Red dirt, fresh water gorges and free camps, Karijini is Western Australia’s second biggest national park and is an absolute wonderland. We had heard amazing things about this ancient landscape, from its crystals waters, cascading waterfalls, marble rock walls, and incredible treks. We had been told it was a must do when visiting WA and we are happy to say they were right.
We headed towards Karijini NP after topping up our fuel, water, and food in Port Hedland. As a hot tip you can grab free potable water at the Turf Club in Port Headland (you can find directions to the water using the WikiCamps app).
We made our way towards Karijini National Park and snagged a beautiful free camp called Behind the Rocks (find it on the WikiCamps app). It’s surrounded by ancient looking large red boulders and the sunset off the red dirt was spectacular. There were no facilities so you need to be fully self contained.
As we drove closer to the eastern side of Karijini we did one more overnight stop because we had been told amazing things about Albert Tongnolini Rest Area. What a free camp!!! Probably one of the best road side stops in WA in terms of the view. We made our way up to what they call Half Way Up, which looks out over the valley and the ranges. We were sad to only stay here for one night but we did walk up to the top to enjoy the full view of the valley and it did not disappoint. If you get a chance, and spectacular views are your thing, we would highly recommend staying here.
And then it was time to explore Karijini National Park! All the campgrounds inside the NP were fully booked so we managed to score ourselves a free camp just outside the east entrance to Karijini (this is the Dales Campground side). This worked perfectly for us because it meant we could leave our caravan there while we did day trips into the park. Our van was in good company with quite a few other people also camping there.
We did the tourist thing and went to the information centre to get the run down for the walks and swimming holes because all we knew from what we had heard was that we should visit Fern Pool. The guides at the Visitor’s Centre were amazing. They had maps to show us where to go and gave us lots of helpful tips to maximise our time in the park.
The other cool thing that happened from our visit to the centre was that our kids scored a Junior Karijini Ranger booklet to complete over the next couple of days to earn their junior ranger badges. This experience added so much value to our kids enjoying their time in the park because it gave them specific things to look out for in the area.
We had a time limit on our stay in Karijini due to having a tour booked in Exmouth so we decided on spending four days exploring as much as we could. We do think there is plenty to do and if you love gorge walks you could easily spend a week or more here.
Day 1 – Fortescue Falls/Fern Pool (Circular Pool was closed during out visit)
This walk was mainly a huge steel staircase walking down into the gorge and looks our over Fortescue Falls. The view is quite spectacular. At the base of the stairs you can then take then follow the rock ledges down to the base of falls. You will often find people enjoying the sunshine on the rock ledges and swimming in the base of the falls in the pool.
From Fortescue Falls there is a short walking track, that is quite easy to manage, down to Fern Pool. This pool is one of the most popular pools in Karijini due to its easy access. There is a small jetty and a ladder to help you enjoy the cool waters and make the swim over to the base of the fall. The small waterfall that fills this pool is surrounded by beautiful green ferns and mossy rocks. We loved this spot! Hot tip is to go earlier in the day so you can beat the crowds, it was getting quite busy by mid morning. The walk back up the giant staircase is a little harder than the easy walk down but our kids still managed it on their own.
Day 2 – Kalamina Gorge
Kalamina Gorge is only accessed by an unsealed corrugated road and so isn’t as busy as the other gorges that are accessible by 2WD. We are always up for adventure so we dropped our tyre pressures and set of for the day from our free camp. The hardest part of the walk into this gorge is the steep decent on the way down on the uneven rocks.
The kids really enjoyed this gorge because we played a little game with them as we followed the trail markers. We told the kids they had to tap the trail markers for a power boost and a point. It added to the fun of the day and the kids thought it was great.
The walk follows the water along the gorge with small swimming spots along the way. It ends at a pool that is well shaded but we opted for one of the swimming holes further back that gets more sun. The trail is exposed in the middle of the day so be sure to take lots of water and snacks, and don’t chicken out of cooling off in the freshwater.
For the next two days we explored the west side of the NP and so we moved our caravan to a free camp called Cosy Camp which we found on WikiCamps. Again we weren’t alone there were quite a few other caravans there with us so we felt safe leaving our van there while we did day trips to the gorges.
Day 3 Hamersley Gorge/ Spa Pool
us.
This was one of the most relaxing days spent in the park. The swimming hole at the base of the gorge is only a short walk down the stair case, and while it’s quite steep it’s worth it for a day of swimming. You could easily just spend the day in this part of the gorge, relaxing the shade and enjoying the large swimming hole. On the other hand, if you are a bit more daring you can scale the ladders up to the small spa pool at the top of the falls. We did this with our three kids but we would admit it was a bit of an effort with our two younger boys and coming back down was quite hairy with our wet feet.
Day 4 Hancock Gorge – Kermit’s Pool and the Spider Walk
This hike was one that we knew would be a bit more challenging for us with three kids and our youngest, Mo, in a hiking pack but we really wanted to experience it with all of our kids.
There are steep ladders down into the gorge but they are manageable if you go slow and take your time. From there it follows some quite difficult paths on small edges of the gorge with the water below. There is also a small amount of wading through water in parts which we will admit was quite cold. We dressed our kids in their wetsuits and joggers so it wouldn’t matter if they got wet and to protect their feet from an sharp rock in the water.
Towards the end of the walk and just before you enter the the spider walk there is area they call the amphitheatre, we left our gear here only took our cameras into the next part towards Kermit’s Pool. The walk down to Kermit’s pool is basically walking on the tight narrow waterfall the winds it way down to the pool. It’s narrow so when it’s busy it would make it hard to navigate people in and out. Slow and steady was our motto as we helped our three kids through the slimy waterfall, sometimes just getting them to slide along on their bottoms. When we reached Kermits Pool we found a small swimming hole that was such a magical place to experience, what a hidden gem this would have been for our countries First People. While the pool was quite cold it was worth the fun of the adventure to get there.
We didn’t get to do all the gorges that Karijini has to offer but this place definitely has plenty of value no matter how long you have to spend here.
Park Fees
Day Pass: $15 per car, $8 seniors
There are also holiday pass options that can be more cost effective for longer stays.
If you are full time travelling we would recommend getting a WA parks pass to cover you for all national parks in WA.
