Heavenly Beverley : A Karijini Birthday

The trip from Tom Price to the Karijini Eco Resort was a smooth bitumenised drive, until the last three kilometres. The gravel roads within the Karijini National Park had some of the worst corrugations we'd experienced. However, that was the only sour note and just had to be endured.

After checking into the impressive reception at the Eco Resort, we made our way to our designated campsite - number 75 in Grevillea Loop. This was a delightful and roomy site close to the loos, showers, barbeques, picnic tables and campers' kitchen. Each site was high enough to have views of the Hammersley Ranges and the Pilbara countryside. We took our time setting up. We watched the queues for the showers. Only one of the two showers had guaranteed (gas) hot water. The lines increased as dusk approached. Note to selves - shower by four o'clock if doing so in the afternoon.

We chattered with a couple from New Norfolk in Tasmania. They had a Winnebago and were currently travelling for nine months each year. As the sun set, we made our way with the aid of a torch to the Eco Resort for dinner. A singer was entertaining the assembled dinner. She had a clear and lovely voice. Later, we discovered her name was Erin Pope and she was a country girl from Moorine Rock on a northwest jaunt with three buddies.

The slightly indoor/outdoor kitchen had two chefs working at full throttle. We decided to try their Trio of Sausages plate - emu, kangaroo and crocodile. This was served with a "wildfire" mash and plum chutney. The crocodile wasn't really to my taste, but I very much enjoyed the other flavours. Unfortunately, my IBS did not care for the cuisine...Bollocks!

Any unpleasantness was forgotten the following morning. We woke, respectably late, on the fifty-seventh anniversary of my birth. Not that we would have wanted to leave the warmth of our bed any earlier. The night had been clear and cold. Ice was visible on the outer surface of our skylight hatch.

Whilst I consumed several cups of tea, and Michael had his morning coffee, we discussed possible activities for the day. The Joffre Falls lookout trail was accessed from the campsite, and then a couple of hundred extreme metres to the water below. We decided to walk as far as possible. We successfully reached the lookout and then ventured a bit further along the track.

Even from high above, we could hear the screams of fit and young swimmers braving the chilly waters. I tried to decipher whether their cries were being caused by the death throes of hypothermia or the joyful triumph of reaching the Joffre Falls pool.

After a lunch of Sangria (!), Anzac biscuits and chocolate, we boarded Lily for the trip to Weano Gorge. The road was absolutely appalling. We jolted and jumped. The road produced more shakes than an entire milkbar of yesteryear.

Weano Gorge was a trifle disappointing due to our middle-aged lack of fitness and confidence. The circuits were beyond our capabilities. The scenery was still spectacular, but we were not able to take full advantage. We returned down the terribly rutted road for drinks and showers before dinner. We washed together to save water.

However, my birthday dinner was the stuff of dreams, with no nasty after effects. Blue manna crab with buffalo chorizo, bush tomatoes, fetta and wine all tossed with pasta. Light, incredibly tasty and produced in the remote Pilbara. We indulged with desserts - lava cake and ice cream for me and a pecan chocolate tart with butterscotch sauce for Michael.

Post dinner, we retired into Digger's relative warmth and wore beanies to bed to combat another cold night.

On our last day, we took a punt. Kalamina Gorge was a far better prospect for us to really experience what Karijini was all about. We were able to descend to the gorge floor and follow the waterfalls and pools for most of the way. This was what we had wanted to see. An astonishing oasis of shade and coolness and lush growth with its own separate ecosystem - such a contrast to the Pilbara desert above. A magic place.

Feeling like we had actually tasted the thrill of Karijini, we returned to our camp. A Dutch family - Peter, Mischa and Eva - had just arrived at the Eco Resort. They had travelled halfway around the world to see what is in our backyard. We were humbled by their enthusiasm and adventurous spirits. Which made us even more determined to keep exploring this absolutely amazing country.