6 Day Karijini Tours

Day 1- Eighty Mile Beach, Outback Station Stay, Red Rock, Petroglyphs

Your adventure begins this morning as we pick you up from your accommodation at 7am. Our first stop this morning is the beautiful Eighty Mile Beach marine park. Enjoy the white sand and turquoise waters of the beach- there is no better way to stretch the legs! After some mid- morning snacks, we continue our drive and stop for your first healthy Charter North lunch at pretty De Grey River.  We then continue our way south to tonight’s station stay. The station managers have been living here for over 60 years, and have a wealth of knowledge about the Pilbara’s farming history. After having a look at the station homestead, which displays a myriad of relics from the past, we set up camp and head to Red Rock for our sunset expedition. Red Rock is best described as a mini Uluru, and although little known, a spectacular sight especially at sunset. We climb Red Rock for 360 degree views of the surrounding Outback countryside. Admire indigenous rock engravings while walking around and over the rock, which was used as a cultural site by local indigenous groups up until recent times. As the sun sets, the rock lights up and you will be able to snap your perfect sunset pic. We also have the opportunity for a swim in the nearby river. After an active afternoon, we return to camp for your first relaxing campfire dinner under the stars.

Day 2- Karijini National Park, Dales Gorge Expedition

This morning, enjoy your first healthy camp breakfast with real espresso coffee. After breaking camp, we head to Karijini National Park for our first day of hiking and swimming at the park’s popular gorges. The drive along to highway to the park is very scenic; you will get a first impression of the ancient yet green landscape of the Pilbara. Upon arrival at Karijini, we head straight to our campsite at Dales Gorge. We set up and immediately prepare for our Dales Gorge expedition, which will fill the remainder of our day with active adventure. With plenty of time to explore Dales, we embark on our hike along the top of the gorge. Enjoy amazing views of the gorge which was carved out by water over billions of years. Extreme pressures, shifting and uplifting of the surrounding rock country and erosion have formed these unique local landscapes. The contrasting colours of the gorge’s red cliffs and the lush greenery that grows on top of the gorge are typical of Karijini, which makes the scenery here outstanding.

We climb into the gorge to have a closer look at what we have seen from the top. After an opportunity for a swim at pretty Fern Pool and a picknick lunch, we start our walk past Fortescue Falls and onto Circular Pool at the western side of Dales Gorge. The walk through the gorge is very peaceful, and it is moderately challenging in parts- a great preparation for tomorrow’s more adventurous expedition. After plenty of hiking, swimming and exploring, we return to camp ready for another delicious wholesome dinner.

Day 3- Weano Gorge, Hancock Gorge, Joffre Gorge

This morning after breakfast, we head to the visitor centre to learn about the park’s history, geology and the indigenous custodians of the area. This is a great overview of the park and there is plenty to see and learn. We then take the 4WD only road of Karijini to reach the western part of the park. We set up camp at the Karijini Eco Lodge. From here it’s a short drive to Hancock and Weano Gorges; which we will spend all morning and part of the afternoon exploring. The walks in these two gorges are quite short in distance; however, they are challenging and need to be treated with care. Some rock hoping, wading through water, navigating of narrow chasms and over some slippery sections are all part of the adventure. Listen closely to your guide’s instructions and you will have a great time tackling this challenge. After our exploration of Weano and Hancock, we walk to a great lookout point to see the area from above.

Now it is time to return to camp. If you still have some energy left, you can walk from our camp straight to Joffre Gorge, where you can admire another spectacular Karijini Gorge from a lookout point. This walk is particularly nice in the late afternoon. After an activity filled day, you are free to get a drink at the lodge’s bar, or relax around the camp and let us cook another delicious dinner for you.

Day 4- Hamersley Gorge, Millstream- Chichester National Park

Today we rise early and drive straight to Hamersley Gorge. It is only a short walk down to the stunning pool, which is perfect for a morning swim and some great photography while the sun is still low over the gorge. Hamersley gorge’s geology, again, is very impressive and quite different to Karijini’s other gorges. Here, folds in the gorge walls have formed like waves, and natures extreme forces become very evident again. The water flowing through the gorge travels along several sets of cascades and pools. From the bottom pool, you can swim further into the gorge.

After our morning exploration of Hamersley, we say our farewells to Karijini and enter the next chapter of our tour: Millstream Chichester National Park. This is one of the lesser known attractions of the Pilbara- but no less picturesque! The drive through the park is unsealed and extremely scenic:  mountain ranges, open plains, green rolling hills and lush greenery are all part of the attraction. This is real Australian Outback country! Enjoy lunch and perhaps a swim at Deep Reach, before continuing on our scenic drive through the northern part of the park. Stop at several lookout points with endless opportunities for photography or simply sit back and soak in the scenery. Tonight, we set up camp just north of the park. Our camp is a real bush camp- far away from anyone and anything! Sit back, relax, enjoy the endless sky and stargaze around the camp fire.

Day 5- Python pool, Camel Trail, Port Headland, Pardoo Station

Enjoy the serenity of our bush camp over breakfast, before backtracking a short way into Chichester National Park. Start the day with a hike up the Camel Trail to enjoy views of the surrounding countryside. Keep an eye out for one of the many geckos that live on the hill and like to warm up on the rocks early in the morning. After descending back down, go on to Python Pool- a small secluded pool surrounded by high cliffs on one and a beach on the other side. This is the perfect spot for an invigorating morning swim.

