Savannah Walk Trail

Bandilngan (Windjana gorge) National Park

Length

1.2 km

TERRAIN

Well-formed flat trail

LEVEL

Class 3

OPENING TIMES

Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) National Park is open to the public during the dry season, typically from May - November. However this is dependent on weather and road access. Park and camping fees apply

ACCESSIBLE

Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) National Park is 150km from Fitzroy Crossing and 155km from Derby via unsealed road. Access for high-clearance 4WD vehicles with low-range gears, and high-clearance camper trailers and caravans only.

A tropical savannah woodland nestled beneath the towering balili walls

From Cairns through to Derby, the tropical savannah stretches across Australia’s monsoonal north. A mixture of open canopy woodlands and a grassy understory, our tropical savannahs are one of the largest and most intact ecosystems on earth. The combination of trees and grasses creates a resilient habitat for much of our local wildlife.

The Savannah Walk Trail is a slow, leisurely walk that allows you to take breathe and consider the unique ecosystems through which you wander. Your walk will most likely be accompanied by the soft thump of the wanyjirri, the agile wallabies, hurrying for cover deep in the undergrowth. You will see their thinga (footprints) crisscrossing the dirt path and their sweet, little faces poking nervously out of the bilgi (grasses).

Because of how fine the soft banda (ground) is along the Savannah Walk Trail, a keen eye will be able to identify the baali (tracks) of many different species. But don’t get distracted into only looking down. For fluttering from plant to bush you will discover a jumble of deliciously named walimarrgu (butterflies) - Purple Oak-Blues, Glasswings, Chequered Swallowtails, Yellows & Sulphers, the Lesser Wanderers and the Common Australia Crow.

Tropical savannah woodlands are integral in the habitat that they provide to many of our animals. For that reason, it is recommended that you undertake the Savannah Walk Trail at the start or end of the day, when our wildlife is at its most active. but please do so with respect to our animals and their habitats. Interpretive signs accompany the 1.2km walk, sharing greater knowledge about our plants and animals.

Temperatures in Bandilngan can easily exceed 40C and it is recommended that you walk during the cooler times of the day. Carry adequate water - at least 1L of water per person for each hour walking. Hats, long sleeves and sunscreen are strongly advised, along with sturdy footwear.