Feature National Park: Mirima National Park

Mirima National Park (Photo: WA Parks and Wildlife Service)

Home to the mini Bungle Bungles – Mirima, also known as Hidden Valley, is an ancient limestone range that has been eroded over centuries by wind and the waters of Lily Creek into a broken series of gorges and twisted valleys. Spectacular rock formations in parts of the national park bear a resemblance to the more famous and larger Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park. Regarded as a site of special significance, Mirima is the name given to the area by the local Aboriginal people, the Miriwoong. Rock paintings and engravings have been found here, and at Lily Pool visitors can see indentations in the rocks where axes and spears were once sharpened.

Mirima National Park (Photo: WA Parks and Wildlife Service)

Flat grasslands of spinifex surround the range, interspersed with eucalypts, yellow-flowering kapok and boab trees. These bottle-shaped trees even grow on the rock faces here, the seeds deposited in the dung of rock-wallabies. The moist conditions in the valleys favour the long-fruited bloodwood, while woollybutt grows near the cliff bases. Animals include dingoes, echidnas, bats and several wallaby species; Lily Creek provides a haven for frogs and tortoises. Birdlife is plentiful, with species such as the black kite, white-quilled rock-pigeon, double-barred and crimson finches, and brown and king quail.

The park is popular for sightseeing, photography and bushwalking. There are a number of short walking trails:

• Wuttuwutubin Trail (500 metres return, 30 minutes, medium difficulty) follows a narrow track in a gorge to a lookout point over Kununurra
• Didbagirring Trail (1 km return, 1 hour, difficult) climbs steep slopes, again with views over Kununurra. Loose rocks can make walking hazardous in some of the places in the park
• Gerliwany-gerring banan (1 km) Entry trail. Mind the cobwebs across the man-high grass.
• Looking at plants nature trail (800 metres) This is a return walk, which starts and ends at the parking area and has interpretative signage that explains how the Aboriginal people used plants and trees.
• Derdbe-gerring banan (800 metres) Lookout trail. The walk connects to the nature trail and eventually climbs a ridge. From there you have very good views of the surrounding area, including Kununurra town
• Demboong banan (500 metres) Gap trail leads through a narrow valley, which ends in a view of Kununurra through a gap in the range.

Sources: Explore Australia; https://www.creativespirits.info/australia/western-australia/kununurra/mirima-hidden-valley-national-park