Friday 25th June - Karijini National Park to Marble Bar Road

We can see why they have put the campsite near Dales Gorge, with Circular Pool, Fern Pool and Fortescue Falls linked together by a fairly easy 2 hour walk, following the top of the gorge one way

and going back along the base. SPOT

We were still rather surprised by the lack of people as the camping ground was meant to be full last night (there are about 130 pitches), but we only passed a dozen or so people on our way to Fern Pool.  This was another almost magical setting, with water cascading down two small falls into a lushly vegetated, deep turquoise, clear pool, half lit by the morning sun peaking over the gorge rim.

We just had to have a swim.  Refreshed, we made our way past Fortescue Falls

and followed the track along the gorge to Circular Pool.  It too looked inviting, but we had been warned that the water is much colder as, at this time of year, the pool remains in shadow all day, so we decided to stay dry and just enjoy the scene.

Our camp for the night, on the back road to Marble Bar, is currently illuminated by the nearly full moon, and we’ve just enjoyed our first camp fire on our own.  It cooked our dinner of sliced potatoes and onion wrapped in foil and baked on the embers (thanks Briar), along with a tin of baked beans (heated in the can) and corned beef.  It’s not haut cuisine, but it tasted good and there are no pans to wash up. SPOT

We still have 650km to go before we reach Broome, so we’ll have another night on the road and should hopefully arrive Sunday afternoon - as long as we’re not held up by any more 2.5km long trains carrying iron ore from the mines to Port Headland.