THE GORGEOUS KARIJINI GORGES

KARIJINI National Park is an experience like no other and was truly memorable. This spectacular collection of gorges nestled in the Hamersley Range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia provides breathtaking adventure around every corner. We spent five nights at Karijini but could certainly have spent longer. As we were moving north along the coast of WA, we travelled to Karijini from Exmouth along the North West Coastal Highway and headed in to Tom Price (Karijini’s nearest town) to stock up on supplies. We spent our first night at Tiger Eye Pool, a great little free camp around 20 kilometres west of Tom Price.

In terms of camping at Karijini, Dales campground and Karijini Eco Retreat are available, with online bookings essential for both. Dales campground is run by the Parks and Wildlife Service and is a basic campground with drop toilets only. This campsite is within walking distance of the most accessible gorge walk, the aptly named Dales Gorge, and Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. Fortescue Falls is magical and you can’t visit Karijini without having a swim in the chilly Fern Pool, where you can sit beneath the waterfall and contemplate life.

We spent our first full day at Karijini exploring Hancock, Weano and Knox Gorges. This was a big day with around 10 kilometres of walking all up, but it was such an adventure. Just like the Kimberley, each gorge has its own personality, and Hancock was probably our favourite. This was challenging at times, with some steep ladders and a fair bit of rock-ledge hopping. The first section involves getting down a ladder to walk along the rock ledges at the bottom of the gorge, where you reach a natural amphitheatre around two-thirds of the way along. This is perfect for having a water-and-snack stop and warming up a bit after wading through the icy-cold water. The end of Hancock Gorge is the slightly challenging bit with a spider walk between the rocks to reach Kermits Pool for another freezing-cold swim. This pool is beautifully fresh, crystal-clear water and you get a real sense of achievement when you make it to the end. Then to start the climb back, with the whole walk taking a few hours including resting and swimming time. We highly recommend reef shoes and a wet pack for this walk.

Another one of our favourite gorge

walks at Karijini was Hamersley Gorge. This gorge has become a little ‘Instafamous’ for its natural-spa rock pool and we certainly know why. Hitting the road early definitely paid off as we had the place to ourselves for a good hour. There is a short section of steps to get down to the gorge and, once inside, it is just a matter of scrambling over some rocks to enjoy the gorgeous fresh rock pools and waterfalls. Again, the water was freezing cold and we reckon in summer, it would be so refreshing on a warm day.

This a great gorge to pack a picnic and enjoy the day there, but with the roads the way they are, it takes a good hour to get from Dales campground to Hamersley Gorge − some people visit this gorge on their way in or out of the campground to avoid backtracking.

There are many other walks and gorges around Karijini and we didn’t get to see them all, but that’s a good reason to return.

The information centre with its small history museum is a wealth of local knowledge and well-worth a visit upon arriving at Karijini. There is no food, supplies or phone reception at Karijini, so good preparation is key. Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the roads are unsealed with some not wet-weather suitable – and the red dirt gets everywhere! We left Karijini with stained feet, a red van and ruined clothes, but a great collection of memories. It is definitely a bucket-list item and wellworth the travel in.

WE LEFT KARIJINI WITH STAINED FEET, A RED VAN AND RUINED CLOTHES, BUT A GREAT COLLECTION OF MEMORIES