Circular Pool, Karijini National Park
Well this was one of my favorite parts of Australia. You really are out in the middle of nowhere when your visiting Karijini National Park. This is where I reverted to being a child again and had a little strop! I just soo wanted to do everything and climb down all the dangerous places and jump down the waterfalls near the end of Knox Gorge (Unfortunately the Tour companies have been banned from going down the route I wanted to go down due to injuries and the extreme cost of getting people rescued who get stuck halfway down.) Anyway me being me decided I could safely venture down this canyon. Where I realised if I actually did jump down in the water at the next drop I couldn’t possible get back up as was too high to climb. We ventured back to the ranger phone and I phoned up the park rangers to see what is what. I was basically advised not to go down but he explained what I would need to do this part of the climb. And unfortunately I couldn’t as was the wrong time of year as there wasn’t enough water in the pools. Luckily for me had I jumped down the next waterfall I would have been stuck as the next drop was about 12m in height and there was only 1m of water in the pool underneath! Now I know why there have been so many injuries. So this was when I started to mentally behave like the little child inside and started sulking as It looked so fun!
Another near death experience potentially happened when I was trying to take a photo of a snake at one of the gorges when it went into defensive mode and striked at my camera just missing me before swimming off down the small waterway. I have no idea if it was venomous… and had no time to count the scales and being about 30 miles from any help was ready to change my underwear 😉
The photo is a view from the top of Dales Gorge looking down into Circular Pool. Amazing clean but green looking water, with a few strange creatures swimming around? And many lizards basking in the sun watching us human beings. You can get to Circular Pool from walking along the bottom of the gorge from Fortescue Falls, I seem to remember it taking about 2 hours to get there, but don’t forget you have to walk back.
A really amazing view and perhaps the best view of some of the gorges can be seen from Oxers Lookout. From there you can see Hancock Gorge, Joffre Gorge, Red Gorge and Weano Gorge all together. From here two walks start one leading to Hancock Gorge and the other leading to Weano Gorge which is much easier but a bit boring. (Only because its an easy walk), Karijini National Park Map.
The one part we didn’t go to which was probably for the best due to many warnings of asbestos was a little old town called Wittenoom, where Yampire Gorge is. Ive been told you can actually see all the blue specks of asbestos in the rocks. You can actually drive here but if you do keep the windows closed! Karijini National Park is in Western Australia near Tom Price and used to be known as the Hamersley National Park and is just under 6500 km².
Comment by Anita on 2 October 2006:
Once again, cool shot! Did you ever manage to click your camera before the snake struck out? Now that photo would have been quite the conversation piece! LOL
Seriously though, you’re lucky you didn’t get hurt!
Comment by Anita on 2 October 2006:
Once again, cool shot! Did you ever manage to click your camera before the snake struck out? Now that photo would have been quite the conversation piece! LOL
Seriously though, you’re lucky you didn’t get hurt!
Comment by Alex Asigno on 3 October 2006:
Thanks Anita. Unfortunatly I didn’t manage to press the shutter quick enough. I was thinking I would wait until it got closer so I could get a better photo. I was worried about taking one too soon and frightening it, and it wiggling off without me getting a good close up. But I learnt from it, as I didn’t get a photo at all. Now I always take photos as soon as, as a bad photo is better than no photo!
Daniela has a good photo of another lovely snake experience, but it’s only a small photo on her site, http://www.daniela-eckart.de/bilder/qld/surfers/012.jpg
Comment by Alex Asigno on 3 October 2006:
Thanks Anita. Unfortunatly I didn’t manage to press the shutter quick enough. I was thinking I would wait until it got closer so I could get a better photo. I was worried about taking one too soon and frightening it, and it wiggling off without me getting a good close up. But I learnt from it, as I didn’t get a photo at all. Now I always take photos as soon as, as a bad photo is better than no photo!
