Karijini and More

Well if I wasn’t getting ready for my Pyrenneen adventure I think I would have a bad case of PTD (post trip depression) after our fabulous Karijini trip. Great people, weather, scenery, food, vehicle, even leaders!

12 enthusiastic walkers (all previous IO customers) set out from the Midland train staton 7.30 one Saturday morning. This was the first joint venture between Coates Wildlife Tours and Inspiration outdoors. (And we were already planning the next before this one had ended!) Our first overnighter was near Mullewa- a bush camp, an option that was to prove very popular thoughout the two weeks. An isolated spot in the bush, often a water hole (for the women to bathe in) and much camraderie around the fire- well as much as you can fit in before 8pm which seemed to be the self imposed curfew of the group!

The second night provided another bush camp, this time on a lovely pool on the Wooramel River. A dip in the river was followed up early the next morning by an even chillier one in Bilung Waterhole. We had an interesting visit to Murchison Settlement that day before making our way into the Kennedy Ranges. They were an impressive sight both at sunset and sunrise. We spent a day exploring their gorges (more waterholes) and the Honeycombs.

Our guide from Coates, Richard, was wonderful. Not only did he drive all day and cook delicious meals in no time at all, but he could identify a bird in mid flight at 100 metes, spot a camouflaged reptile and allocate any plant a latin name. Throughout the trip we ran a bird list and Patrick took away the champagne prize by correctly estimating we would see 92 species.

After the Kennedy Ranges we had our first visit to a caravan park at Mt Augustus. Our climb up the mountain took us most of a day, in very warm conditions. The following day was Marg’s birthday so it was celebrated with banners at breakfast, candles on the morning tea cake and sparklers and balloons at yet another bushcamp en route to Tom Price.

After resupplying in Tom Price, we climbed Mt Bruce. This was quite a challenging climb, with some rock scrambling involved, but we were rewarded with fantastic views all along the ridge. That night saw us make camp at the Dales Camping area in Karijini National Park where we stayed for 5 nights. The next few days were spent exploring the gorges, clambering over rocks, swimming in crystal clear pools and negociating knotted ropes and steel ladders. Not to mention sunning ourselves like lizards on warm rock slabs.

Mt Meharry was another challenge, especially getting to the start of it! Our final night in Karijini was celebrated with a formal dinner. Everyone emerged from their tents, in creative formal attire , to the sounds of the Brandenberg Concerto! Dinner consisted of the bush version of Devil’s On Horseback (flamb-ed) followed by Fettucine Carbonara and Banana Supreme.

We reluctantly left Karijini and made our way via the Iron Clad Pub at Marble Bar and another bush camp on the De Grey River, into Broome. Only to arrive on the night of the Staircase to the Moon! A full moon and a low tide. And there we were camped in the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park ,only metres away from the best viewing point!

That was formally the end of the trip, but we couldn’t bear to end it, so most of us went out to the Broome Bird Observatory for a couple of days’ relaxation. Then it was back to Broome for the 2.5hr flight back to reality!