Karijini National Park

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Karijini National Park
Western Australia
IUCN category II (national park)
File:Karijini.jpg
Looking towards Red Gorge from Oxers lookout
Karijini National Park is located in Western Australia
Karijini National Park
Karijini National Park
Nearest town or city Tom Price
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Established 1969
Area 6,274.42 km2 (2,422.6 sq mi)[1]
Visitation 166,000 (in 2009)[2]
Managing authorities Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)
Website Karijini National Park
See also List of protected areas of
Western Australia
File:Kermits pool.jpg
Kermit's Pool in Hancock Gorge
File:Dales Gorge, WA.jpg
Dales Gorge

Karijini National Park is a National Park centred in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region in northwestern Western Australia (Australia). It is just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, approximately 1,055 kilometres (656 mi) from the State's capital city, Perth. Formerly known as Hamersley National Park, it was renamed in 1991.[3]

At 627,442 hectares (1,550,440 acres), it is the second largest national park in Western Australia (Karlamilyi National Park is larger).

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.[4]

The park is served by the Solomon Airport, located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) westwards.

History

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.

Climate

The park is located in the Pilbara region, and is mostly tropical semi-arid climate. In summer, thunderstorms and cyclones are common, bringing 250–350 mm of rain annually.[5] Temperatures on summer days frequently exceed 40 degrees Celsius, while winter nights can bring frost.

Geology

The five gorges that flow north out of the park, the Bee Gorge, Wittenoom Gorge, Kalamina Gorge, Yampire Gorge, and Dales Gorge provide spectacular displays of the rock layers [6][7]

Features

File:A224, Karijini National Park, Australia, Joffre Gorge Falls, 2007.JPG
Waterfall in Joffre Gorge

The park is most notable for its four prominent gorges marked by waterfalls and water holes. Klein Crater is not part of the national park but is due south of the national park, just off the Great Northern Highway. [14]

The park's wildlife includes red kangaroos, euros, wallaroos, echidnas, geckos, goannas, bats, legless lizards and a large variety of birds and snakes, including pythons.[15]

While it is still fully open to the public, visitors are warned to exercise due caution when walking in and around the vicinity of Yampire Gorge (situated near the northern boundary of the park) due to the presence of asbestos in a number of the rock formations.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ ABC: Karijini National Park visitor numbers drop, 13 October 2010
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Australia Road and 4WD Atlas, publisher: HEMA maps, published: 2007, page: 86-87
  5. ↑ M. Bright, 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die, Quintet Publishing, London 2005
  6. ↑ Thorne, Alan (2003) Geology of the Gorges DEC
  7. ↑ MacLeod, W. N. (1966) The geology and iron deposits of the Hamersley Range area. Bulletin (Geological Survey of Western Australia), No. 117,http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2251313~S2 -
  8. ↑ http://www.riotintoironore.com/ENG/operations/497_geology.asp
  9. ↑ http://www.portergeo.com.au/tours/iron2002/iron2002depm1.asp
  10. ↑ http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/pls/www/geodx.strat_units.sch_full?wher=stratno=20327
  11. ↑ http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/pub/AquaGroundWater/pilbara.php?9999
  12. ↑ http://www.physorg.com/news110122626.html
  13. ↑ http://www.springerlink.com/content/12va3dery2y50auu/
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Padgett, Allan (1991) Karijini National Park - description of some of the more remote gorges. Landscope, Vol. 7, no. 1 (Spring 1991), pp. 16–21

External links

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