Hammersley Ranges - Karijini National Park

Karijini National Park - Pilbara WA

Late June, 2012

Only the magnificance of Karijini National Park in the heart of the Pilbara in north-west WA could lure us away from the coast. It was amazing in its size, ruggedness and richness of colour.

We hit the Pilbara and our car, its contents, and particularly its children turned red. Small iron filings within the dirt clung to Archie's little magnetised Thomas the Tank Engines. The scale of iron ore excavation is mind-boggling. The roads run constantly with massive road trucks loaded with ore and new train lines are being constructed to cater for the kilometre-long trains that pour this ore into the docks at Port Hedland and elsewhere.

Travelling through Karijini is reminiscent of driving through the Flinders ranges....just a bit grander and redder.

And that's a small one! The kids and dad take a mine tour at Tom Price Mine.

Karijini National Park

This was one of our most eagerly anticipated destinations - an amazing natural adventure playground....but why do you look so worried Paul?.....It's only a 100m sheer drop.





Our campsite at Karijini - lovely desert contrasts










Beautiful sunny days....but c-c-c-cold at night - about 4C or less...not that we're complaining about the weather you southern folk.

Gorgeous Gorges

 OK guys - time for an adventure walk

Hmm....maybe not quite that much adventure thanks Paul. Will you PLEASE sit down Archie?!

                Ahh, made it, with no broken bones.

Those jagged old rocks.....they crack me up

                                                                                                                                                                        Don't fall in buddy - that water's too cold for even your mother to rescue you...a thrilling walk through cascades, narrow chasms with that ever present risk of a plunge into icy water. A great moment in a stunning landscape.

     Happy as pigs in Pilbara Mud

  But mummy, I don't WANT a wash.

The Good: Doing the grade-5 `spider-walk' through a fast flowing chasm with spider-monkey boy Riley (grade 6 walks require abseiling equipment). We came back with the adrenalin running, no injuries and happily soaked but not drowned.

The Bad: The not-so-little brown snake Nikita nearly shared her peanut paste sandwich with when choosing a nice sunny rock to sit on for her lunch in Dales Gorge. You could hear the shriek for miles....rattled for a short while, but pretty keen to tell the story to every bushwalker she met for the next few days.

The Ugly: Archie locking himself in the public amenities at Hammersley Gorge. Unlike every other ramshackle, gappy, un-locking toilet around, this iron vault was inpenetrable. Despite much coaxing to undo the lock, and Riley's offer to climb in through the roof, it was dad's trusty screw-driver to the rescue with a quick lock removal.

It is no wonder crocodiles eat their young........

Our last night in the Hammersley Ranges and Riley picks a Zero degree night to have his first sleep outdoors in his swag. Might as well - wasn't much warmer in the tent! Back to the beach after this.

Whale Sharks and Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo Reef

Mid June

Cape Range National Park

Ningaloo Reef sunrise - our camp at Osprey Bay in the Cape Range National Park was gorgeous. Great bushwalking, bike riding and fantastic snorkelling.

One reason why you should not take a 2-year-old on long bushwalks.
 

One reason you should....     

          Look out marine life....here we come! The kids really loved snorkelling. It's pretty amazing just metres from the shore, particularly at Turquoise Bay. The 2m stingray at Osprey Bay was a bit of a surprise...but Nikita was keen to go back for a second look.

These guys were just a few feet beneath the surface at Oyster Stacks and Osprey Bay - Ningaloo Reef.

Exmouth                                                 

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you....Riley celebrates his 7th birthday with some new buddies at the Exmouth Caravan Park...but misses Jacob & Luke, Lola & Zac, Ethan & Zac, Charlie, Skye, Carter & Isaac, Flynn & Rhea, Rhys & Georgie, Sam & Lara  and ALL his family and Nush. As for Nikita...well she just misses EVERYBODY......boo hoo, boo hoo.

Rowdy Moments - Week 8

The Good: Hearing Nikita squeal and Riley yelp with delight through their snorkels at yet another tropical fish discovery.

The Bad: Doing sweet FA (Finding Archie). It seems we have a little Houdini in our midst who loves to go-a-wandering. Grandma Tully said gappy teeth were a sign of a traveller - based on his teeth and wanderings, I suspect he will be off to the Arctic by his 5th birthday! Riley and Nikita, ever the entrepreneurs, have turned this to their financial advantage by receiving 20 cents for every sucessful return-to-camp of Archie without tears.

The Ugly: Nikita screaming and writhing in pain at night in the middle of Cape Range National Park. Panicked parents contemplate 2-hour hospital dash for serious ailment - maybe appendix, maybe lower abdominal infection. Load her into the car...`` It's going to be OK darling. What's that sweetheart? You think you need to do a what?'' ``Ahh, that's better mummy...I'm fine now.''

It's no wonder Crocodiles eat their young....

Swimming with Whale Sharks - Ningaloo Reef   

Jumping in the deep end with the world's largest fish

That's me.....finning furiously to keep up. They, on the other hand seem to glide effortlessly with just the smallest swish of that giant tail.

It was an amazing and humbling experience. Majestic, beautiful and - from some angles - just a little bit scary




 It was a near-perfect day for Paul's whale swimming experience. Great visibility and four different whale shark encounters.

Whale Shark bait! Paul came face to BIG face a few times with an inquisitive whale shark who confused the bubbles from churning flippers with plankton apparently.

         Just to top it off - Humpback whales breaching and tail slapping just near the boat.Dugongs and turtles too. Pretty cool day.