Many toilets in national parks use a composting or biolytic system Visitor centre which is destroyed by chemicals. Please use sullage points provided in the park, nearby towns or at some 24-hour roadside stops. The Karijini Visitor Centre provides information and Karijini interpretation on the natural and cultural history of the park. WARNING Souvenirs, cool drinks, ice, hot showers, toilets and a public National Park BLUE ASBESTOS PRESENT IN YAMPIRE GORGE telephone are available. Contact the centre on (08) 9189 8121 for more information. Asbestos dust may cause cancer when inhaled. More information Access in the park Universal access is available to a range of recreation sites and National park rangers are always pleased to help make your camping facilities in the park. Please enquire at the visitor visit more enjoyable and informative. Do not hesitate to contact Set in the Hamersley Range in the heart of the Pilbara, the centre for further information. them if you require any information or assistance. expansive Karijini National Park offers spectacular, rugged scenery,

ancient geological formations, a variety of arid-land ecosystems Karijini National Park Visitor Centre and a range of recreational experiences. Care for the park Telephone: (08) 9189 8121 This is Western Australia’s second largest national park, Please drive, walk and camp only on designated Fax: (08) 9189 8113 encompassing some 627,441ha. roads, tracks and camping areas. Follow the Karijini National Park Leave No Trace principles at www.lnt.org.au. PO Box 29, Tom Price WA 6751 Massive mountains and escarpments rise out of the flat valleys. The high plateau is dissected by breathtaking gorges, and stony, BE CAUTIOUS Stay on roads and tracks to protect the park. Ranger (emergency only) tree-lined watercourses wind their way over the dusty plain. Wet roads can be hazardous and may be damaged by vehicles. Telephone: (08) 9189 8147 This is an ancient part of the Earth. The slow process of erosion Washouts can occur during heavy rain, resulting in road Pilbara Regional Office has carved the shape of the land out of rocks that are 2000 million closures at short notice. Check travel conditions with Parks Mardie Road, Karratha Industrial Estate years old, to form this intriguing landscape and complex ecology. and Wildlife on (08) 9182 2000 or the Shire of Ashburton PO Box 835, Karratha WA 6714 A variety of ecosystems are represented in the park. These range on (08) 9188 4444. Telephone: (08) 9182 2000 from precipitous gorges that shelter a remarkable range of plants BE KIND Do not disturb or take any animals, plants or rocks. Fax: (08) 9144 1118 and animals, to hills, ridges and plateaux covered with spinifex Pets and firearms are not permitted. hummocks and scattered eucalypts. Low mulga woodlands and State Headquarters BE WISE Do not contaminate pools with soap, detergents or blankets of seasonal wildflowers bloom on lower slopes, valley 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151 sunscreen, as they can impact aquatic life. Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre plains and drainage lines. BE CAREFUL Avoid the risk of bushfire. Use the gas barbecues Bentley WA 6983 Much of the southern half of the park is inaccessible. Visitors provided, or your own portable cooking appliance. Ground fires Telephone: (08) 9219 9000 concentrate on the spectacular gorges in the north, with their rock pools, waterfalls and unique wildlife. Lookouts, walk trails, and solid fuel fires are not permitted in the park. dbca.wa.gov.au camping areas and information shelters are provided to make BE CLEAN Go to the toilet before entering the gorges. Carry a your visit safe, enjoyable and informative. rubbish bag and leave nothing but your footprints. Visitor fees Park visitor fees apply in Karijini National Park. They help maintain and Visitor guide enhance the park. Please pay your entry fees at the entrance stations, or the Karijini Visitor Centre. If staying at Karijini Eco Retreat, visitors are still required to pay a park entry fee. A range of park passes are available at Parks and Wildlife offices, regional visitor centres and the Karijini Visitor Centre or online at shop.dpaw.wa.gov.au. At Dales GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Photos - DBCAww, Tourism Western Australia and Samille Mitchell camping area, please stop at the entry point and see campground Information current at March 2017. hosts to pay your fees. Otherwise, deposit your camping fees in RECYCLE Please return unwanted brochures to distribution points This document is available in alternative formats on request. the collection box provided if the area is unattended.

