How the landscape was formed
Mungo National Park covers most of an ancient dry lakebed. During the last ice age, Lake Mungo was one of a chain of freshwater lakes strung along the Willandra Creek.
About 50 million years ago this rocky inland landscape sank as the Australian eastern highlands rose. Not only was there a lot of tectonic movement at this time, but also a great deal of rain. The Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers all transported soil and water onto the subsiding landscape.
As the Australian continent slowly drifted northwards into hotter, drier climes, temperature and climatic conditions continued to change.
About 400,000 years ago dry, windy conditions prevailed and the sluggish, meandering Willandra Creek was cut off, forming the Willandra Lake system.
Over time the westerly winds shaped the lake and, as the water receded, continued to shape and create a lunette. The lunette consists of layer upon layer of sand and silt deposited over tens of thousands of years.
Three major layers of sediment form the lunette, and each represents a different period of time and different environmental condition. The names of the layers have been taken from the names of stations in the area:
Gol Gol Unit This is the bottom layer in the lunette, which was formed approximately 100,000 to 150,000 years ago. It's made up of deep red calcareous soil and represents an aeolian deflation event. This occurred when the climate was warm and dry.
Mungo Unit (Upper and Lower) Lower Mungo unit was formed about 40–50,000 years ago. The Upper Mungo unit contains burials over 36,000 years old. The Mungo unit is made up of quartz sands that were blown from wave-nourished beaches, an indication of full lake conditions.
Zanci Unit This is the final stage of deflation and clay lunette formation. A decreased water flow resulted in a lowering of lake water levels and exposure of mud and clays on the lake floor. Salts that had accumulated in the exposed mud began to crystallise and cause them to break into sand-grain sized pellets. These were carried by the prevailing south-westerly winds onto the lunettes to form a series of clay blankets. This accumulated up until 15,000 years ago.
The Mungo timeline describes the key climatic, environmental and human events that have affected Willandra Lakes in the geological past.
The influence of the wind
When you visit the park, you'll notice that the wind is an almost constant presence. At the Walls of China, the wind ceaselessly moves sand off the lunette and across the dunes behind. The wind has been a major force in creating the landscape we see today.
Coming mainly from the west for millions of years, The winds have affected the climate, helped create the shallow basins in which the lakes formed, blown the central Australian sand dunes towards the lakes and constructed the lunettes.
Winds blowing across Lake Mungo and the other old lakes created waves that washed up on the shores. On the western side of the lakes, these waves cut into the dunes that were moving in from the west, creating a steep shoreline and dumping sediment into the waters. The sediment gathered on the eastern shores where the waves were also eroding the lakeshore and building beaches. In strong winds, sand from the beaches was blown up to form lakeside dunes.
In drier times, when the lake was empty or partly dry, those same prevailing westerlies picked up clay from the lakebed and blew it onto the lakeside dunes. Layer on layer of sand and clay built up into massive lunettes, by far the largest landforms in this otherwise flat landscape.
Geological features
The Walls of China are a feature of the Mungo Lake lunette. Over thousands of years, wind and water have carved spectacular formations comprised of sand and clay. Rain washes away the soft sands and muds of the lunette, creating the rilled ridges and residuals that characterise the Walls of China. The dislodged sand is then picked up by the wind and heaped into huge mobile dunes along the back of the lunette.
This erosion has uncovered extensive Aboriginal objects, which indicate a large population in the past. The bones of animals commonly referred to as megafauna that lived in the area many thousands of years ago have also been revealed. Examples include Genyornis newtoni, a flightless bird with legs as solid as those of a horse; the towering short-faced kangaroo, Procoptodon goliah, and the buffalo-sized Zygomatrurus trilobus.
The fragile carvings in the lunette make for excellent photos in the setting sun. Remember that it's strictly forbidden to climb on the lunette features or disturb artefacts.
Where to see some of the park's landscapes and features
Mungo lookout
Can you imagine what life was like when there were towering kangaroos and birds with legs like a horse? At Mungo lookout in Mungo National Park, you can gaze across the ice age lake bed that has uncovered bones of the original megafauna.
Gaze across at the iconic ‘Walls of China’ formation, sculpted over thousands of years, by wind and rain. This erosion has also uncovered artefacts of the Ngyiampaa, Mutthi Muhhti, and Paakantyi Aboriginal people, dating back over 40,000 years. It’s an awesome and humbling vision at any time of day, especially dusk.
Combine this scenic lookout with accessibleGrassland Nature stroll for an overview of the more recent plants and animals of the region. When thoughts turn to lunch, top it off with a tasty picnic at nearby Main campground.
Activities: walking, birdwatching, sightseeing, photography, astronomy and star gazing
Location:
shown on Visitor Centre map
Getting there: Mungo lookout is a short walk from Main campground in Mungo National Park. To get there, Main campground is located on Arumpo Road, not far from Mungo Visitor Centre.
Facilities: picnic tables, non-flush toilets
Red Top lookout
Wheelchair access: easy
This area is fully wheelchair accessible:
- The boardwalk is fully accessible for wheelchairs
Mungo is one of a handful places where you can see the extraordinary effects of erosion on the landscape.
