Day 131 – 24th May 2018 – Karijini, Hancock Gorge

Today started with a yummy breakfast of ‘Cowboy Beans’ and scrambled eggs.  Jennifer Blake cooked us ‘Cowboy Beans’ on our last night at Giralia and Col has been quite taken with them, looking for the first opportunity to cook them up.  Baked beans with onion, bacon and Worcestershire Sauce.  Soooo good.  While sitting and eating breakfast we notice that a beautiful Golden Orb spider has decided she wanted to build a web on our van and join our adventure.  While I can appreciate her from a distance, like I can snakes,  I don’t want her in the van!  While my hand looks really close to the spider in this shot, I can assure you it was not.  But she was a big and beautiful girl!  Golden Orb Spiders are not venomous by the way.

Golden Orb Spider, Dales Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Golden Orb Spider, Dales Gorge, Karijini National Park WA

Col was keen to go to Hancock Gorge and do the Kermit Pool Hike and the Handrail Pool Hike.  Both of these are a category 5 hike which I really didn’t believe that I was up to.  The Dales Gorge Hikes were category 4 and I felt that challenged me to my limit, but Col was very keen to do the Hancock/Weano Gorge Walks and assured me he would help me through.  So, so glad that he did.  Don’t get me wrong they were incredibly challenging and at some points really scary, but absolutely worth the effort.  Just magnificent.  There is something about overcoming your fears that makes it all the more worthwhile.  This walk involved steep steps down the cliff into the Gorge that were rocky and slippery.  There were parts of the walk where you met water and had to choose whether to scale the slippery cliff face or swim through it.  Beautiful and challenging.  We met so many different age groups and fitness levels along the way.  Don’t let a number define you, but also know your limits.  In saying that, I knew my limits and Col encouraged me to push past them.  So glad that he did!

All of the photos and video were taken with the GoPro as I wanted to have my hands free for climbing, so I am limited tonight of what photos I can put into the blog.  Col is working on compiling the video so I may add more footage in blogs to come.  These photos really do not capture the beauty, but I encourage anyone to add this place to your list of places to visit!

There were places that you could choose to scale the cliff wall or swim.  I generally chose to swim and Col chose to climb where possible.   I didn’t like the idea of the rocks being slippery and clinging to the cliff wall,  the water was cold but beautiful to swim through.  Some places were thigh deep and some came up to your arm pits.  You need to be careful as there are big rocks below the water so whether you are walking or swimming you need to move slowly and carefully.

Hancock Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Hancock Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Handrail Pool Walk, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Handrail Pool Walk, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Handrail Pool Walk, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Handrail Pool Walk, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA

This is where you pop out and then have to hold onto the handrail and straddle it to go down the rock ladder to the bottom.  Not for the faint hearted!  I was worried how we would go climbing out and it was certainly a little trickier when your feet and hands are wet, but it was easier than it looked I am pleased to report!

Handrail Pool, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA
Handrail Pool, Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park WA

We swam across Handrail Pool and down another narrow gorge but stopped when it got dark.  You could swim a little further and pop out at another handrail to scale down to the next section, but we were happy with how far we had come.  We saw some tiny frogs which were very cute and Col got video footage of.

Do yourself a favour and google some images of Karijini, this place is spectacular.  Col and I have never said ‘Wow’ so many times in a row.  Seriously WOW.

 

12 thoughts on “Day 131 – 24th May 2018 – Karijini, Hancock Gorge”

  1. You are so brave my friend . I remember how difficult some of the terrain was up in The Kimberley with Col the mountain goat charging ahead. That handrail adventure sounds amazing. Well done you two.

    1. Thanks for understanding Tania – it is tricky with Col being so fit and agile and he is always up ahead. But he has been trying to hang back a bit to help out. It is more overcoming fear than anything else. The Handrail Pool and Hancock Gorge have been my favourites so far. Definitely worth a visit!

    1. We said excactly the same thing Nige! The only good thing was the GoPro was waterproof unlike Dave’s CamCorder. Such a funny story to remember. Good times :)

  2. i dont suppose i will ever live tunnel creek down, but so glad that you did Karijini its so hard to describe just spectacular it is WOW somehow seems inadequate

    1. No Dave, you will never live that down as it was a classic moment in the camping crew history!
      Really glad we did the hikes at Karijini too and you are right – WOW is just inadequate. Such humbling landscape, it is spectacular indeed!

      1. What spectacular scenery. So impressed with your determination – with the trailer parking and level 5 hiking. Glad you spotted the spider before she made a home in your van. It looks like she was ready to lay eggs. Possibly 100’s of them.

        1. It really is Mum! Just magical.
          Thanks, it has been a real sense of pride finally getting my head around it. Still a beginner but definitely improving. And the same with the hiking, it is good to overcome the fears and try, you are definitely rewarded for your efforts.
          Your comment made me shudder! Hadn’t thought about the baby spider factor, but hopefully we caught her in time. xx

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