The Karijini National Park is located about 300 kilometers south of Port Hedland. The special feature of Karijini Park, one of the best national parks in Australia, are the deep ravines in which water has accumulated – it is also safe to take a bath, no crocodiles are around here. Karijini is really worth seeing – convince yourself!
Check out some pictures to start with.
Karijini Entrance Fee
The entrance fee for Karijini is $ 13. The cheapest camping is Dales Campground and costs $ 9 per night per person.
Backpacker Tip
The entry fee is collected through a collection box. No one controls whether it is paid or not. We have met many people who did not pay the entrance fee.
The camping fee needs to be paid inside the park. So: Once you have arrived in the Karijini you drive directly to the campsite. Keep in mind, that once the camping spots are booked, you have nowhere to sleep in the park and you would need to leave it at night. Leaving the park during the night is not really recommended because of the long distances.
This way you pay the camping fee, but not the national park fee. Once you have arrived at the camping area as mentioned above, you can also cheat on the number of people. The registration office is not directly at the office, but a bit remote.
In this respect, persons can enter and leave the camping without checking. Instead of e.g. 4 people you can only pay for 2.
Camping in Karijini
However, the camping itself offers nothing: barely any shade, very basic toilets, no water, only heat and flies during the day. Not even garbage cans are there because everyone is supposed to leave the park with their own garbage (please do so!).
And showers? You can do so in the small lakes. They are right next to the camping in the Dales Gorge: There are three small lakes, where you can hike along as well.
In the map and street view image we indicate the Dales Campground, since it is the most visited for backpackers. Click on the link in the image to open the map in Google Maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1563633404993!6m8!1m7!1sAxF9kiT3J3kHnq4qUu8sLQ!2m2!1d-22.47144332488363!2d118.5491075097458!3f190.74728893804414!4f1.215502901081237!5f0.7820865974627469
Hiking in Karijini
In the unpaved area of the camping, the canyons are more impressive. During the dry season, driving there without a 4WD is feasible. You may ask at the campsite about the road conditions. In the canyons, you can see exactly the layers that have been formed over millions of years. Different hikes lead down into the canyons.
How to Survive Karijini
A helpful map of the National Park is available at the park entrance, where you are supposed to pay the entrance fee.
Water
In the national park, there is only one spot to stock up your water reserves. The water should be boiled before, it is written there. In our experience, however, it is of good quality. This water point is near the Visitor Center. For 4 dollars you can take a shower there. The visitor center of the Karijini Park closes however already at 4 pm.
Flies, flies, flies
If you have problems with flies, a fly net will come in handy. Depending on the season, they can really kill you. Be prepared. You have been warned!
Can you visit the Karijini without 4WD?
Yes, you can easily visit the Karijini during the dry season without a four-wheel drive. During the rain season, you should avoid this area with normal cars. If you have a rental car, make sure that you are allowed to drive the car on unpaved roads, as most of the roads in Karijini are unpaved.
Tom Price
Tom Price is the first village west of the Karijini National Park. There is nothing to see here, but one should, whether from the west or the east, definitely stock up on its provisions here. The supermarket here (Coles) is very cheap. You get e.g. loaves of bread that were priced at $4 for just a dollar.
Besides, it is the only real town in the area. Food provision can certainly not hurt. Refueling is also cheap.
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