Daniela has a good photo of another lovely snake experience, but it’s only a small photo on her site, http://www.daniela-eckart.de/bilder/qld/surfers/012.jpg
Comment by Alex Ion on 5 October 2006:
Quite lovely, and of course too bad you couldn’t swim for a little in the pool.
I also ha some experience in Croatia, in the plitvica national park. It’s just superb. Lakes going one into another forming great watterfalls.
I have posted some pictures of my trip o my romanian blog : http://www.balkansmedia.com/parcul-national-plitvice-plitvicka-jezera/
The same green lighted water. I just love it.
Alex
ps: swimming was not allowed at all in Plitvica
Comment by Alex Ion on 5 October 2006:
Quite lovely, and of course too bad you couldn’t swim for a little in the pool.
I also ha some experience in Croatia, in the plitvica national park. It’s just superb. Lakes going one into another forming great watterfalls.
I have posted some pictures of my trip o my romanian blog : http://www.balkansmedia.com/parcul-national-plitvice-plitvicka-jezera/
The same green lighted water. I just love it.
Alex
ps: swimming was not allowed at all in Plitvica
Comment by Alex Asigno on 5 October 2006:
Well i did still swim in the pool, and its not quite as little as it seems! There were a few weird creatures down there though.
Your blog looks really interesting just a shame i cant read it 😉
Comment by Alex Asigno on 5 October 2006:
Well i did still swim in the pool, and its not quite as little as it seems! There were a few weird creatures down there though.
Your blog looks really interesting just a shame i cant read it 😉
Comment by Alex Ion on 5 October 2006:
I will be starting a travel blog soon !!
By the way Alex : I really like your site very much.
Appreciated very much.
Thanks
Comment by Alex Ion on 5 October 2006:
I will be starting a travel blog soon !!
By the way Alex : I really like your site very much.
Appreciated very much.
Thanks
Comment by Mick Gordon on 16 October 2006:
Incredible picture, I was almost bitten by a snake myself last week. I was walking through the thick bush and I heard the unmistakeable sound of a rattler – kind of a loud buzz. I froze and looked around to see it only about a foot in front. It soon moved to the side and I left the area as fast as fast as possible. I hate snakes.
Comment by Mick Gordon on 16 October 2006:
Incredible picture, I was almost bitten by a snake myself last week. I was walking through the thick bush and I heard the unmistakeable sound of a rattler – kind of a loud buzz. I froze and looked around to see it only about a foot in front. It soon moved to the side and I left the area as fast as fast as possible. I hate snakes.
Comment by jacinta on 6 November 2006:
In your photos of esperance, you written that its just north of perth, its south mate
Comment by jacinta on 6 November 2006:
In your photos of esperance, you written that its just north of perth, its south mate
Comment by Alex Asigno on 6 November 2006:
Well noticed thanks 🙂
Correction made
Comment by Alex Asigno on 6 November 2006:
Well noticed thanks 🙂
Correction made
Comment by diego on 15 November 2006:
hey how are you… cool men..,. I was there in that place I reckon in the same date that you were there, well I write you this cos I took a photo with my friends there, but in the pool, and a gost appear in the photo, if you are interesting send me a mail and I can send you the photo back, tell me if you see something weird.
regards
diego
Comment by diego on 15 November 2006:
hey how are you… cool men..,. I was there in that place I reckon in the same date that you were there, well I write you this cos I took a photo with my friends there, but in the pool, and a gost appear in the photo, if you are interesting send me a mail and I can send you the photo back, tell me if you see something weird.
regards
diego
Comment by Nick on 9 April 2008:
Hi Alex
Fantastic photo, have one similar from when I visited there in late 2006. Off, as you know, to Western Oz this weekend.
Definite trip I will take again to Karijini
Nick
Comment by Nick on 9 April 2008:
Hi Alex
Fantastic photo, have one similar from when I visited there in late 2006. Off, as you know, to Western Oz this weekend.
Definite trip I will take again to Karijini
Nick