Karijini National Park

Wednesday 10^th August

Karijini National Park is Western Australia’s 2^nd biggest National Park covering some 627,442 hectares.  It encompasses some of the oldest parts of Australia, with rocks that are 2,000 million years old.  Because of its remoteness and the fact that it is not as spectacular as some of its counterparts, it is not as well known as a tourist destination as some of the other National Parks.

 Because of its size and remoteness, most of the park is inaccessible, and the only way to get to the few parts that are accessible, is by rough metal roads. Having said that, the brochures showed some spectacular gorges and waterfalls that were accessible by sealed road, and we decided we should have a look at them while we were in the Pilbara Area.  Two places that we wanted to see were called the Circular Pool and Fortescue Waterfall.

Auski Roadhouse, where we are staying, is right at the North Eastern corner of the park but even so we had to travel over 80 km to get into the park.  Some of the road side scenery around here is amazing with spectacular views of gorges, escarpments and wildflowers. 

Some clumps of spinifix growing on the side of a hill looked like a plantation.

We drove to a parking area and then after a short walk found ourselves looking down into a huge circular canyon with a waterhole at the bottom of what was obviously a dried up waterfall. 

This was Circular Pool. 

After taking in the sights from above, we clambered down the side of the canyon and then walked up the canyon floor alongside a beautiful little stream that tumbled down over some of the world’s oldest rock formations.  Some of them were so flat and straight edged it was hard to believe that this was nature, and not something manmade.

We finally arrived at the pool which was fed by water trickling out of the rocks from an underground stream. 

Time for a swim.  We had all bought our togs, but as it turned out there was only one of us brave enough to have a swim. 

The temperature of the water was refreshing.

From Circular Pool we climbed back up to the car park and drove a short distance to the Fortescue Falls.  Again a short walk bought us to the top of the canyon and we could see the falls tumbling over a rock face far below us. 

Another climb down the canyon wall bought us to the falls where several people were enjoying a swim.  This time the other two wimps in our family were brave enough to go for a swim.  This water was much warmer, and we enjoyed a very pleasant swim in the pool formed at the bottom of the terraced waterfall.

Then it was back up to the car for the long ride back to Auski Roadhouse.  We had earlier debated whether or not to visit Karijini National Park, but I think you will agree from these few photos it was a trip well worthwhile.

Tomorrow we will back track up to Port Hedland and then turn south along the coast road towards Karratha.