Catching up with this record, it's a pity I can't do this when there is no phone/internet.
Any way, we ended up in Karijini NP for 3 days, this is WA's 2nd largest Park and what a surprise it is.
Magnificent gorges, flowers and wild life, the soil is rather stony sand and where our shower tent was damp and and maybe a tad softer than the rest, anyway a little female frilly lizard decided it was just the right spot for her eggs seaway she went, tried 3 places first but hit larger stones but the 4 was OK, she spent the whole day digging a hole about 20cm deep and finally laid her clutch of eggs about 4.30pm, we watched her backfill it, all the while tamping the soil down with her head, couldn't tell where it was when she finished. We moved the tent then so as not to drown her eggs .
It was humbling to watch nature like this with an animal totally unafraid of us.
Later that night the dingoes visited the camping area and started howling about 50mtrs from us, fantastic end/start to a day even if it was about 2am!
We stayed at Dales Camp, the 283 steps down to Fortesque Falls looked challenging for the return so we opted for the walkup to Fern Pool and a 20 minute hike along the creek at the bottom to Circular Pool and the shorter but steeper climb up to the rim walk back to the truck.
next was a walk to Kalimina Falls, all these falls are spring fed, no one seems to know where they are sourced, just come out of porous strata above the solid blue asbestos bands, safe stuff unless you grind it and breathe the dust. There is also a lot of red, orange, yellow and white ochre here amongst the iron bands, looked very carefully in the caves etc but alas no rock art. I am positive there is art here somewhere due to evidence of aboriginal activity, will have to return and explore more thoroughly. Probably in areas closed to the public.
Pointless asking the indigenous Ranger at the info centre, he didn't know jack about the area and had no intention of finding out either.
The steps/climb from the Gorges had the effect on our muscles so it was a look out day for our last one here, Joffre and Knox lookouts were spectacular, the surrounding landscape is undulating spinifex hills with iron outcrops then without warning there is gorge 250mtrs deep right in front of you. The dangers of this place was brought somewhen we visited the 4 gorges Lookout in Hancock Gorge, there is a monument there in memory of Jimmy Regan, an SES Volunteer who lost life while rescuing a hiker from the bottom of the gorge and a flash flood took him. The pool where his body was found now bears his name in sacred memory. It is a solom reminder just how dangerous these places are, really beautiful but never take safety for granted.
My only regret is the use of drones for photography is banned because of idiots.
Hancock Gorge - near regains Pool, narrow, deep and dangerous
Jim Regan memorial
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