The Holy Land

Contrary to popular belief, the holy land is not Mecca or Rome or even Jerusalem. It is, in fact, Karijini National Park. I went there for three consecutive days am in geological ecstasy. The week started of wonderfully when I went for a run down the Wittenoom road and had one of those perfect travel moments. The sun was setting in front of me with the almost full moon rising at my back. The Hamersly Range on my left and the Fortescue Plains on my right with a ukelele song by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Somewhere over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World) playing on my ipod. All I could think was "f*#k yeah, this is freaking awesome".

On Tuesday a few of us went to Hamersley Gorge by the little used back road, only accesible with a 4WD. Road isn't exactly the word I would use to describe it at times, tracking through stream beds and gorges, but the rough ride was worth it, when we came out at Spar pool which was a turqoiuse blue and had a small waterfall flowing into it. What got me was the amazing folds in the cliff faces. Better than anything I had seen in my Structural Geology textbook, I know at least a dozen people from my geo class who would have been giddy as hell to be there. Being the only geo on site, I think my companions didn't quite understand why I was skipping around taking pictures of the rocks instead of swimming. On Wednesday we went to Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool which was less geologically exciting but brought to mind scenes from the Blue Lagoon. This little tropical paradise in the middle of the outback. We had a steak barbeque and since I had the next day off, I stayed behind and camped out. For the first time in my life, I was so confident it wouldn't rain that I left the fly off my tent, all the better to see the full moon and the stars. I could hear dingos howling in the night, but I had seen a couple that day and being smaller than some coyotes I have seen, I wasn't too worried. It was such a pleasant feeling to not have to think about bear worries. Instead of large predators, I just had to keep an eye out for snakes and spiders, neither of which could open the zipper of my tent.

In the morning I headed down a dirt road on the other side of the park- at first I was a little sketched out by the apparent isolation. What if I were to break an axle or something? My fears were alayed when I pulled into the day use area at the end of the road to find a tour bus. I chose a hike headed in the opposite direction to the german tourists and may have got a little more than I had bargained for as the trail was rated class 5 (class 6 is the highest and requires rock climbing gear). The trail was indistinct and I had to take a ladder into Hancock Gorge. Despite the danger, it was absolutely worth it. It was no worse than some of the traverses I had done in the arctic, complete with wading through a waist-deep stream and scurrying along the side of a shale wall (not too high, I promise!). The reward was Kermit's Pool, this little grotto where the gorge is only about 3 ft wide at the top, but opens up below into a deep pool that empties as a waterfall at the other end. Past Kermit's Pool you were only allowed to proceed if you had proper rock climbing gear, so I turned around and headed back. If I went home tomorrow, this week would have made the whole damn thing worth it. Amen!

-A.

Me at Kermit's Pool after a half hour waist deep wade through a blissfully cool stream. Luckily I brought my toggs (bathing suit for you folk from the Northern Hemisphere)

My friend Rohan gazing at the little fishies in Fern Pool.

Fording a stream in the 4WD. That's Adam in the side mirror.

Adam falling into the water at Spar Pool as Andy stands and laughs.

Sweet sweet folds!

PS: There are heaps more photos but my bandwidth is limited so I will try and load some up on facebook this weekend.