Karijini National Park
Karijini National Park is an Australian national park centred in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in the northwestern section of Western Australia. The park is located north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 1,055 kilometres (656 mi) from the state's capital city, Perth. Formerly known as Hamersley Range National Park, the park was officially renamed in 1991.
At 627,422 hectares (1,550,390 acres), Karijini is the second largest national park in Western Australia (behind Karlamilyi National Park), with rock formations that are estimated at 2.5 billion years old. The ideal time to visit Karijini National Park is between May and September, during Australia's late autumn, winter and early spring. The days are warm but the nights are cold. Summer temperatures which regularly reach in excess of 38°C/101°F make it less practical to visit, with added risk of bushfires.
The park is physically split into a northern and a southern h...Read more
Karijini National Park is an Australian national park centred in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in the northwestern section of Western Australia. The park is located north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 1,055 kilometres (656 mi) from the state's capital city, Perth. Formerly known as Hamersley Range National Park, the park was officially renamed in 1991.
At 627,422 hectares (1,550,390 acres), Karijini is the second largest national park in Western Australia (behind Karlamilyi National Park), with rock formations that are estimated at 2.5 billion years old. The ideal time to visit Karijini National Park is between May and September, during Australia's late autumn, winter and early spring. The days are warm but the nights are cold. Summer temperatures which regularly reach in excess of 38°C/101°F make it less practical to visit, with added risk of bushfires.
The park is physically split into a northern and a southern half by a corridor containing the Hamersley & Robe River railway and the Marandoo iron ore mine. Tourist attractions such as gorges and waterfalls are located in the northern half of the park, accessible via sealed and gravel roads. There are no sealed access roads in the southern half.
The park is served by the Paraburdoo Airport (PBO) located 100km (62 miles) from Karijini National Park and Newman Airport (ZNE) is 263km (163 miles) from Karijini National Park. Hire cars are available from both airports. Solomon Airport, located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the west services some of the nearby iron ore mines.
The park is the traditional home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Aboriginal people. The Banyjima name for the Hamersley Range is Karijini ("Hilly Place" in English). Evidence of their early occupation dates back more than 20,000 years. During that period, Aboriginal land management practices, such as "fire-stick farming", resulted in a diversity of vegetation types and stages of succession that helped determine the nature of the plants and animals found in the park today.[1]
Traditionally the home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga people, the word Karijini is the Banyjima name for Hamersley Range. A party led by explorer F.T. Gregory explored the area in 1861. He named the Hamersley Range, on which the park is centred, after his friend Edward Hamersley.
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