Arrived at Karijini National Park and was allocated our site. It was like a little oasis. It felt like you were on your own. The neighbours were a fair distance apart which was really good. We did a quick drive to the information centre and read about the interesting history of the area and the diversity of its flora and fauna. After this we headed to the lookout above Circular Pool and Three Ways.
The next morning we started early to beat the heat of the day. We took the walk into Circular Pool first. The downward decent was very steep so we took it very slow. Austin had a small slip and landed on his butt which gave him a little fright. Making us a little more aware of the dangers of climbing such rugged landscapes. The remaining part of the walk into Circular Pool was clambering up and down sharp edge rocks and slippery water ways. But every minute of it was well worth it. The pool was just gorgeous and oh so crystal clear. Unfortunately we had to share it with 35 overseas university student tourists on a tour and they were typical young adults.
After our stop at Circular Pool we walk back along our original track and continued along the gorge. Dales Gorge was beautiful but difficult at stages. Because I was concentrating on where I was placing my feet I knocked my head three times. Bloody heck it hurt and the kids and Nigel had a great laugh on my expense. We eventually reached our next location which was Fortesque Falls. It is a continuous flowing water fall and is an extremely pretty spot in the park. We walked a little further past the falls and called into Fern Pool where we had a quick swim. The kids really don't like it when the fish are at their feet. It makes them a little worried and very panicked. Austin and Kaleb lasted no longer than 1 minute in the water but once Jordan got past the fish entry area she also relaxed and enjoyed the swim.
Our walk out at Fortesque Falls was up very large steps to the top of the gorge. About a 14 metre climb. It was tough but once at the top we got to enjoy the spectacular view. The kids were told to stand back as the barrier was only flimsy wire. The kids were very good at listen to these directions and made us very proud of their safety skills. It was a week later that a father and son fell from that exact position we were at. Unfortunately the father died and his seven year old son is still in a critical state. It was a sad thing for that family to deal with and one you don't wish upon anyone. We are glad though that we are naggers on safety issues and that in the end we know that because of this we are making our children safe and less likely of hurting themselves. But accidents happen and that is the worst part.
We spent the rest of the afternoon completeing a worksheets for the Karijine Junior Ranger badge. The kids really enjoyed the questions and completed most of the tasks on the page. They were rewarded with the badges the following morning by the Volunteer Rangers. The kids were wrapped.
My goodness we were glad to get going from Karijini. The red dust stuck to us like nothing else. Kaleb had a wash down one leg at a time and he lost about ten shades of colour. It was hilarious.
Back to the coast today. Looking forward to getting back to the beaches.
