Karijini National Park
Karijini National Park is set in the Hamersley Ranges, where massive mountains and escarpments rise out of flat valleys. It offers spectacular scenery and ancient geological formations.
The high plateau is dissected by deep gorges, whose pools are often cold and dark, some rarely seeing the midday sun. Highly polished rocks in the bottom stand testament to the velocity of water that has carved down their lengths before spraying out onto the plains below.
Now, they only flood after rain, and visitors are advised to not enter the gorges if there is rain in the area. Without the threat of the flood, some gorges offer tranquil pools and waterfalls surrounded by ferns and water loving plants. Frogs, dragonflies, fish, birds and the Pilbara Olive Python enjoy the cool waters. Visitors can too, after hiking down through the gorges on a series of walk trails.
Look out platforms at strategic points offer fabulous views into the gorges 100 metres below.
The Karijini Visitor Centre provides information on the park and you can meet local Aboriginal people who are employed as rangers and visitor centre staff. Aboriginal culture is represented in a series of displays inside the visitor centre as well as information on the areas natural history including geology and plant and animal habitats.
A variety of ecosystems are represented in the park including precipitous gorges, hills, ridges and plateau covered with Spinifex hummocks and scattered eucalypts. Low mulga woodlands and blankets of seasonal wildflowers bloom on lower slopes, valley plains and drainage lines.
There are two camping areas in the Park. The first, Dales gorge camping area is managed by the Dept of Environment and Conservation . It has basic facilities including gas bbq’s picnic tables and long drop toilets. The second, Karijini Eco Retreat is managed by Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and provides a range of camping experiences from tent sites to self contained eco tents with ensuites.
Similar to Millstream, Karijini National park is also managed jointly by the Dept of Environment and Conservation and the Karijini Park Council.