Our next stop is Port Headland, one of Australia’s oldest resource towns. We have a look around town and the busy port with the opportunity to grab a second coffee. We then continue our drive further west to Whim Creek for lunch. Our final destination today is Pardoo Station. Pardoo Station is a working cattle station which welcomes visitors to its campground. The best thing about Pardoo is their access to Eighty Mile Beach marine park. After setting up camp, we head to the beach for sunset and some sunset nibbles. Back at camp, you are free to head to the showers or the pool while we prepare another healthy dinner for you.

Day 6- Sandfire Roadhouse, Eighty Mile Beach, Broome

This morning, enjoy a relaxed breakfast around camp and perhaps another swim in the station’s pool. After our action filled program, it is now time to begin our journey back to Broome. Along the way, we stop at Sandfire Roadhouse to say gidday to the resident ostriches, geese, camel and T-Bone the bull. We then head, once again, to Eighty Mile Beach for an ocean side lunch. Eighty Mile Beach, in reality, is 136 miles long and every stretch of the beach is different. The marine park also boasts one of the nation’s finest array of shells thanks to the huge population of molluscs inhabiting the sand and mud flats. You are free to take a few shells home with you as a souvenir. After lunch, we continue our drive to Broome- a great opportunity to reflect on your Charter North Pilbara adventure. Upon arrival in Broome, we give you a tour of the township and drop you off at your pre booked accommodation.

At Charter North 4WD Safaris, we know how important a healthy, balanced diet is for your well-being, and just because our tours are remote that does not mean that you will have to compromise your diet for the duration of your trip. Many of our tour guests still attribute camping to sausages and bread, but thankfully these days are over. At Charter North, we provide freshly prepared meals incorporating all food groups at breakfast, lunch & dinner. In between meals, there will be plenty of healthy snacks to top up energy levels during our activity packed tour days. Ample cool storage space in our tour trailers allows us to carry lots of fresh vegetables & fruits along with all other ingredients for our wholesome meals. All of our guides are great camp fire cooks and you will be surprised at the variety of meals they prepare for you. We cater for a range of diets (vegetarian, gluten free etc.).

What our tour guests say about our food:

“The day was always started with a fresh cup of percolated coffee and a spread of cereals, breads, fresh fruit and when time permitted damper, eggs and bacon, often with an open fire. We were all surprised at the quality and variety of food prepared; Fresh, organic, delicious and plenty thereof, always thinking of the environment in our use of the camping area, roads and bush.”

“We fully expected 3 nights of BBQ sausage in rolls so it was fantastic to get a really delicious home-cooked meal every evening, from stir fries to homemade pasta sauces. Plenty of snacks and a hearty breakfast (and espresso coffee… no international roast here!) set us up for the day.”

“I was expecting 8 nights of BBQ’ed sausages, but we ended up with everything from stir fries to tacos to pasta, all cooked on an open fire. So the dinners were great, and it would be remiss of me not to mention Alina’s muesli and GT’s coffee, which got the mornings off to a great start.”

“The food was great & all meals other than lunch were cooked over the fire. We enjoyed freshly brewed coffee and cooked breakfasts (eggs and bacon; jaffles); bread cooked in the camp oven (including damper; multigrain and a banana bread); Bbqs, curries, pasta and stir fries for dinner and plenty of chocolate and marshmallows for toasting over the fire while star gazing.”

(Quotes from our 2017/18 TripAdvisor reviews)

At Charter North 4WD Safaris, our guests’ safety, comfort and well-being always comes first. Through a number of mechanism, we ensure that you are well looked after, well informed and getting the most out of your valuable holiday at all times. After all, a holiday should be relaxing and enjoyable, and you are in the right hands with Charter North.

Our Tour Guides

All of our tour guides have many years of experience and comprehensive knowledge of our tour destinations. They are personable, responsible and approachable and will ensure that you truly experience and learn about your chosen destination, not just see it. Our guides are accredited, trained in remote first aid and most importantly passionate about their work, people and the environment.

Our tour vehicles & trailers

Charter North’s tour vehicles and trailers are suited to the sometimes rough and often challenging conditions characteristic of our tour destinations, and are equipped with the latest safety features and emergency communications. Our modern luxury 4wds are the most comfortable available in the market, and fitted with upgraded suspension to “smoothen out the ride” even further. They are fitted with air-conditioning and curtain airbags throughout, and designed for quiet acoustics allowing you to converse freely. All vehicles and trailers are serviced and maintained to the highest standards and beyond recommended service intervals to minimise any risk of mechanical issues on tour.

Our camping equipment

Charter North’s camping equipment is chosen with care to provide the most suitable and comfortable options available. We test and approve any equipment we use, with an emphasis on products that are easy to manage, fast to set up, light weight and of course comfortable. On our camping programs, we use dome tents that are easy to set up and cool through warmer nights. Our swags are fitted with high density foam mattresses, sheets and pillows. For even more camping comfort, we have created our camper trailer product, available for all private tours and unique in the Top End.

For further tour information, please visit our FAQs.