Mirima National Park

Introduction

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.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.

Fact file

Camping

No camping

Location and access

2 km east of Kununurra via Barrington Ave and Hidden Valley Rd

Park Information

CALM Kununurra (08) 9168 4200

Size

2068 ha

Where to Stay

Kununurra (08) 9168 1177

This content is from the publication:

Explore Australia’s National Parks

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