Stretched out in front of me is an otherworldly sight – the red and black striped domes of the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park. I had walked among these towering formations on a camping trip a few years ago, craning my neck to take in their sheer size. But from above, the scale of this ancient landscape is truly breathtaking.
As we soar over the range, the winding paths of dry creek beds snake through the rocky plains, their patterns etched over millennia. During the Wet season, monsoonal rains transform these dry channels into gushing waterways, creating rare and spectacular waterfalls spilling from the Bungles.
Changing course, our next highlights emerge – the vast expanse of Lake Argyle, one of the largest man-made lakes in the Southern Hemisphere, shimmering beneath us. Beyond, the terraced hills of the now-closed Argyle Diamond Mine come into view, home to the famous and fabulous pink diamonds. As we near our return to Kununurra, the aerial view of the Ord River Irrigation Area showcases the region’s fertile farmlands, a stark contrast to the rugged outback beyond.
Scenic flights over Purnululu National Park, Lake Argyle, and the former Argyle Diamond Mine depart daily from Kununurra, with options to land and explore the Bungles on foot or even stay overnight within the park. Helicopter flights depart from Warmun, the nearest community to the National Park’s entrance on the Great Northern Highway. While multi-day tours from Broome may include Purnululu, direct scenic flights typically depart from Kununurra.
Whether soaring high above the beehive domes or touching down to explore on foot, a scenic flight over Purnululu is a Kimberley experience like no other.
