Nathan White Images | Landscape & Commercial Photography

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Exploring the Colours of Purnululu National Park

Purnululu National Park is a World Heritage Listed park located in the North West Kimberley Region of Western Australia. The park is accessible only during the dry season from April to November. This is also dependent on the weather and road conditions as there are numerous creek crossings to navigate while driving into the park and they can become flooded quite quickly with enough rain.

The drive to the Purnululu Visitor Centre is approximately 50km from the highway, however travel time can range from 2 to 2.5 hours as the road can be very corrugated and rough. A 4x4 or high clearance vehicle is definitely required.

The park is famous for its beehive shaped sandstone domes which make up the Bungle Bungle Ranges. What you may not realise though is that these domes only make up one area of Purnululu. There are actually numerous other areas and gorges to explore. Needless to say, you will need to spend a few days here to fully experience all that the park has to offer.

Whilst the overall unique landscape of the park is incredible to witness, what really stood out to me more so than anything else was the incredible colours. Pair that with some bright, contrasty light and you have a recipe for some really compelling photographs.

Keep scrolling to view some favourite images of mine from my time exploring Purnululu National Park.

Walking in to the Cathedral Gorge is breathtaking and it will definitely leave you feeling quite small in comparison to its towering cliffs and opera level acoustics.

When visiting Echidna Chasm in Purnululu National Park, aim to be there between approximately 11am and 1pm. During that time the walls of the gorge become ablaze with golden light as the sun shines directly down into the narrow, shaded chasm.

Without the midday sun, these incredible layers of colour and contrast would not be visible.

The reflected light bouncing around the gorge walls gave off this beautiful warm glow.

For more information on Purnululu National Park, check out https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/purnululu-national-park or you can download the Visitor Guide.