Willandra Lakes

Although the site is officially called Willandra Lakes, it's Mungo National Park (mostly within the boundaries) that is the main attraction and the focus for most visitors. Other parts of the WHS are no more impressive and quite inaccessible, other than views from the roads on the way in. Mungo makes up most of the site, and this is all you'll need to worry about visiting.

For many Australians, Mungo is considered to be 'in the middle of nowhere', but it's actually not too hard to access by car from Melbourne or even Adelaide. From Sydney, it's become a popular stop on a road trip to nearby (by Aussie standards) Broken Hill. Although a 4WD/AWD is recommended, you will be able to get to the site with a normal 2WD if the weather has been good, which means the unsealed roads will be in a good condition. But one of the popular activities - driving the Mungo Track - is best done with a 4WD/AWD.

The geological story of Mungo National Park is fascinating - in short, large lakes dried out about 14,000 years ago and the sand left around the edges has gradually been sculpted into incredible shapes by wind and rain. The most impressive example of this is known as the Walls of China. On your own, you can see them from viewpoints on the boardwalk, but you can walk out onto the sand if you're with an organised tour. I would highly recommend doing this …

I visited this WHS in January 2018. Since I had read positive reviews on Harry Nanya Tours and reading that a 4WD is more suitable to visit Mungo National Park, I booked way ahead to secure a spot on the afternoon and sunset tour. Communication was swift and I received a booking confirmation shortly after. A few months after I double checked and was told not to worry but to simply confirm my arrival at Mildura the day before or on the day.

Having many other bookings to confirm, I left it at that. While on the road in Australia, our initial plan was to stop at a motel in Bordertown after visiting the Naracoorte Caves NP. However, on the way, luckily we listened to an announcement on national radio stating that most places were going to be on shutdown the next day due to a catastrophic fire alert. Meltwaterfalls' past experience in the US came to mind so I decided to double check my booking with Harry Nanya Tours before driving any further and possibly for nothing.

The call immediately diverted to voicemail countless times and when double checking the contact number on the internet, I learned that Harry Nanya was seriously ill since a couple of months and apparently the tour company does not exist anymore. Already feeling that this was going to be a near miss, I decided to call the Mungo National Park Visitor Centre to see whether or not they would be closed. Surprisingly, a …

The Mungo National Park is best visited from Mildura that has flight connections to Melbourne and other state capitals.

The road however is unsealed, and we had to rent, on top of our campervan, another vehicle, a WD, just to drive to the parks visitors center.We were there in October during the dry season so the gravel and sand tracks were pretty ok.There is no entrance fee, however, a small amont has to be put in an envelop at the center.Then you place the receipt under the windshield of your car and the adventure can start.

Mungo was a Woolshed in the 18th century, the original buildings are still there.Driving across a dried out lakebed, you soon reach the socalled 'Wall of China' with different layers of geological units in distinctive colours, ranging from pink to grey to brown.There are Rosewood trees, Sugarwood, Bluebush and Eucalypt trees.Mobile Sand dunes that moves with the winds.

We have seen curious Emus and shy Red Kangaroos and some Ringneck parrots.

The track now follows the ridge that divides Lake Mungo from Lake Leaghur.People were living in this area about 60,000 years ago.Traces of Aboriginal occupation was found and is well documented in the small museum of the visitors center.

This is a rarely visited WHS among our community (only 5 were there before me), but the park sees a remarkable 80,000 visitors a year. I had always thought that it is pretty remote, but it actually lies within reach for a weekend trip from Adelaide or Melbourne. You can drive out there yourself - it is 90km on an unpaved road, but the surface is not bad (unless it is raining, but then it will be closed). I opted for a day tour to Mungo National Park by minibus from Mildura. Lake Mungo is one of the Willandra Lakes.

After having been out there for a full day, I can only recommend a visit to this precious place. The semi-arid desert with its specific plants, the marvellous colours of the dunes (nicknamed the Walls of China), the fossilized tree trunks and bones that are exposed each day by erosion, the views over the vast former lakes. To put an end to the trampling of the ground, the core area where the fossils are found is now only accessible with an official guide. Our guide, Graham Clarke from Harry Nanya Tours, proved to be excellent. He knows everything about the place, its ecology and the paleontological discourse surrounding the 40,000-year-old Mungo homo sapiens skeletons.

On the way back we were fortunate to see a group of young wild emu up close. They are very curious and came to the side of the road to have a good look …