Karijini National Park is a superb part of Western Australia. If your kids can survive the 14-hour drive north from Perth, there is plenty for them to enjoy in this excellent National Park.
We spent a week camped at Karijini National Park with three kids aged from 7 to 12 years, and had no problem keeping them entertained, and with these ideas you won’t have a problem too.
Here are 10 activities to keep the kids entertained at Karijini
- Take a Hike – there are plenty of walks to choose from through Karijini National Park. Our favourite hike was at Dales Gorge. You can take the rim walk starting at the Fortescue Falls lookout, then climb down into the gorge to loop back along it, about 2km all up. Check out a map for other family-friendly hikes, try to stick to Class 2 or 3, depending on how adventurous and capable they are.
- Swim in a water hole – there are plenty of water holes to cool off. The kids won’t complain about the cold water as much as the adults. It’s a good idea to take some floatation device, even if your kids are good swimmer, it’s great to have something to hold on to and relax in the water. You still need to be careful as some water holes are deep and there’s no easy way in.
- Tackle an Adventurous Gorge – older kids will enjoy the adventure of the spider walk at Hancock Gorge and handrail pool at Weano Gorge. You may need to carry the smaller ones through the trickier parts, but they will have fun nevertheless.
- Lookout! – there are a few lookouts, but nothing surpasses the stunning vista at Oxer lookout, an easy access viewing platform overlooking the junction of four gorges. Lookouts are the safer way to appreciate the gorges without delving into them. Older kids may want to join the tours that take you abseiling down, which is available at certain times of the year.
- Star Gazing – head outside in the evening to check out the night sky, you may never have seen such clear skies. Being so far away from any city lights means you can see so much more. From April to September 30 each year, Remtrek run excellent stargazing nights from Dales Gorge Campground.
- Animal Spotting – at Karijini you are living among the wildlife. You will hear dingoes at night. Around you it is easy to spot birds, lizards, and plenty of ants. If you have trouble finding wildlife, you may have some fun looking for evidence, tracking scat, or droppings, and spotting animal tracks.
- Play in the dirt – don’t worry about the kids getting dirty, they will anyway. Let them explore (as long as it is away from the gorge’s edges) and just enjoy nature.
- Visit the Visitor Centre – the helpful visitor centre has interesting interactive displays about the natural and cultural history of the park. You can purchase cold drinks and ice-creams to alleviate the heat.
- Become a junior ranger – doing all the above and you are well on your way to becoming a junior ranger. Grab the booklet from the visitor centre, complete the challenges and return it to receive a badge.
- Put down the device – sit, read a book or just soak up the atmosphere. It is a great opportunity to experience the Australian outback. You don’t want to miss this with your head in a device.
