - would have loved to have gotten on the ground though. More great photos.
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