The Purnululu National Park was opened to tourists in the early 1980s. The Bungle Bungles is this specific rock formations within the park. There is a variety of walking trails within the park and my group walked into Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Chasm, and also had this flyover. My flight was the one prior to the one in the photograph. I was allocated the seat next to the pilot. The doors were removed to aid photography.
The 'bee-hive' domes are composed of sandstone - formed by the consolidation of sand grains - and conglomerates - composed of pebbles and boulders and cemented together by finer material. The sandstone has alternating orange and black/grey banding. The darker bands are on the more permeable layers of rock, meaning water is able to move through them more easily. They allow moisture to seep through to the rock surface, promoting a dark algal growth.
The less permeable layers in between are covered with a patina of iron and manganese staining, creating the orange bands. These outer coatings - the rock beneath is a whitish colour - help to protect the lower parts of the domes from continual erosion during the massive wet season.
Geological information from the
WA Department of Environment & Conservation. The chopper ride cost $205 and lasted 30 minutes. I had never been in a helicopter before.
