Day 113 Karijini National Park part 3

In the western section of the Karijini National Park is also Hancock Gorge with the challenging Kermits Pool walk, which requires walking and swimming through ice-cold water or try your luck doing the Spider Walk.

The way down into the gorge is steep but not too long. First part of the walk is just along the edge of the water before you need to cross two water pools, but just about knee-deep. Water-shoes are great to not slide away on the slippery rocks. Then it is time to leave all your stuff behind, because the walk to the Amphitheater is through water, depending on how well you find a way walking over slippery rocks it is chest or shoulder-deep in the cold water.

A few meters along the gorge on a dry walkway and you reach the Amphitheatre with a little waterfall. It is a nice view and a good spot to dry off in the sun while you wait for other people to exit the tiny walkway back from Kermits Pool.

From the Amphitheatre it is only another couple of meters to Kermits Pool, but at first you have to scramble over some pretty slippery rocks through a very small gap, so always need to wait for people passing you first. Here you could also go on with the Spider Walk, just meaning you try to get to the Pool using your arms and legs stretched out to the walls on the left and right, walking above the water on to Kermits Pool. Well, this would work for the first part, where the gap is really narrow, but then the gap gets bigger, so you anyways have to walk through water. The last meters of the 'walk' are more of a slide down into than a walk to Kermits Pool. Some people attempt to walk, but even with good water-shoes, it is so slippery they eventually just fall... So a lot easier to sit down and just slide into the pool.

Kermits Pool is pretty small around a corner, but also deep (people jump in from the edge), so you need to swim to get to the other side of the pool. Exiting the pool is a bit more challenging as sliding as it is a shallow but very slippery exit. Once you made your way out of Kermits Pool and walk a few meters you reach the end of the walk with stunning views into the gorge itself towards another pool. So, yes the water is very cold, the walk is due too the slippery rocks pretty challenging and strenuous, but with these views it was all worth it.

As it was only about midday we went also for the Joffrey View walk for some views on the Joffrey Fall and Joffrey Gorge. Well, the walk was a lot easier and no water crossing, but the views were not as spectacular either.