2^nd August: Karajini

Our drive here was uneventful, after a night of roadtrains pulling into the service station. The road to Roy Hill is just near here and Gina Rinhart is sending her iron ore via truck as yet. They go non-stop We came up through Munjini Gorge – literally as it was a steep climb up to the plateau. Everything looked bigger in the daylight!

As we came to the registration point going into the NP, we experienced a case of site rage! After filling in the required forms, which we didn't have to do apparently, we started to drive off and were blasted by the guy behind us who pulled up and seemed to want to go before us. There were half a dozen vans pulled up and he wanted to be first. Well, he went and then went the wrong way and we reached Dales Gorge before him. Not that there was any worry as there are 150 sites here. The camp supervisors have a very slick process and we were in our site quickly. We are camped amognst spinifex and wattles on smallish red rocks over red dirt. Each site is tucked away in the “bush”. (We had someone ask us if we had a rake he could borrow. A rake? I ask you! Obviously he wanted to remove the rocks!)

We visited the Visitors Centre. What a great place! “Manned” by two aboriginal women, it had a wonderful and informative display in a BHP built steel building, built like a boat without pointy ends. All glass at the ends, air conditioned. It is hard to see in the low bush as it just looks like a steel wall from the carpark, You can pay for showers there. (There are none in the campground. Gail and I went swimming and Glen showered outside in the dark and cool breeze. A mite chilly! We have a pump and I think we will erect the tent tomorrow!) 

 

After lunch, we drove to a carpark nearby and climbed down to the Fortescue Falls. Glen remembers seeing this place but I am sure we didn't take the children down there. It is a very steep climb, even with the steps built into the cliff. But worth it! Lots of hard sedimentary rocks and platforms but I won't talk about that! We went further to Fern Pool where Gail and I swam. It was beautiful. Refreshing ( a euphemism for freezing!) but such a lovely spot. (Actually not as cold as Katherine Gorge which is our yardstick!) There is a great timber platform with steps and seats and a ladder into the pool which has a waterfall. It is a Grade 4 walk but I managed that part okay. Glen climbed down to the bottom of the Fortescue Falls but Gail and I knew it was a bit too difficult. We had planned to walk to the Circular Pool but it was a Grade 5 walk and it was getting late. So we gave that a miss. Besides, we still had to climb up out of the Gorge. I am so thankful for my hiking stick, given to me by our Kiwi friends Gail and Larry. I am so much steadier with it but I still had to haul myself up the rather large rock steps.

Dales Gorge - typical of the gorges here.

 Fortescue Falls

Fern Pool

When we came back to camp it was obvious there had been a bit of wind. Annexes were skew-wiff, towel rack and towels were on the ground, chairs had been turned upside down. Then a neighbour told us we'd been hit by a 3 metre willy-willy which twisted its way though the campsite. No wonder! The desert wind is quite strong and gusty!

Bubbly with dinner tonight to celebrate arrival here!