Australia's Second-Largest National Park Stuns With Eco-Glamping, Red-Rock Gorges, And Emerald Pool Waterfalls

Australia is an appealing country, but due to the chance of close encounters with its notoriously dangerous wildlife, some may be afraid to embark on a journey to the Land Down Under. But the well-traveled will encourage you to take one of the longest flights — at least for some of us — to set foot on one of the most diverse, wild, and vast continents on our planet. Australia is a massive country and offers a varied range of locations to visit, so take your time and explore a place where kangaroos, Aboriginal culture, and Vegemite for breakfast await you.

If you are torn about which is the best Aussie destination to pin on your map, Karijini National Park is the country's second largest national park and is a natural paradise brimming with emerald waterfalls and red-rock ravines. The nature reserve is nestled in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, located over 800 miles from Perth — your alternative to Sydney for a quintessential Australian holiday.

Enjoy your vacation to the fullest and immerse yourself in the untamed nature of Western Australia's red landscape with an upscale camping accommodation. Eco-glamping is a glamorous outdoor experience combined with environmentally-friendly practices, meant to both safeguard the surroundings and offer you a hotel-like retreat. Karijini Eco Retreat provides guests with safari-style lodges equipped with a private bathroom and useful amenities, a kitchen space for barbecue, and solar-powered illumination. When night begins to paint the horizon with its inky tones, pop out of your tent and get mesmerized by a star-studded sky and magnificent views of the Milky Way that will leave you speechless. Gumala Enterprises is the Native company that administers this camp in the Karijini National Park, which is home to the indigenous peoples of the Banyjima, Kurrama, and Innawonga tribes.

We hope you'll bring your sturdy shoes  — and your swimsuit — because hiking on top of those bright red boulders demands proper gear. This reserve is known for its deep gorges, carved over two billion years ago by the piling of iron-rich mineral rocks on ancient ocean floors; the iron exposed to oxygen and water turned the rocks a rusty color. 

Among the trails you can follow, the Knox Gorge is a loop hike starting with an easy walk that leads to steep slopes where you'll then climb up rocks that lead to the gorge. Once you have reached the spot, you'll walk past vibrant vegetation until you see a defile (a narrow pass); from there, make a U-turn and walk the same path in reverse. Hamersley Gorge is just an hour's drive from the park and is the most impressive canyon. Descend along the walls of a cave that seems as if it's been cut in two — filled with water from a small cascade — and relax your body as the fresh water glides underneath you.

For those seeking an adrenaline rush, Hancock Gorge is both a challenging and exhilarating hike, and is best experienced with a guided tour. You start by stepping down a ladder, followed by a walk along the thin ledges on the rocky walls holding onto a rope (don't look down if you suffer from vertigo), until you reach the gully's interior and its tight passages. The whole adventure will make you feel like you've competed in "Jeux sans frontières", the popular European obstacle race show. But if you want to stay close to the park, head in the direction of Joffre Gorge, where you can plunge into the water while admiring the roaring waterfall.

The best way to get to Karijini National Park is to fly to Perth and rent a car. Mount Bruce, the second highest mountain in the region, is surrounded by arid vegetation and locals like kangaroos and various reptiles and birds. To reach the summit, you have three options: Marandoo View, Honey Hakea Trail, or Mt Bruce Summit Trail. The former is a trouble-free, short walk from the carpark around the mountain, but if you opt to venture further and get a panoramic view, keep following the other two paths connected from Marandoo View.

For a revitalizing moment, explore Fern Pool, an emerald bathing pool protected by red rocks and verdant, located near Dales Gorge. The landscape offers an ideal location to unwind or take a break, but if your plan is to explore the area's hidden gems, know that the Circular Pool is inaccessible at the time of writing due to water-related damage.

Karijini National Park is imbued with lore, particularly a tale about its origins that is part of local Aboriginal culture. The legend says that a huge snake named Barrimirndi carved the gorges and the pools after chasing two boys who killed a bird. Dismayed by the outrageous action of the kids, he decided to punish them and eat them. The villagers tried to rescue them, but this fueled the serpent's anger even more, so the serpent put an end to their lives by drowning them in Nhanggangunha's pool. To show you value its territory, you are asked to drink a little water and spit it saying "ngure" when entering the pool. Add a bit of culture to your trip and visit the Karijini Visitor Centre — an unmissable opportunity to better understand the Aboriginal people and their relationship to the land.