KIMBERLEY (WA)
Tunnel Creek

Return distance : 2 km; Time : 1 hour

This is an exciting walk! These caves are famous as a hideout used late last century by an Aboriginal leader known as Jandamarra. He was killed outside its entrance in 1897.

Tunnel Creek flows through a water worn tunnel beneath the limestone of the Napier Range. You can walk 750 metres through the tunnel to the other side of the Range, wading through several permanent pools and watching out for bats and the many stalactites.

The tunnel is quite large: up to 12 metres high and 15 metres wide in parts. Near the centre of the cave the roof has collapsed and is an excellent place to observe the colony of fruit bats. Take a torch, wear sneakers and be prepared to get wet and possibly cold.

There is a short easy walk from the car park to the cave entrance. We pass one of the commonly occurring baobab trees.

The actual entrance to the cave is a little tricky, climbing down past large boulders, but not too difficult.

So here we are at the beginning of the tunnel. It is quite light just here. The strema bed is mostly sandy, but there are stony patches.

We head off down the stream into darker regions. There is quite a lot of paddling.

The most scenic part of the cave is part way along where the roof has collapsed.

Here we are coming to the end of the tunnel.

Some people picnic outside the cave at the end, and the more venturesome swim in the stream. Thne we return keeping an eye out for bats, stalctites, and even a limestone ‘shawl’.

This is a very special place! But not one to try in the wet season.

We retrace our steps to the cave entrance, the bright sunshine, and the car park. An easy leisurely walk.