Karijini

The Pilbara Region KARIJINI

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Taking advantage of a free day at West Angelas we decided to visit the Karijini National Park. After about one hour of travelling, half of it in dirt roads, we arrived at the visitors centre. Karijini is the second largest national park covering more than 600,000 hectares and a modest $9 per vehicle per day is more than a fair price for such a good day.	The extraordinary beauty of the Fern Pool near the Fortescue Falls
Beautiful bush near the Fortescue Falls	Karijini is the name given to the Hamersley Ranges by the first inabitantes of the area, the Banyama, Yinhawangka and Kurrama people. Evidence of their presence in the area goes back more than 20,000 years. Fern Pool and Circular Pool are special places for the Aborigines and places of rare and wild beauty. Karijini is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in an area considered tropical semi-desert. Very high rainfall during the wet season causes spectacular views of the water falls in the gorges.
Karijini is located 110 km west of Tom Price and almost the same distance north of Newman. From Newman one follows the Northern Highway and turns to the Karinjini Drive. The roads are good but unsealed inside of the park area. The area is subjected to cyclones during the cyclone season and the temperatures hover around the 40 degrees C. During the dry season the nights are cold and sometimes frosty. People guaranteed us that Karijini is too far south to have crocodiles and therefore one can enjoy a swim in the cristal clear waters of the numerous pools.	Fortescue Falls
The Dales Gorge in the backgroud	The Pilbara region is known by its iron formations and Karijini is no exception. The land is red but the vegetation abundant and scenary suprisingly green. The iron formation of the Hamersley Range originates more than 2,500 millions of years ago when the area was still cover by sea.
With a sudden change of the sea level the strong currents generated cut through the rock forming the spectacular gorges and exposing the iron-rich banded iron formations The series of gorges in the park plunges more than 100 metres deep and water run in the creeks most of the year. Camping and day trips are very popular and despite the winter starting to show its colours the park was busy with visitors.	The Circular Pool