We arrive at Karijini late in the afternoon, and pass a dingo on the way to our camp site. We put up our tents, and cook dinner. The long drop dunny is resident to two webs with Red back Spiders looking after their eggs, plus a dead mouse in the disinfectant bucket. Plus inspection under the picnic tables includes another city of Red back spiders. We all sit very still when we eat our dinner so as not to disturb their webs!The Sky is so clear out here and there are so many stars that it's hard to make out the constellations as there as so many stars visible in between, but I can now spot Scorpio... so I am getting better!!
We wake in the night to hear the Dingo's howling, and some people had them sniff around their tents.
Today we have a full day of hiking and swimming in waterholes. We head first to Kermit's Pool, which is reached by way of a walk through the river, and along a narrow part in the gorge known as the Spider Walk - named, not for the hundreds of spiders that live there, but for the way that we all look heading through it with arms and legs precariously lodged along the canyon walls like giants x's
I'm second in the group and do not see where Julia (in front of me) puts her feet on the slippery rock. I try.. fail, and slip down the rocks fully clothed into Kermits Pool, complete with camera and backpack!. As it's been pointed out to me, it;s a very apt place to feel a "muppet" Thankfully my camera still worked, and only my pride was dented. We all went for a swim in
the chilly waters, and I walked with even greater care on the way back!Our next stop is Handrail Pool. This walk is just as precarious as the first, and involves us using a rope to get down a small drop in the rock to the right of this waterfall. Still a bit shaken, this takes me a while, but eventually I get down and I'm rewarded with another swim in icy waters. It is so beautiful here. The red walls stretch upwards and meet the clear blue sky, while you wallow in the clear dark water and feel like you're almost hidden totally from civilisation.
The third swim of the day is at Circular Pool.
Small waterfalls fall from the far side, and are much warmer than the water in the pool - the only warm showers we'll have during our camping trip here!
Back at the camp, we cook dinner, and are all shattered following our full days exercise, and have an early night.
Next day, we are woken by the dulcet tones of Rolf Harris singing Sunrise... and while the giggling is still dying out DJ Simon follows it with "Gotta get Up"... certainly the best wake up call I've ever had at 5.30 am in the morning. If you can wake people up with a smile on their faces at that time, you're on to a good thing!
We have one more pool to visit - Fern Pool. Most people head for a morning dip, and then we're back on the road and back to the ocean.
