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 At the Hamersley's
Gorges you will get to witness one of the most
spectacular scenery you will ever laid your eyes
upon on. Beautiful steep-sided gorges slice
through the barren hills and plateaus of the
Hamersley Range (now known as Karijini) located in Western Australia.
Visitors will have their breath taken away by
the sight of the tectonic which forms a
remarkable backdrop to a pleasant swimming hole
and natural spa.
The Hamersley Range
(now known as Karijini National Park), named by
F.T. Gregory after his friend Edward Hamersley, runs about
four hundred and fifty kilometers from northwest
to southeast whereby the northeastern section is
marked by a sheer drop into the valley of the Fortescue River. Dramatic ravines with jagged walls etch deeply
into near-desert mountains are one of its many
attractions. The crevice-like Hancock, Joffre
and Weano gorges are three of the most amazing
of the twenty major gorges located here which
converge and join the equally narrow Red Gorge.
The best times to visit this park is during
later autumn and winter. The Banyjima Aboriginal
people call this place Karijini.
There are areas
where the gorges start abruptly and
insignificant Photo: Hamersley's Gorges seasonal streams unexpectedly
hurtle downwards into chasms at least ninety
meters deep with almost absolute walls of banded
rock, and form clear blue-colored pools on the
gorge floors. What you will see from the bottom
is a tunnel of totally dark rock in places
whereby the gorges are very narrow. Weano Gorge
is the narrowest point with only one meter wide.
One of the more best known area is at Oxer's
Lookout whereby this slice of land separates
Weano and Hancock gorges and the cliffs fall
away precipitously on both sides. Another
interesting spot is at the head of the six
kilometer long Joffre Gorge in which the
vertical walls curve round to form a natural
amphitheatre, the site of a waterfall after a
heavy downpour. One thing to keep in mind is
that when you are exploring these gorges, you
must be fully fit and you must also be prepared
to submerge in near freezing water, follow
narrow paths and cling to rock ledges.
The rocks of the
Hamersley Range were laid down on the seabed two
thousand five hundred million years ago in which
layers of sediment, some rich in iron, were
composed by layers above and the whole block was
then raised above sea level, however, it has
been weathering away slowly ever since with
streams cutting down through the layered rocks
to form the deep gorges. Huge deposits of iron
ore are found in this region. Hard-leaved porcupine
grass and mulga trees can be seen high up on the
dried out plateau while gum tress occasionally
occupy areas in the crevices as opposed to the
lush greenery seen on the gorge floors with the
wildflowers seen here vary with the seasons. Because
of the shade caused by the steep gorge walls,
water left by the last river flow stay put in
pools which adds to the magnificent landscape.
Huge termites mounds are also a feature of the
landscape. Among the fun-filled activities which you can
carried out here are camping, nature
observation, photography, sightseeing, swimming
and walking. Besides the truly spectacular vistas and the
picturesque rock pools, tourists will be able to
spot the rare wild red kangaroos at the Hamersley
National Park. This natural wonder is one of the
most popular attractions in Australia.
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