Go Karijini National Park

A highlight for any visitor to the Northwest inland of Western Australia, is the Pilbara region, boasting the Millstream and Karijini National Parks. Millstream National Park is an oasis in the desert with many remnants of the long-gone rainforest vegetation that once blanketed Australia surviving around lush pools and streams.

A bit further down the road - and rated by many travellers as one of their best experiences in WA - is Karijini National Park, the traditional home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga people. The Banyjima name for the Hamersley Range is Karijini. Evidence of their early occupation dates back more than 20,000 years.

Over millions of years ancient rivers have worn spectacular gorges out of the red, iron-rich landscape, leaving clear green pools lined with ferns, palms and paperbarks. It is also home to a variety of birds, red kangaroos, euros, rock-wallabies, echidnas and several bat species. Geckos, goannas, dragons, legless lizards, pythons and other snakes are also abundant. There is fantastic swimming, well-marked walking trails, excellent camping facilities and truly amazing scenery, with the lush green of the gorges contrasting brilliantly with the deep red rocks and stark white trunks of the many Snappy Gum trees.

The new and unique Karijini Eco Retreat is located in the depths of the breathtaking Karijini National Park - the first and only permanent accommodation in the Park also offers camping facilities, tours and authentic bush kitchens for self caterers. Check out www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au

The Karijini Visitor Centre is quite an impressive architectural masterpiece in an astonishing location. Here you will get an idea of the rich Aboriginal history of the area as well as the natural features of the park. Most of the roads in the park are not sealed, however they are frequently maintained, so should be able to be accessed by conventional 2WD, but check with the Visitor Centre staff first for latest road condition. Full and part day tours to Karijini leave from Tom Price and part day tours leave from the Karijini Visitor Centre. See Karijini Visitor Centre or Tom Price Visitor Centre for details and/or bookings.

If walking within Karijini National Park, make DEC (www.dec.wa.gov.au) officers at the entrance to the park aware of your itinerary. The gorges of the park are incredibly spectacular but steep, slippery and very dangerous!