The tranquil Hamersley Gorge......

Our day 5 in Karijini NP were again filled with exploring the wondrous gorges and surrounding areas. We had heard a lot about Hamersley Gorge from our other traveling mates 'The Cronans' so we were eager to call in and take a look.  It was a 50km drive to check it out on a pretty ordinary dirt road but were so glad we did, it was heavenly.  Remained still too cold for me to get in for a swim but the kids all soon stripped off to their knickers and t-shirts to have a dip.  Hamersley Gorge walk was easy, just a graduated walk down to the bottom swimming pools. It had huge paperback trees around the lower pools, sort of captured what the swag-mans billabong would look like.  We all stammered up the slippery rocks, exploring the above pools, me getting so focused on photography that it was up to Marty to once again keep an eye out on the kids.  The kids had a ball sliding down the slimmy boulders into the pool.  I got some really textural shots of dried leaves under a small cascade of water and also some cool water bubble shots.

Our view looking down...

Meg and Jordyn contemplating getting in...

Of course l will!!!

Will l???

One of my fav shots....loving the bubbles

Lazing around trying to warm up...

Loved this gum tree...

Amazing colors and textures to this place...

Time to leave :(

Huge termite mound..

View from the top of another lookout

Again.....colors!

After Hamersley Gorge we set out to call in to Tom Price.  Marty and l had actually considered this to be a work stop for us way back when.  As we drove into town it had a great feeling about it, wouldn't have been a bad place to stop over l reckon, just bloody hot in the summer!  We stopped off at the supermarket and grabbed ome snags to cook in the park.  As the snags were cooking l sat and watched a few Pilbera correllas paying around on the ropes hanging in the trees.  They cracked me up hanging upside down like monkeys!  The kids were having a ball on the playground until it ended in tears with Boo hurting herself......After lunch we went back to the supermarket and treated ourselves to Drumstick ice creams even though there was a bloke selling soft serves out of the van in the car park.  Do you think it was rude of us to sit and eat our bought ones in the car next to his van?  Oh well... The supermarket had all these cool paintings on the corrugated tin fence, loved them..... 

Cheeky red dirt stained cockies...

Nothing says Aussie lunch than this!

The following photos are of the paintings lining the fences at the supermarket, think they reflect the views of the type of morals and values the town want to represent.....obviously l was fascinated with them...

Amazing what history you can find in a place if you look.....

Tom Price essentially is a mining town and god the mine has put some money into the place.  They have an Olympic size swimming pool, great sporting facilities and lush green grass everywhere.  We decided to head up to a lookout on top of Mt Nameless which provided magnificent panoramic views of the town and the mine below.  It was pretty steep but so worth it!  Being the travelling family, we have to pick and choose on what we spent our money on, so decided to forfeit the mine tour.

The long red stained road...

Steep climb...

What a view....

The mine below....

Mine sites fascinate me....

It had been a long, but another great, day so we drove back to camp stopping off at another lookout where came across something special.  We got out to find heaps of rocks with memorials decorated all over them of people who had passed.  Was like this resting place for beautiful souls, had an eary feeling about it.....

Very eary place......everyone was quiet reading all the stones, even the kids...

Train on the way home...

Mt Bruce..

We stopped off on way home but
Marty and girls refused to get out to climb!

This five days has been unbelievably mind blowing with all the stunning gorges and landscapes we have witnessed...cant believe we have only conquered half of what we have wanted to see, stay tuned for my next post guys, l promise it will continue to blow you away visually!!!!

Bell Xxx