Karijini National Park

After a brief stay at Tom Price we headed off to Karijini National Park.

At 600.000 hectares (1,482,632 acres - about one third larger in area than Long Island), Karijini is one of the world's largest national parks.  Millions of years of erosion have created gorges, waterfalls and rock pools that are stunning against the red rock of the Pilbara.

The day we arrived we set up our campsite and had a look at some of the gorges from above.

Circular Pool - It's a long way down!

That night the stars were magnificent!

The following morning we started with the steep 800 meter trek down to Fortescue Falls.  I was a bit worried about walking back up but actually found the walk up easier than the descent.

Fortescue Falls - worth the trip!

Mike at the top of Fortescue Falls

We followed the path for another 300 or so meters to Fern Pool

Fern Pool - so inviting

Best massage ever!

Later that day we ventured to another part of the park to see some more gorges and lookouts. 

Oxer lookout where four gorges converge.  A spectacular view which, as usual, the photos don't do justice to.

Joffre Gorge Waterfall

Mount Bruce (yes, really)

View of the Marandoo Mine Site from the Mount Bruce walk.

Mount Bruce views

On our way back to Tom Price

We spent two nights at the Dales Campground in Karijini NP, and as I write this we are back in Tom Price for the night, mostly to catch up on the blog, emails and phone messages, and to have showers. 

Tomorrow we'll get some fuel and make our way toward Exmouth, our next major stop.  There will probably be a couple of stopovers between here and there where we are unlikely to have phone or internet accesss.

See you in Exmouth!

Tom Price via Warlu Way

Still making our way to Karijini National Park, we left Point Samson with a plan to make a supplies stop at the mining town of Tom Price, approximately 50k from Karijini NP.  We decided to take the scenic Warlu Way, which would bring us over a combination of bitumen and dirt roads.

As we drove the landscape quickly changed from beach to red earth and rugged mountain.  The colours were simply amazing and we oohed and aahed our way through the first hour or so of the drive.

A very long iron ore train

The road became dirt, and still we were marveling at the views and I was busy snapping photos through the windscreen - not an easy task over corrugated roads (not to mention that damn CB antenna!).

Ooh Aah! :)

We drove, and drove, and then drove a bit more.  Soon the Warlu Way started to feel more like the Worry Way!  Perhaps we missed a turn somewhere?  There were a few dirt tracks coming off of the one we were on, none of which seemed right at the time.  In any case, we came to the realization that we were lost, had no phone service, and a finite amount of fuel.

Not one to miss a photo opportunity, I continued to snap away as we drove in the direction that felt right.  In the end we ended up doing a few extra kilometers (okay, 100) but we got to drive through some gorgeous country.  I'd highly recommend the route to you if only I knew what it was.

At last we arrived at Tom Price. A bit dusty, but none the worse for wear.

Mike clearly looking forward to cleaning off the red dust.