Bungle Bungle Range is a remote mountain range in northwestern Australia. It is in the Kimberley, a region of rugged mountain ranges and plateaus in Western Australia. The landscape of the Bungle Bungles features a maze of beehive-shaped sandstone towers. The towers have horizontal orange-and-black stripes. Steep gorges, many lined with palm trees, wind through the range. Many temporary waterfalls and pools form in the rainy season. The origin of the name Bungle Bungle is disputed. Some experts believe it comes from a misspelling of bundle bundle, a kind of grass common in the area. Others believe the name comes from an Aboriginal name for the region.
The sandstone towers of the Bungle Bungle Range rise about 820 feet (250 meters) above the neighboring grasslands. They are the remnants of an ancient sandstone plateau. The rounded towers are karst landforms that have taken shape as water has slowly dissolved portions of the plateau over millions of years. Flowing surface water and dry winds have also eroded the land.
The orange-and-black stripes on the rock formations exist only at the surface. The orange color comes from iron oxide exposed on the surface of the sandstone. The black bands are crusts of single-celled organisms called cyanobacteria. The organisms grow on tiny clay particles that cling to some sections of rock. The bands of cyanobacteria help protect the underlying sandstone from erosion.
In 1986, the Australian government established the Purnululu National Park, which includes the Bungle Bungle Range. Purnululu means sandstone in the language of the local Kija people. In 2003, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the park as a World Heritage Site for its unusual geology and natural beauty.
