Sunrise found National Geographic Orion secured to the dock in Wyndham. Wyndham was established in 1886 when gold was found in Halls Creek. It is the oldest and northernmost town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It lies at one end of the Great Northern Highway that stretches over 2000 miles southwest to the city of Perth.
Today is our last full day in the Kimberley region and our exploration takes us further inland than any previous day. Some chose to discover the wonders of the interior on a specialized riverboat that traveled down the shallows of the Ord River. Wildlife was abundant as the “croc doc,” Adam Britton, literally lost count of the number of fresh water crocodiles observed. Bird sightings included the snake necked darter and the Nanking night heron, but the bird highlight of the day was a pied cormorant catching and eating an eel-tailed catfish. Now in the dry season, life is concentrated along this waterway making it an exciting opportunity for photography, watching wildlife and taking in the beautiful scenery.
Others chose to explore the interior via flight seeing to the Bungle Bungle, a spectacular landform of striking beehive dome-shaped sandstone towers and breath taking gorges. The Bungle Bungle range was formed over 360 million years ago when sand and gravel were deposited during the Devonian period. Today the towering beehive domes are the remnants of what was once a nearly flat surface rising some 2,000 feet above present day sea level.
Although the Bungle Bungle was culturally significant to aboriginal people, it was only in 1983 that the hidden jewel of the Kimberly was shared with the world. In 1987, due to its significance to the aboriginal culture and its unique landscape, the Bungle Bungle area became Purnululu National Park. In 2003 Purnululu National Park was listed as a World Heritage Site. “Purnululu” comes from the Kija Aboriginal language meaning sandstone.
Upon returning to the ship from our exciting excursions, the most obvious change was that the tide had receded, looking as if it had left the ship high and dry. But such a low tide also exposes the muddy banks around the dock area. A stroll along the dock yielded good looks at black kites, silver gulls, an azure kingfisher, giant mudskippers, and even a HUGE saltwater crocodile!
The Kimberley has left its magic with each of us.