Wildlife Telephones Wildflowers vary in abundance with the seasons and from year Public telephones are located at Karijini Eco Retreat and the Karijini to year but there is always something interesting in bloom. Many Visitor Centre. Mobile phone reception is possible in elevated areas plants in the park bloom profusely after rains. In the cooler months and close to mining operations. Satellite phones are recommended the land is covered with numerous yellow flowering sennas for use in other areas, although reception may be unreliable in the (cassias) and acacias, northern bluebells and purple mulla mullas. gorges. There are emergency radios located at Weano day-use area and Fortescue Falls carpark. There are many birds in the park from a variety of species, especially in fringing vegetation along pools and streams. If you Water are observant, you may also encounter red kangaroos, euros Untreated water is available from tanks located at sites indicated (kangaroos that are common to the rocky country), Rothschild’s on the map. Boiling or chemical treatment is recommended. rock wallabies, bats and wild dogs. Carry plenty of water at all times when undertaking walks and Traditional owners Geology Many species of native rodents and marsupial carnivores other activities. such as the Pilbara ningaui are resident, but nocturnal and The Banyjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama Aboriginal people The banded iron formations exposed in many of the rocks in and shy. Reptiles and amphibians such as frogs, geckoes, goannas, Lookouts know the Hamersley Range as Karijini. The name of the park around the gorges originated more than 2500 million years ago as dragons, legless lizards, pythons and other snakes abound Lookout platforms are provided at various locations indicated recognises the historic and continuing significance of the area iron and silica-rich sediment deposits accumulated on an ancient within the park. Visit the Atlas of Living Australia (www.ala.org. on the park map. Supervise children at all times and please stay to the people and their involvement in park management. sea floor. Over millions of years these deposits were transformed au) to find out more about the flora and fauna of the area. behind the barriers. Never throw rocks into the gorges, as people by the pressure of further sediments laid down over them, may be walking below. Evidence of their ancestors’ occupation dates back more than Two interesting wildlife homes to look for are the large termite 30,000 years. During that period, Aboriginal land management forcing trapped water to be driven out and gradually turning the sediments into tough, well-bedded rock. mounds, scattered throughout the hummock grasslands, and Walking practices such as ‘fire stick farming’ resulted in a diversity of the rock piles of the pebble mound mouse. Mounds can be Choose an appropriate trail presented in the guide overleaf to vegetation types and states of succession, and have helped Horizontal compression later caused the rocks to buckle, found on stony slopes, but please do not disturb them. determine the range of plants and animals found in the developing numerous vertical cracks, before lifting to the surface help you to explore the park. park today. to form dry land. Facilities • Stay on established trails and stand well back from cliff edges. Karijini’s impressive gorges have very high vertical Fern Pool and Circular Pool are among many special places A sharp drop in sea level caused the rivers to cut down rapidly Karijini Visitor Centre cliffs, and cliff edges can be loose and unstable. to Aboriginal people. To protect the heritage, cultural and through the land, creating sheer-sided gorges. This, combined • If hiking overnight, please contact the visitor centre or park environmental values of these areas, visitors are encouraged to with millions of years of erosion, has sculptured the rocks into the The Karijini Visitor Centre is located just off Banjima Drive rangers. Some activities such as camping in non-designated enter the water quietly and avoid making loud noises. Access to present landscape. (eastern section). It is open from 9am to 4pm from March to areas, abseiling and canyoning may require permission from the area above Fern Pool is not permitted. Please do not climb November with reduced hours over the remaining months. the department before being undertaken. or jump from this waterfall or ledges surrounding Circular Pool. The gorges Seasonal closures may be in effect December–February. • Please take care in the gorges. Rocks are smooth and slippery, Relax and enjoy these unique areas. In the north of the park, small creek beds, hidden in the rolling Camping particularly when wet. hillsides and dry for most of the year, suddenly plunge down 100m Camp sites are available at designated areas indicated on the • Alcohol and glass are not permitted in any gorges. Climate chasms. Further downstream the gorges become wider and their map. Caravan, bus, and generator sites are available at Dales WARNING! Flash floods can occur in the gorges. The park is situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn sides change from sheer cliffs to steep slopes of loose rock. Finally camping area and Karijini Eco Retreat. Facilities include toilets, Do not enter the gorges if there is heavy rain in the area. and its climate can best be described as tropical semi-desert. the drainage systems emerge as alluvial fans into the Fortescue and picnic tables. Generators are permitted in some sites. Please If you are already in the gorges, please leave promptly. A highly variable, mainly summer rainfall of 250–350mm is Valley. observe generator operation times. BE PREPARED: Wear sturdy walking shoes, use good sun often associated with thunderstorms and cyclones producing The gorges provide a refreshing retreat from the arid plains above. Wild dogs can be seen at Karijini. They may scavenge for food and protection, and take plenty of water. spectacular water flows in the gorges. During summer, Take one of the many walk trails and experience the spectacular can become aggressive. Never feed any wildlife, supervise your temperatures frequently exceed 40°C – ideal conditions for scenery, dramatic waterfalls and clear, fresh pools. children at all times, and store your food, rubbish and iceboxes in Swimming swimming in the gorge pools. Winter days are warm and your vehicle or off the ground. Campground hosts are based at Gorge pools are often deep, shaded and very cold. Others, clear but nights are cold and sometimes frosty. Dales camping area May–September to assist visitors. exposed to the sun, may be pleasant places for a quick dip. Rubbish • The water can be very cold, especially between April and Please take your rubbish with you out of the park, as bins are September, and hypothermia can occur. not provided at Dales Camping area. • Do not dive or jump into the water. WALK TRAIL GUIDE

