Karajini National Park (Dale's Camp)

It is now Tuesday, 6th September and I am behind in my blogging again.   We are at Coral Bay for a few nights to catch up on washing, emails & phone calls & hopefully some swimming!    We have not had internet or service for quite some time or a decent shower!!!

Tony & I loved Karajini.   The gorges & walks were some of the best we have seen.   We stayed in Dale's Camp which was so quiet and serene.    

The trip into Karajini was quite picturesque with the wild vegetation on the side of the road- a nice change from what we had been seeing.   A long drive in... travelled for 600 kms and only saw 1 Roadhouse, from a distance......

Our camp site was great....    although lots of red dust, the green spinifex was quite a spectacular  contrast  (although we are well over red dust.)   The van is still covered in red dirt and still no sign of being able to wash it yet!  Most of our camps lately have been out bush and the 2 Caravan Parks we have been in have salty bore water in their taps, so haven't been able to have a long shower or wash the car & van.   The  "hair do" is taking a bit of beating too!

Not sure if you can work out what this photo is all about.....  Although the sign at Dale's Camp said "no fires" we thought we were safe with our little pot belly fire, full of heat beads, to cook our loin chops....   after a few attempts we managed to get the heat beads going well and just when they were hot enough to put the chops on the Ranger rode over on his bike and asked us to put them out!    Our neighbour had dobbed on us........We had to get the hot heat beads out of the fire and cool them down in a jar of cold water.   It could have been worse - we could have had our chops 1/2 cooked!     We heard later that other people had used heat beads in the camp, so we were "not happy Jan!"  The nights at Karajini were quite cold as well so would have been good to have a fire!

Darby & Jones (sorry Sue & Tony) sitting on top of Dale's Gorge.   Interesting walk along the top of the Gorge looking down to where we were about to walk.   There were 3 falls to look at here... Circular Pool, Fortescue Falls & Fern Pool... all on the same walk and swimming at all the falls.

One of the many spectacular views of the Gorge below where we walked.   In some spots we were walking in some very tight situations! 

It is just as well I haven't put too much weight on travelling or I wouldn't have got through this narrow path........it was this way or wade in the gorge!

Time for a break.  Found a lovely cool spot near a small cascade of water. I would have liked to have stayed longer...but my Personal Trainer kept me going!

Tony is swimming over to the waterfalls in   Fern Pool.    Was a little cold in here so I decided not to go in...... lots of large fish swimming right where you  enter the pool which put me off as well!

Not sure if you can see me standing in front of this large tree.   It was amazing that it was still alive with all its rootes exposed!    It wasn't far from here Tony had to fight off a snake!    We were walking back along a path when one of the men walking with us froze & then ran back....   He had seen a snake....(his wife said he was petrified of snakes)   The snake was sitting under a flat rock which we were walking on along the path.   Tony tried to get it to move by banging his hiking stick on the rock (didn't budge!) then started pushing his tail along until eventually he moved.    He was trying to eat a frog which he had in his mouth & we realized that was why he didn't want to move.   As soon as he slid off into the bushes people on both sides of the path ran past!   I am constantly on the watch now.....

On our way to Weano Gorge (about 45 kms from Dales Camp).      The road started to get quite rough & slippery in parts, so decided to let some air out of the tyres, & yes, more red dust!   

Weano Gorge I didn't see that much off....... as you can see these people (& Tony) scrambled over ledges, walked in waste deep water (some fell in off the ledges) to see the views along this gorge.   I am in this photo if you look carefully sitting next to a rock.... way back in the distance...... talking to another girl who didn't want to do the walk either!

Hancock Gorge was even worse.....Class 5 walk which meant it was quite difficult... more ledge climbing, hanging on for your life in some parts but Tony managed to get to the Handrail Pool which is where the rocks are so slippery you have to hang on to the rail or fall & of course, the popular Spider Walk where you have your feet on a ledge either side of the gorge to walk through.   Quite a few people turned back and didn't continue this walk.   Think I made the right decision not to do this walk - I am still trying to build my right side up to be a little stronger.

On our return to camp we were pulled up in the middle of no-where by a breath-a-liser!!!   We couldn't believe it as there is nothing for 100's of miles here...... they were trying to get rid of some bad elements in the area.....lucky we hadn't started happy hour yet!

Next camp..... Exmouth