Karajini National Parh

A mere 6+ hours drive south east of Minderoo lies Karajini, an area of geological uplifts cut through by rivers, forming incredible canyons with continuous water flow all year long. Of course, these canyons are an oasis in that the water system supports lush plant growth, fish and bird life – and the hot and sweaty bushwalker. One can imagine what an important place this would have been for the Aboriginies, both in terms of water source but also ceremony and meeting place. Each canyon is so different from the next – one is struck in awe by the beauty and the scale of the impressive rock walls. The prime time to visit this area is in winter when the days are cooler and the water is highest – I was here just two weeks ago when temps were just over 40C, not quite searing summer temperatures yet, but there were few other visitors so I had several swimming holes to myself. Much of the park is served by dirt roads which are beautiful to drive on – the Minderoo station manager lent me the Toyota Land Cruiser which luvs dirt, so it was great fun to be on the red roads. Camping isn’t permitted in the canyons, so I had to sleep on the hot red dirt in the park campground – the ground baking in the sun all day makes it feel like you are sleeping on a bed a coals for most of the night, radiating heat through the bottom of the tent – at first light, I was up to head down to the canyon for a pre-breakfast swim!