MOUNT BRUCE (Punurrunha) DALES GORGE JOFFRE AND KNOX GORGES HANCOCK AND WEANO GORGES KALAMINA GORGE The second-tallest peak in WA lies about See the tranquil sunken gardens, deep sedge- Appreciate the power of water shaping the Experience the spectacular views, precipitous A great introduction to the gorge system with 36km west of the Rangers office. A great fringed pools, and permanently cascading landscape. There are impressive waterfalls, cliffs and narrow passages. Banded iron its delightful trail and picnicking area. opportunity to view the Marandoo Mine Site. waterfalls. and deep, cold pools. See for yourself how rock formations tower over the valleys TRAIL CLASSIFICATIONS the gorges were formed. far below. HAMERSLEY GORGE This gorge has dramatic colours, textures Marandoo View Gorge Rim Joffre Lookout Oxer and Junction Pool lookouts Class 2 and reflections. 500m – 30 minutes return 2km – 1.5 hours return 800m – 30 minutes return These walks are well defined with some 100m – 10 minutes return Follow the path from the Mount Bruce Follow the rim of the gorge between Circular At Junction Pool Lookout enjoy breathtaking steps and generally gradients are gentle. Rock steps take you down to the lookout car park to view the Marandoo Mine Site. Pool Lookout and the beginning of the views of Hancock Gorge. If continuing to Oxer Hamersley Waterfall to view this spectacular curved waterfall Excavation of ore for overseas markets began Fortescue Falls Track. White-barked snappy Lookout, please see below. forming a natural amphitheatre, which is 400m – 1 hour return in July 1994. gums grow in the car park around the edge of especially impressive after rain. This track begins as steps, allowing access the gorge and shady groves of native cypress Oxer Lookout for most visitors. Ever-changing light and shelter on the cliff face beneath the track. Knox Lookout Honey Hakea Track From Junction Pool Lookout to Oxer Lookout astonishing colours and reflections highlight Enjoy the wonderful views into Dales Gorge. 300m – 15 minutes return the trail is narrow with loose rocks in patches. the complex geological forces in this Class 3 4.6km – 3 hours return As you take the steps down to the lookout, Please take great care. spectacular landscape. These trails are defined and may include From the car park at the base of Mount Fortescue Falls 800m – 1 hour return watch the view spread out in the distance. steps; loose surfaces; uneven ground; and Bruce, take the path to Marandoo View. From Reach the waterfall by following the trail It’s spectacular in the early morning or late short, steep sections. here, follow the track to another vantage from the car park, negotiating steps and a afternoon light. point further up the mountain. See the narrow section of the trail. Upper Weano Kalamina Gorge vegetation patterns of the mulga on the flats 1km - 45 minutes return 3km – 3 hours return surrounding Mount Bruce. From the information shelter, take the trail Descend the steps into the gorge to explore Fern Pool north towards the top of Weano Gorge. the waterfall upstream, or stroll quietly on lemon-scented grass besides the stream; you Optional 300m detour from Fortescue Falls. Follow the trail down the gorge and return may see fish in the rock pools. The trail ends Class 4 Circular Pool when you reach the steps. These trails are moderately difficult and at Rock Arch Pool. 800m – 2 hours return over variable surfaces – they require a Follow the path from the car park, Lower Weano good level of fitness. Expect steep gradients descending the steps down a steep slope to 1km - 1 hour return and natural obstacles including rocks and the bottom of the gorge. Ramble along the From the shelter, take the trail to Weano shallow pools. gorge floor to the fern-framed pool. Take a Gorge, then the steps to the bottom.

dip before retracing your steps. Turn right to walk down the gorge. Dales Gorge Hancock Gorge Class 5 2km – 3 hours return 400m – 80 minutes return These trails are difficult and a high level Experience gorge wildlife at close quarters From the trailhead sign, follow the trail to the of fitness and agility is required. Trail from this creek-side trail between Fortescue edge of the gorge then negotiate the ladder markings are minimal, and steep sections Falls and Circular Pool Trail. Knox Gorge to the bottom. Walk downstream to Kermits with vertical drops are common. Expect to 2km – 3 hours return Pool. The trail ends here. encounter natural hazards including large As you climb down and scramble along the boulders; pools of water; slippery, wet gorge, notice the fig trees clinging to the Mount Bruce Summit Handrail Pool, Weano Gorge rocks; and narrow, high ledges. richly coloured walls. Skirt several pools and 9km – 6 hours return return from the ‘Gorge Risk Area’ sign. 150m – 30 minutes return Use the early morning hours to take the Access to Handrail Pool begins at the end of route that leads up the western face of Joffre Falls 3km – 2 hours return the lower Weano Gorge Trail. Use the handrail the mountain, past Marandoo View. This Most of the trail is class 4, but the last 150m to climb down. Warning! challenging walk will reward you with (descent into the bottom of the gorge) Flash floods can occur at Karijini. spectacular views of the landscape. is class 5. Follow the marked route into If it rains while you are in the gorges, the bottom of the gorge to the first pool please leave gorges safely and promptly. downstream of the waterfall.