Locations: Karijini National Park, Tom Price, Paraburdoo.

Regions: Pilbara WA

Dates: 5 September – 10 September 2024

Temperatures: 8 – 39 degrees

Starting kilometres: 8383

Thursday 5 September 2024

Temperature: 14-28, overcast morning clearing to sun.

We set of just after 9am and arrive at Paraburdoo around 12pm. Along the way we pass amazing scenery that changes from really green to really dry. We see amazing creek beds, ranges and long stretches of highway. The scenery constantly changes, as do the colours showing deep hues of russet and grey blue under the overcast sky and then bright greens and ochres under the sun.

We stop at the information Centre before heading out to our camp near Mt Bruce. Paraburdoo is a mining town; gazetted in 1972 and has a memorial to Red Dog, born here in 1971 and star of the blockbuster movie of the same name.

Leaving Paraburdoo we start to see lots of wildflowers and then we are stopped at roadworks and hear that a 10m wide load is coming from one of the mines so we find a spot to pull off and wait for it. There’s two and they’re big!

Not long after this we go up and over a big hill and we see Mt Bruce and the start of Karijini. Karijini is WA’s second largest National Park covering 627,422 acres or 1,550390 hectares!

If kilometre’s is easier to imagine it’s 6,274.22 km squared!

Karijini is home to rock formations that are estimated to be 2.5billion years old. Most of the gorges and waterfalls are in the Northern part and most are accessible via sealed roads.

We make camp at Mt Bruce Camp just behind a Mount that I can’t find the name of so Mt Nameless to me.

It sits in front of Mt Bruce from this angle and we have a lovely view of Hamersley Ranges in the opposite direction. After dark, I see a huge amount of lights in the distance which we think are from the Marandoo Mine Camp.

Friday 6 September 2024

Temperatures: 8 – 25, cool and clear, sunny.

Starting kilometre’s: 8703

Today we are visiting Hamersley Gorge before going into Tom Price to shop and shower at the information centre.

It’s about 62km down a very red road. It’s gravel but a good road, wide and not too corrugated. Obviously used for mining traffic and we have Hamersley Range on our right for most of the drive there. The colours are vibrant and the deep russet red of the road has drifted into all the vegetation alongside the road, trees and shrubs alike.

The gorge is just a short 500m walk down with steps but I elect to stop at the lookout due to my foot so Rob heads down for a dip and takes some snaps while he’s down there. While enjoying the view I chat to a lady named Suzanne from the Sunshine Coast, Qld.

Next up we drive into Tom Price for a shower. After five days of top and tail it’s welcome and refreshing. We pick up a few groceries, visit the dump point and refuel before heading back out.

Saturday 7 September 2024

Temperature: 12-29, sunny

Today we are visiting Joffre and Knox Gorge. Both are in a different direction to Hamersley Gorge and are part of the Weano area and it’s about a 40 km drive. We set off just after 8am

Arriving Joffre I see some pretty wildflowers growing and it’s lovely that we are seeing more and more wildflowers every day. Spring has sprung!

There’s a short walk and then rock steps down to the lookout. As we walk we start to see the Gorge open up and sitting on a natural step in the sun is a healthy King Brown! He’s shy so slips into a spinifex bush nearby so I don’t get a photo.

I manage the stairs down with help from Rob and the view is worth it. A lovely spot with Karijini Eco lodge opposite. There’s a walk around the Gorge to the other side and then down to the waterhole, Rob does the View and Waterhole walks while I patiently wait for the King brown to reappear but no chance.

I took a short video of the area for you. So pretty, such natural beauty!

Next we are off to Knox Gorge, not far away so only a short drive.

Knox is spectacular! Much bigger than Joffre, deeper, longer. Just wow!

Rob sets off to hike the Gorge and I relax and enjoy the scenery from the lookout, chatting to other visitors.

It hard to catch Rob at the bottom as there are lots of shadows but I do manage to find him in this picture. As he’s about to cross the creek from the left to the right.

