10 Best things to do in Karijini National Park
If you are visiting Western Australia, a must-do is a visit Karijini National Park. This gorgeus national park is place you will never forget. We have collected everything you need to know and the 10 best things to do in Karijini National Park!
With it’s 6200 square kilometers, Karijini is massive. It’s the second-largest national park in Western Australia and is located 1400 kilometers north of Perth. It is a place that should definately be on your list of places to see during your West Coast trip. In Karijini you will find red desert sand, loads and loads of eucalyptus trees and several cute kangaroos jumping around. You will meet an incredible heat and you will can see an stunning star sky when the dark falls. The national park is very unique and probably very different from anything you’ve ever seen before. The rocks are built in layers that have been shaped during the thousands of years. The deep valleys and high hills are hiding the most amazing waterfalls, gorges, and lakes and we have listed the 10 best ones to see in Karijini.
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Karijini is like an adventure
Being in Karijini feels like being in a movie. Being in Karijini is an adventure where you have to balance on the rocks, climb down the steep hills and swim in cold freshwater pools. But there are also easier trails if you’re not of the adventure type. Karijini is so much more than just an adventure for your body. It is also a breathtaking experience in the sense of its beauty.
Karijini is far away from the big cities and it’s an incredible heat that greets you upon arrival. Bring A LOT of water, your walking shoes, sun lotion, swimmers, and a towel and we are ready to explore all the beauty with this National Park.
Preparation
It is two ways you can reach Karijini, either with your car or a day tour from Tom Price. If you rent a car be careful when you read the contract to see that they allow you to drive on a dirt road. You can either hire a car from Perth, Paraburdoo or Newman. We recommend you to hire a 4WD to be able to get on all the roads in Karijini. Another option is to fly to Paraburdoo from Perth and then take the bus to Tom Price to join the day tour to Karijini.
Tourist Information
We recommend you to visit the tourist information to get yourself a map or to just get a bit more information about the park. This is also the place where you can pay the entrance fee to Karijini. It is also possible to put money in an envelope in a mailbox at the entrance to the park, or even in advance on the internet or in Tom Price, a close-by town. The entrance to the park is 12 AUD per car and something everyone needs to pay.
Explore
The trails in Karijini are easy to reach due to that there are parking areas close to all of them. All the trails in Karijini are put in different levels according to how hard they are. Everyone manages to do the trails that are up to level three but then it gets a bit harder. Levels four and five are for those who have a bit more experience or are a bit more fit. Level six is the hardest only for those who have the right tools or a guide with them. If you would like to book a guide you can book from West Oz Active Adventure who keeps tours between April and November each year.
Swim in Freshwater pools in Fortescue Falls
The first in our 10 best things and one of the things you can’t miss when going to Karijini is to swim in the pools beneath Fortescue Falls. Fortescue Falls is located in Dales Gorge on the eastern side of Karijini. From the carpark, it’s roughly an hour walk down the staircase to reach the falls. When you reach the falls you will be well-rewarded with the view of this beautiful falls and pool. You can here swim in the pool or just keep on a two-hour return hike to the Circular Pool which is on the gorge’s other end.
Hamersley Gorge
Karijini has some of the most beautiful sceneries we have ever experienced, and Hamersley Gorge did not disappoint either. It has the shortest gorge walk in all of Karijini but also probably some of the most beautiful swimming holes, including the incredibly beautiful Spa Pool. This certainly is one of our favorites on this list over 10 things you can’t miss in Karijini!
The trail starts at the Hamersley Gorge car park and it’s 400 meters walk back and forth. There is a stair made down to the falls and the waterfalls. Even if it’s quite long and steep it should be easy enough for most able-bodied walkers.
When you reach the end of the stairs you will see on the right side of the steps a series of waterfalls. If you follow the waterfalls upstream as far as you can you will find the Spa Pool. There are signs that you are not permitted to go to the Spa Pools because of injuries occurred there. If you still choose to go there, be careful and don’t dive into the pool.
Hancock Gorge – The best experience in Karijini
Although this trail is short, it is the most exciting of all the trails in Karijini. You climb a ladder, you walk deep into the gorge, you walk past beautiful rock pools and through the Spiderwalk, which despite its name doesn’t seem to have a lot of spiders (not that we could see at least). The Spiderwalk is one of the things that makes this place score into our top 10 things to do in Karijini. At the end of this walk, you get rewarded with the view of the greens waters of Kermits Pool. Jump in and enjoy the cold water!
Weano Gorge – The Handrail pool
This 1.5 kilometers walk starts fairly easy but becomes quite challenging when climbing down to the Handrail pool, which includes steep cliffs and narrow walking passages. If you get to the end of this walk you will stand in front of pure Australian beauty, once again. There are two different levels on this walk. The level five is more adventurous one and it takes you all the way down to the Handrail pool. There is also a level three trail that will take you down, but ends before Handrail pool.
The walk is only about 1.5 kilometers return but it takes about 1.5 hours because of the challenging trail. As you get closer to the Handrail Pool the high rock walls will tower above you and the walk will get challenging. Use the handrails and be careful when you´re climbing!
Joffre Gorge
Even if Joffre Gorge walk is a quite short too, it changes from relative easy level four walk to a more adventurous level five walk. Some bits of this walk can look a bit scary but the safe way is well signed with arrows pointing out the direction to go to. There is a lot of rock climbing but luckily the rocks are never too smooth or slippery to be able to hold on to. Take your time while doing this walk and be careful.
When you reach the bottom of this gorge, it’s like you’ve stepped into a movie scene. The landscape is breathtaking and the massive rock walls that tower above you make you feel so tiny. You will find a waterfall that creates a beautiful freshwater pool that you can jump into to cool yourself down.
Knox Gorge
This is once again a short but a bit challenging walk to another beautiful gorge in Karijini. This might not be the best but nor the worst gorge in Karijini and definitely worth a visit. There is a bit of a climb on steep cliffs and loose rocks to reach to this gorge but you will as per usual get rewarded with some beautiful pools to cool yourself down in.
Sleep in the wild
There are two options for accommodation in Karijini. There is the more expensive one Karijini Eco Retreat, which offers an environmental friendly glamping accommodation. They also have a restaurant that offers unique Australian delights and cooked and continental breakfast.
You can also choose to stay at the camping area in Karijini, Dales Gorge Camping. Staying in camping is a cheaper option and makes you get a real wildlife experience, with dingos running around and kangaroos close to your camp.
Whichever of these to options you’ll choose, you will for sure see one of the most beautiful night skies with an ocean of stars.
Mount Bruce
With its 1234 meters hight, Mount Bruce is the second tallest peak in Western Australia. There are several different trails on the Mountain. One of them is Mount Bruce summit and is a 10 kilometers walk with 450 meters change in altitude. This walk starts relatively easy but becomes more difficult when you pass the Marandoo Mine site. The challenging walk will reward you with once again, stunning finish with spectacular views over the landscape. We recommend doing this walk in early mornings to avoid the worst heat.
Knox Lookout
Karijini has so much more to offer than just waterfalls, freshwater pools, and challenging trails. It also has this amazing lookout called Knox Lookout where you can stand and admire the view. Make sure to visit this lookout in the early morning or late afternoon to see the sun rays enhance this beautiful panorama.
Oxer lookout
Last on the list of 10 best things to in Karijini, but not the least, the Oxer Lookout, the junction where four gorges meet. From Oxer Lookout you can see one of the most stunning panoramas in all of Western Australia. We recommend visiting the lookout early morning or late afternoon when the sun deepens the red color of the rocks.
