Perth to Broome, Part 3.

We headed inland to check out the red earth of the Pilbara region in the second largest national park in WA centered in the Hamersley Ranges: Karijini National Park.  Karijini has been split into two sections by the Marandoo iron ore mine which opened in 1994 (in 2009, this mine produced 13% of the world’s iron ore).  The mining industry dominates in this sparsely populated region (1 person per 12 sq km).

Most visitors spend their time in the northern half of Karijini in and around some of the famous gorges.  Here is evidence of the banded iron formations (BIF) in the exposed rock.  These iron and silica-rich sediment deposits laid down on the sea floor over 2.5 billion years ago.  Although horizontal compression did cause buckling in some areas, it is amazing that in other areas you can trace single layers horizontally for long distances while walking in the gorges after all these years.

The gorges were carved by rivers, often leaving sheer sides.  Hiking in the gorges often requires careful maneuvering along smooth rocks and getting your feet wet, but the fresh water pools and cascading waterfalls are worth the trip.  I didn't want to risk bringing along my camera on certain sections, so sadly I don’t have photos of some of the more impressive pools.  Although it was impossible to completely avoid the water, we often had the choice of taking the easier route by swimming through the frigid water.  Gareth from Northern Ireland often led that way – without any followers.

While the deep, shaded pools are probably quite refreshing in warmer months, we were visiting in the middle of winter.  Most days in Karijini, which is just north the Tropic of Capricorn, were comfortable enough, but the nights were a bit chilly.  We slept outside in swags, and I noticed some frost on my sleeping bag one morning.  Despite this, I did go swimming in some of the pools.  Who knows when I will get a chance to do it again?  

Here are a couple of the cascading waterfalls.  Gareth, of course, led the way up the curved amphitheatre of Joffre Gorge.

As mentioned, the Pilbara is rich in minerals, including blue asbestos (crocidolite).  We saw some in Dales Gorge, but it was Wittenoom Gorge that was heavily mined during the mid-20^th century.  It was closed after growing health concerns, but now that area is completely contaminated.  Known as Australia’s greatest industrial disaster, it is too difficult and costly to clean up.  Instead, the area is closed off and the supporting town of Wittenoom has been phased out.  WA no longer recognizes it as a town and has removed it from official road maps and signs.

With only a few days remaining in the country, some of the iconic flora and fauna really stood out to me, from the ghost gums to the cockatoos.

After a few days in Karijini, we hopped on the Great Northern Highway, stopping in Port Hedland for lunch.  The Pilbara mines send their iron ore by rail to Port Hedland, one of the highest tonnage ports in the world (nearly 250 million tonnes in 2012).  This industrial town provides quite the contrast to the rugged scenery of Karijini.  We continued along, stopping in Pardoo and 80 Mile Beach, before ending the tour in the town of Broome in the Kimberely region of WA.  I would have loved to check out more of the Kimberely (and those awesome Boab trees), but my days were running out.  I spend a couple of days around the pearling/tourist town of Broome, warming up on Cable Beach and searching for dinosaur footprints.  I left Broome just before witnessing the full natural phenomenon known as the Staircase to the Moon.  At extremely low tides, the full moon reflects off the exposed mudflats, giving the optical illusion of stairs heading up to the moon.  However, I did go the previous night to get a taste.

 

I took the rare direct flight from Broome back to Sydney, passing over the center of the country.  We were treated to flying over Kata Tjuṯa and Uluṟu (below) in the late afternoon.  What a symbolic view to finish up my year in Australia!