Rob takes some pictures while he’s walking of course, so these follow.

These are spectacular spaces and with the lookouts I don’t feel like I’m missing out entirely which is nice.

On the drive back we stop to enjoy some wildflowers and views of Mt Bruce and Mt Nameless where we are camped.

It’s another spectacular sunset and then I’m awake early and catch sunrise behind our Mt Nameless.

Sunday 8 September 2024

Temperature: 15 – 30

Today we are off to Circular Pool, Three Ways, Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool at Dales Gorge and then lastly Hancock Gorge via a circular loop of about 120 km’s.

We arrive at Circular Pool and Three Ways about 10:45am, these two are at one end of the walk to Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool which are at the other end of Dales Gorge with about 2.5 km’s between them.

We visit both lookouts which are amazing and then Rob heads out to walk Dales Gorge while I jump in the car and drive to the other end to meet him. Circular Pool walk is closed due to a rock slide last wet season.

I walk back to the car slowly taking in the beautiful gum trees along the edge of the gorge.

I’m quickly at Fortescue falls which has a big park and recreation area with a boardwalk to the lookout which has a superb view back towards Three Ways, along Dale Gotge and in the other direction towards Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool which is above the falls.

From the lookout it’s a good 280 steps and stairs down to the Falls so I’m happy to sit and enjoy the view while I wait for Rob. A ranger stops and we have a brief chat and she tells me there are 2-3 rescues for sprains and breaks in the Gorge each week! Each one takes about 5-8 hours to rescue and the nearest medical is Tom Price about 80km’s away from here. The ranger also tells me she does the stairs about 5 times a day, every shift, wow. The ranger tells me Oxer lookout at Hancock Gorge is the best in her opinion. That’s next on our trip today.

Rob appears and it’s only taken him about 1.5hrs to do the walk, swim and climb the steps out! How fit is he.

He’s taken some pictures of the walk and pools which follow. Looks lovely.

Our last Gorge today is Hancock Gorge at Weano Recreation reserve as we continue our loop drive. The scenery continues to amaze with rock formations and outstanding scenes at every turn.

We arrive at Weano, check out the maps then head out to Oxer lookout. It’s 800 m walk or drive so we elect to drive.

Hancock gorge is magnificent, stretching out in four directions. The cliffs are sheer and deep and it’s only possible to see the bottom, where there is water up one angle of the gorge. There is a walk and I’m disappointed not to be fit enough as I think it would be amazing to walk between the walls of this great chasm in the earth.

Rob decides to do the Kermit’s pool walk so we return to the park and I sit in the shade admiring a cute Spinifex Pidgeon pair. He’s dancing but she’s having none of it! It hit 32 at 2:30pm so it’s quite hot.

Rob’s photos of Kermit’s pool are below. Love the narrow gorge pool photo with the reflection.

Wow what a day. Karijini sure delivers with its beautiful ruggedness and natural wonders.

Monday 9 September 2024

Temperature: 13-31 breezy morning, sunny

Rob’s walking Mt Bruce (1235m) this morning so I baked some sourdough discard crackers that I’d prepped a couple of days ago, did some exercise, meditated and blogged. Nice to have a quiet morning to myself.

Rob enjoyed his hike, returning just before 12pm.

In the afternoon we head into Tom Price for a shower, and a few groceries and otherwise enjoyed the quiet and ambience of Karrijini on our last day.

33 degrees at 1:30pm.

Tuesday 11 September 2024

Temperature: 15 – 29 overcast and a few spits of rain before 8:00am!

Starting kms: 9257

We are leaving beautiful Karijini today for Paraburdoo, 131 km’s away. We’ve heard the caravan park there is attached to the mining camp and has free washing machines and you can have dinner in the miners mess! All you can eat for $21.

Thought we would try it out and perhaps a good opportunity to get rid of some of the red dirt of the last few weeks before we head back to coast tomorrow.

Hope this finds you all well. Stay safe and take care. Love Maryann and Rob