kalbarri
This is where landscapes went from red rocks, pink lakes to turquoise waters! The true natural beauty of exploring the west coast!
We left Sandy Cape with recharged batteries, ready to begin the exciting part of our trip, the west coast of Australia! On our way to Kalbarri, we decided to duck into Geraldton to stock up on groceries, before continuing onto Port Gregory for the night. Port Gregory is a stone throw away from Hutt Lagoon, one of Australia's pink lagoons. We had been waiting for this moment, especially our youngest warrior who adores the colour pink. It was even more pretty in real life and something quite unique. It felt like we were a speckle in the vastness of a real life salt lamp! And the clouds looked like white and pink fluffy marshmallows when the sun was reflecting off the lake. We stayed at Port Gregory Caravan Park just so we could immerse ourselves in all of the pinkness! The pink lake gets it colour by the algae and bacteria that produces carotenoid pigments, which give the water its pink colour. Science can be pretty!
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The next morning, our journey to Kalbarri continued. It wasn't a long one though! Only 45mins up the road along the state route! Kalbarri has a smorgasbord of landscapes on offer! You are truly immersed with nature, between daily pelican feeding, mobs of kangaroos bouncing around town and emus strolling the streets. Then there is the river, the beaches, the coastal cliffs and the stunning river gorges and rocky plateaus of the national park. This is ancient Nanda Country and it is full of beauty, culture and thriving fauna and flora. We stayed at Kalbarri Tudor Holiday Park which is closer to town and had a modern swimming pool. The amenities were great as each shower / toilet was a private ensuite.
Just down the road, there is daily pelican feeding opposite The Pelican Cafe at 8:45am. This is run by volunteers so a gold donation is encouraged to help with the cost of fish for the pelicans. If you’re feeling peckish, hit up Red Bluff Bakery Cafe! This place had an array food options, expanding from the traditional pastries to fish and chips, precooked homemade pastas, curries and Asian cuisine. This is also walking distance from the caravan park.
Just down the road, there is daily pelican feeding opposite The Pelican Cafe at 8:45am. This is run by volunteers so a gold donation is encouraged to help with the cost of fish for the pelicans. If you’re feeling peckish, hit up Red Bluff Bakery Cafe! This place had an array food options, expanding from the traditional pastries to fish and chips, precooked homemade pastas, curries and Asian cuisine. This is also walking distance from the caravan park.
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But the real reason for visiting Kalbarri is to see the stunning landscapes. Kalbarri has natural attractions both along the coastline and inland in the national park. Along the coast, we spent our time at these stunning places:
Red Bluff
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Pot Alley
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Island Rock
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Natural Bridge
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Blue Holes
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Kalbarri National Park
We made the most of an overcast morning and hit Kalbarri National Park before the sun, the heat and the flies found us. This is a 30min drive from Kalbarri along a bitumen road. You do require a WA National Parks Pass to enter. On arrival, we took the obligatory snap at Nature’s Window followed by a few other snaps using some trick angles. Next stop was Kaju Yatka, Kalbarri Skywalk, which has two platforms that are 100m high above the gorge. it has breathtaking views of the Murchison River, the heart of Nanda Country, which is the second longest river in Western Australia at 820km long! It is here where you can discover the culture, histories and languages of the Nanda people and learn about the creation story of Beemara, the Dreamtime water serpent that created the river, fresh water springs and rock pools.
The Z Bend River Trail is where we spent most of our time. The Grade 4 walk was 2.6km and took us 45mins from the carpark to the riverbed one way. There was plenty of rock scrambling and ladder climbing but easy for our warriors. We spent an hour walking along the riverbed, observing the intricate rock patterns and the fish jumping around in the waterholes. the perfect place for a morning tea break.
Another thing of beauty that caught our eyes were the woolly orange banksia which only grow between Northampton and Kalbarri. The bright orange flowers lined the road into the national park.
The Z Bend River Trail is where we spent most of our time. The Grade 4 walk was 2.6km and took us 45mins from the carpark to the riverbed one way. There was plenty of rock scrambling and ladder climbing but easy for our warriors. We spent an hour walking along the riverbed, observing the intricate rock patterns and the fish jumping around in the waterholes. the perfect place for a morning tea break.
Another thing of beauty that caught our eyes were the woolly orange banksia which only grow between Northampton and Kalbarri. The bright orange flowers lined the road into the national park.
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We also visited Lucky Bay which is between Kalbarri and Port Gregory. for $15 per night, you can stay at either the campground or on the beach (which can be quite soft). we opted for a day visit to check out the pristine waters and massive sand dunes. there is a reef located 50m off shore which makes it the perfect haven for snorkeling and swimming.
Meanarra Hill Lookout was the perfect place to watch the sunset over the river, ocean and township, plus watch the full moonrise over the national park.
Meanarra Hill Lookout was the perfect place to watch the sunset over the river, ocean and township, plus watch the full moonrise over the national park.
Kalbarri was nothing that we had expected. It was so much more! We spent 4 nights here and were so glad that we did! But unfortunately, things do come to an end so we had to pack up and continue along with our travels as we had a big booking at Monkey Mia waiting for us!
Peace + love,
Peace + love,