This article is part of our VICE Weekends summer series, presented by Weis
James Whineray is a contemporary photographer living and working in Perth. He recently travelled to Karijini National Park in the Hamersley Ranges of the Pilbara region of Western Australia where he walked trails, swam in freezing rock pools and stared down into gorges. He took a bunch of photos too.
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VICE: What made you set off to Karajini?
James Whineray: I’ve been a couple of times, but on this particular trip I was up there photographing a series of portraits for a job I’d been handed by the good people at The Adventure Handbook. I was in Karijini to meet the boss ranger who turned out to be one of the biggest legends I’ve come across on my travels. We spent a good hour talking about spirituality and more specifically, the local indigenous culture and traditions.
What’s one thing you learned while adventuring in the Pilbara?
It is possible to walk 80kms in a day! The ranger, or Ranger Dan as he likes to be called, was telling me about his weekends off in the park, which consist of walking as far as he can in a new direction over 48 hours. He said he can walk up to 8kms per hour, which is absolutely mental, practically running. He’ll get up to 120kms away before returning back to his hut. He said he’s seen country on his walks no man has set foot on for hundreds of years.
Who did you travel with?
My partner Lucy who is also my editor, producer, copywriter and rock. Whenever I’m working, Lucy sits in the front seat telling me where to go and what we’re doing. Almost all of my travel for work or pleasure, Lucy is with me.
Did you meet any new characters along the way?
Besides Ranger Dan, there’s a caretakers tent in the national park where a very lucky and patient retired couple will set up camp for two weeks at a time. They are in a very long list of campers waiting for the honour of being the camp caretaker. Needless to say they have some great banter ready to go for anyone willing to listen.
What three words would you use to describe those sweet looking creek-side trails and rock pools?
Very cold water.
What’s the best memory from your trip?
When you get to the end, there is one particular gorge called Handrail Pool that looks like a sinkhole to the middle of the Earth. You can only get down to the very bottom of it with proper climbing gear and ropes. Lucy and I were at the end of the gorge looking down into its depths and noticed a guy stuck at the bottom. He started yelling up asking for us to tell him the best way to climb out. I didn’t want to be responsible for any accidents so I pretended not to hear him and we scurried away to find help. Five minutes later he came running past us with his GoPro strapped to his head without a word. I guess he knew what he was doing.
You can follow James Whineray on Instagram
This article is presented by Weis
