Karijini - Where freedom has a name

Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Great Ocean Road - I had seen it all and I still felt I did not experience the “true” Australia. My mind was full of images of red roads, wild animals and wilderness. I wanted to feel the freedom of being at the end of the world. So I decided to discover Western Australia. Suddenly the pictures in my head looked like a bad commercial - the reality was so much better. Mother nature has outdone herself: incredible landscapes made out of the world’s most gorgeous gorges, caves and rock formations.

My personal hidden gem is Karijini, one of Western Australia’s largest and arguably most spectacular national parks. Since there are hardly signs or people it is advisable to discover the park with a guided tour group. You will not only find your way around, but also learn about the history of the Aborigines. Equipped with my hiking shoes, water and food my Karijini experience could start.

I forgot how loud nature can be: chirp, rustling and the melody of the wind surrounded me on my way through the Dales Gorge. Hiking in gorges is pretty tough. There are no trails, no handrails – only rolling rocks and the sun burning on your head. But just in the moment when I realized that I have to climb it up again, I finally had the feeling of being at the end of the world. Time did not matter anymore, life felt simple and I stopped worrying about the future. It was all about my next step.

When we reached the bottom of the gorge, a beautiful pool was waiting for us. My only thought was to get out of the boots and into the water. The cold blue water tickled on my skin and I felt free and happy.

After our little bath, we were heading back to our camp. Life in the outback follows the sun and my stomach. I was hungry like a lion and could hardly wait until the bonfire was strong enough for cooking. Our guide prepared a tasty dinner but in this moment I would have eaten everything.

The sun was gone and suddenly the cold covered our bodies like a blanket. It was time to get our sleeping bags and lie around the campfire. The fire crackled and I was wondering for a moment if we were safe here – we were so free in the middle of the outback. But my thoughts shifted quickly to the sky full of shining stars. There were so many and all so bright. The sky and everything seemed to be so endless. Wrapped up in my sleeping bag I tried to follow the shooting stars but I fell thoroughly happy asleep.