Red Top Lookout is an unbeatable vantage point, offering bird’s eye views of the park’s remarkable deep ravines, rippling patterns and rich textures.
It’s an easy half-hour drive to the lookout from the Mungo Visitor Centre carpark. Along the way, you’ll find signs discussing the long-term climate changes that led to the lakes in Mungo National Park drying out. Plus, there are even more attention-grabbing views, so don’t forget your camera.
Activities: walking
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: On entering Mungo National Park, head for the visitor centre in the southwest corner of the park. Then take the easy walk along the Mungo track, following the signs to Red Top lookout. Follow the drive tour to reach Red Top lookout and boardwalk.
Opening hours: Mungo National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Rosewood picnic area
Wheelchair access: medium
Assistance may be required to access this area
Pause for a picnic with the park’s galahs and willy wagtails at Rosewood rest area.
This beautiful setting offers picnic tables and shady trees – the perfect ingredients for enjoying a cuppa, while contemplating the scenic views and awe-inspiring local history of Mungo National Park.
You’ll find some lovely walks to enjoy in the surrounding area, as well as some wonderful examples of the park’s fascinating and fragile plants and animals. Listen for the butcherbirds’ flute-like song and keep an eye out for resident pink cockatoos, which can at times be seen in groups of ten or twenty.
Activities: walking, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Rosewood picnic area is located northeast of Red Top lookout along the one-way section of the Mungo track.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables
Round Tank picnic area
Behind the sand dunes on Mungo Self-guided Drive tour, Round Tank picnic area is a great stop for birdwatching enthusiasts. Round Tank was originally designed as a lure for goats, whose numbers are controlled to reduce the damage to young trees and native vegetation. However, the water also attracts a wide variety of birdlife, so bring your binoculars.
Unpacking your picnic hamper, keep an eye out across the mallee scrub for pink cockatoos, galahs, zebra finches and vibrant emerald budgerigars. The vibrant chats can often be seen, attracted to the nectar of the flowering plants of the desert. The flute-like song you might hear is the call of one of the species of butcher birds, while the Nankeen kestrel specialises in hovering over the desert, looking for the movement of mice or lizards on the ground below. If you’re tempted to stay the night, try nearby Belah campground.
Activities: picnics and barbecues, birdwatching
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Round Tank picnic area is located between Belah campground and Vigars Well on Mungo Self-guided Drive tour.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. 4WD required in wet weather.
Facilities: picnic tables, carpark
Vigars Well picnic area
It’s been over 15,000 years since the Willandra Lakes World Heritage region held water, so Vigars Well picnic area is a welcome oasis in the dramatic desert landscape of today. This historic picnic spot, on the Self-guided Drive tour in Mungo National Park, features panoramic desert views that hum with life.
Harking back to its watery origins, the well is based on a natural soak and a haven for local wildlife. You’ll see a mosaic of wildlife tracks in the sand that belong to creatures like the common dunnart. Keep an eye out for vibrant pink cockatoos and ring-neck parrots.
Unpack a picnic hamper at the nearby tables and soak up the vast scenic landscape under huge skies. It’s a short walk to magnificent views of the iconic lunette walls. If you’re tempted to stay for the spectacular sunset and don’t mind a bit of walking, why not pitch your tent at Belah campground for an unforgettable night under the stars.
Activities: walking, motor vehicle use, astronomy and star gazing, birdwatching
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Vigars Well picnic area is in Mungo National Park. It’s approximately half way round the Mungo Self-guided Drive tour. The drive starts at Mungo Visitor Centre in the south-western corner of Mungo National Park.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables
Walls of China viewing platform
Wheelchair access: easy
- This area is fully wheelchair-accessible.
- A boardwalk provides easy access from the carpark to the dunes. However, further access to the viewing is difficult without assistance.
- The toilet in the adjacent carpark is wheelchair-friendly
You’ve seen it on a postcard, now come and see it for real. One of the most iconic views in Outback NSW, Walls of China viewing platform is the first stop on the Self-guided tour of Mungo National Park. Located west of the visitor centre, the wheelchair-accessible lookout offers magnificent views across the famous World Heritage Willandra Lakes region.
A magnificent sight at sunrise or sunset, gaze across at the dramatic formations sculpted by wind and erosion. It’s not just the scenic desert views that will take your breath away; these lunettes harbour vital clues to the evolution of life on earth.
Imbedded deep within the ancient lakebeds, historic relics of early Aboriginal culture have been discovered, believed to be over 36 000 years old. Close your eyes and imagine a fertile land fed by vast lakes, where wombats the size of buffalos grazed during the last ice age.
Activities: motor vehicle use, astronomy and star gazing, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising
Location:
shown on Walls of China map
Getting there: Walls of China viewing platform is in the central precinct of Mungo National Park. To get there, head east from Mungo Visitor Centre for approximately 10km.
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles. Dry weather only.
Facilities: picnic tables, carpark, drinking water, lookout, non-flush toilets
