Karijini National Park - Highs and Lows
Trip Start
Sep 22, 2008
1
17
50
Trip End
Feb 01, 2009
Tom Price,
Western Australia,
Australia
Thursday, October 30, 2008
So, we drove the 250kms to Auski Roadhouse and unhitched the van. We didn't realise that the nearest gorge was about 75kms further! Things don't always make sense at the time, but the next day we would come to see why staying out of the park was a good decision.
(The map displays Tom Price as the nearest town to Karijini. We actually stayed on the other side of the park in Munjina.)
We looked at Dales Gorge the afternoon of our arrival and swam at Circular Pool. While Linda and the girls hiked to Fortescue Falls, Keith took the goat track back up to the carpark to move the car and replenish our water supply. What should have taken 20 - 30 mins took almost an hour, as the girls got lost when distracted by a bird that they photographed on the way. Keith asked several walkers if they'd seen the girls on their way through. They all said that they had, but the girls were on a different side of the creek to everyone else! So, with Lauren wailing to turn back and Hollie falling in to the creek when she lost her footing on a cliff face, Linda managed to back track and they finally appeared. They really enjoyed their swim at Fortescue and further on at Ferns Pool as a result of their ordeal.
The next day we headed back in to the park to explore Weano Gorge, probably 120km from our camp. We'd gone about 100km when a warning light appeared on the dash and we began to lose power. After consulting the manual, we learnt that the car had slipped into "self-preservation mode" due to a fault that the computer had recognised.
What to do? We limped into the carpark at Weano and Keith tried some preliminary fixes, but to no avail. So, we decided to do our walk and worry about it when we returned. It did change the mood considerably, as you can imagine.
We began a steep descent into the gorge and followed the creek bed, sometimes rock hopping and climbing around various cliff faces. We eventually came to a handrail that lead down a steep incline between a narrow rock crevice, with a rope attached at the bottom. It was in fact where a small waterfall flowed into an appropriately named "Handrail Pool". It was a little challenging, but we made it down and swam in the crystal clear pool below. We then continued on through the shallow water-filled gorge until we arrived at another larger waterfall.
What a magical place. We certainly came out in a better mood than when we entered!
Back at the carpark Keith tried a few more things to try to rectify the problem, without success. We decided to nurse it back to our accommodation. It was slow and stressful, but we made it.
Keith then used many 50c pieces calling the NRMA, various Nissan dealers etc to get a handle on what we needed to do. Please bear in mind, we had no mobile phone reception and we were 180km from the nearest town. Unfortunately, that town had no-one who could help. We had to get back to Port Hedland for assistance.
The NRMA organised the towing for the car and van back to Port Hedland, at a cost of almost $3000. We were lucky to have Premium Care insurance, which meant it would all be covered. However, that would exhaust our insurance funds for the year.
At least it was a solution, so we settled in for the weekend at dusty Auski Roadhouse. It could have been heaps worse!
On Saturday morning, Keith went out to the car and turned it over and the car started without the light coming on! After a short drive, Keith was relatively satisfied that we could make an attempt to get back to Port Hedland under our own steam.
We made it! The Nissan technician checked the car and the computer definitely had registered a fuel problem. The service manager said that it was most unusual for the light to go off without being re-set. They sent us on our way, assuring us that everything would be fine, as we had booked it in for a service at Canarvon.
In summary, Karijini was stunning. We didn't experience anything like we'd hoped. It still was worth the detour (that's Linda's opinion anyway)!
Comments
What a terrifying experience
I can't imagine how you must have felt having lost the girls. Trust you to report it with such good humour!
Sue