Kalbarri

After a cold bus journey, a very lovely Joe collected us from the Roadhouse, I was very grateful for the heater in his car! We arrived in Kalbarri at 12.45am and I was very tired. As I was already in my PJs, I collapsed straight into bed!

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Unsure whether or not I was booked on a tour, I woke up bright and early just in case. After a quick cuppa and shoving the essentials into my bag, I crept outside to wait. I hung around until it was quite obvious that no-one was coming for me, the phone went unanswered and I hadn’t had any emails, so I assumed I wouldn’t be going that day.  It was a wonderfully sunny morning already, and I decided to make the most of being out and about and explore the town.

My walk to the supermarket took me alongside the beautiful Murchison River, and beyond that I could see out to the sea. It was a spectacular view. I bought myself some proper breakfast and headed back to the hostel to enjoy it with a cuppa. It was small and family-run, so it didn’t take long for me to meet the three other guests. Michelle, an older lady from Perth who was sharing our room, appeared not long after Marianne, and we got chatting about the various sites to see in the area. She offered to drive us to see the Pink Lake the following day, what a babe!

I had seen a sign for ‘Pelican Feeding’ earlier that morning and dragged M to the river to observe. We joined a crowd of tourists and an even larger crowd of pelicans and listened to the Ranger’s spiel. The story goes that a shopkeeper used to feed pelicans at the same time, in the same place every morning. They got used to this and were known to cross the road and wait at his door if he hadn’t turned up on time. He was now long gone, but a group of volunteers continued the tradition. We were happy to watch from a distance, but scarpered once the buckets of fish were handed around. You wouldn’t catch me getting anywhere near that massive throat pouch thing!

A short walk down the road we found the Visitor Centre. Whilst having a mooch, looking at leaflets and souvenirs, the abseil tour company rang me and I booked myself onto a tour for the next day. Success. We chatted to the lovely guide about places in the area that we could easily walk to. Laden with maps and guide books, and a few good ideas, we left her in peace to get supplies for dinner from the IGA.

Back at the hostel, we were able to check in with Joe. We had both decided to stay longer which he was very pleased about. He gave us more advice and tips for the area, even offering car hire. I went back to the river leaving M behind to catch up with her family. I took a short stroll; we would be going on a longer walk later, admiring the clear water and colourful hues. Before I got too carried away, I returned to the hostel for water and to collect M.

After a short rest in the shade, I made lunch to take out on our adventure along the coastal cliffs, and we were off! Our first lookout gave a view of both the Murchison and the Indian Ocean and where they merged. It was stunning. Even from our spot way above on the cliffs, the contrast in colours was obvious. With the sub glistening on the water, it was like a postcard... but boy was it windy! We followed along the Melaleuca Track which was more inland and protected from the elements.

Our next stop was Blue Holes, part of a limestone reef system, where we found a small shelter by the beach to eat our lunch. Watching the waves, I was flabbergasted; some looked as tall as me! I loved it, the ocean always puts things into perspective for me, and the power of it is truly undeniable. Due to the wind, I had to try to eat my lunch quickly and cleverly to stop my spinach from flying down the sand!

Refreshed, we headed back to the trail and carried on. Now, I knew there was a Northampton in Western Australia, but I thought that I would never see it. Alas, on the road side was the next best thing - “Northampton 102”. Depicted on a green sign, surrounded by red sand, under a perfect blue sky, it was just so typically Aussie! I was so excited; I coerced M into taking lots of photos for me.

Satisfied, we continued our trail to Jakes Point. We had been told that this was a surf beach, but no surfers were to be seen. I know I wouldn’t fancy being on those waves, crashing against the rocky shore. I clambered down the rocks and found a safe spot to observe nature at its finest. Watching the waves was equally relaxing and invigorating – I could have stayed all day! However, it was time to move on.

We decided to check out ‘Rainbow Jungle’ as we’d been told that it was the #1 attraction in Kalbarri! It certainly looked interesting from the outside, with palm trees and interesting noises behind the walls. We had the choice of a maize maze or the aviary, or both. I opted for the aviary while M opted to stay in the sun and wait. After paying the lovely lady, I was free to roam around, and found that I was the only visitor. I was fascinated by the different species and colours of birds surrounding me; I saw parrots, macaws, lorikeets, lovebirds, and of course, a kookaburra. There was also a small section where tiny little birds flew around my head between the trees. Lastly, I climbed ‘The Whale Tower’, although no whales were to be seen. I could see where we had walked though. Back down to the gift shop where I treated myself to a Magnum and a magnet, before reuniting with M in the courtyard.

With a ban on photos, the walk back was much faster. Within the hour, we were back at the hostel cooling our feet in the pool and enjoying a cuppa! As the sun began to dip in the sky, I wandered to Chinaman’s Beach to see the sunset. Although it was further than I thought, I was just in time to see the beautiful yellows, pinks and blues across the sky and reflected in the sea. I meandered back to the hostel to cook dinner, making enough to take for lunch the next day. I packed my bag, showered and read in bed for a while, wanting to be well rested for another long day.

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I ate my breakfast in the quiet hostel kitchen trying not to make too much noise, it was early! I slathered on the sunscreen, grabbed my bag and water and waited outside. I was the first to be picked up by Matt and Col. We were soon joined by four more Aussies, one solo tripper and a family. I was glad to discover that none of us had abseiled before, we were all a bit excited, but nervous. Arriving at Kalbarri National Park, we were each kitted out with a harness and a helmet and Col left us to set up.

Matt took us to the ‘Z Bend’ lookout where we could see down the gorge to the Murchison. He told us that in the wet season the river levels could reach just below where we were standing. I couldn’t believe it, we were at least sixty metres. Turning our backs on the view, Matt bought our attention to the Tumblagooda Sandstone. Here were footprints preserved in the rock of one of the oldest creatures to ever roam the earth. Referred to as arthropods, they were basically giant millipedes. The footprints were quite a sight to see. We then walked towards the river surrounded by the bright red, greens, and blues.  It was already a hot day, and I was glad to discover we would be abseiling in the shade.

On arrival, Col showed us the ropes, literally! There were three options; the “pansy” one, a 25m and a 35m. We had five goes each so were advised to do three on the 25 and finish off higher. I figured it best to follow their advice – but I wanted to watch someone else descend first. The climb up to the 25m was hard enough, without my heart beating so fast and legs shaking. I met Matt at the top and was attached to the rope; I shuffled back to the edge and sat back in the harness. Here goes nothing. Now, I just had to walk down, once I got into a rhythm and stopped worrying, it wasn’t all that bad. Col encouraged me to “live a little” and take bigger steps. Before I knew it, my feet were back on solid ground.

After a small stint of taking photos of the others, I made my way back up the steep climb to try the second rope. I t wasn’t as obvious this time where to put my feet, but once Matt had positioned me, I easily lent back and was off!! I was much more at ease this time and jumped my way down, launching myself further from the cliff-face each time. For the last go on the 25, I even dared to look around and take in the stunning view.

Next was the longer climb up to the 35m. I wanted to get it over with so went second, taking the right-hand rope. The ledge here wasn’t as smooth as below, and my feet weren’t level to start with! The first section was just as before until I reached the drop off. I’d completely forgotten what Col had told us to do and didn’t dare move my feet from the rock. Luckily, he sensed my hesitation and shouted up instructions. All I had to do was lower my body so I was pretty much lying down. This was scary. No. Bloody terrifying! I took a deep breath and jumped to meet the wall below. The rest was no hard task; I was getting used to it now and was ready for my final abseil of the day. The left rope took a slightly different route but this time I didn’t slow down at the drop off and instead dropped my feet and went “weeeeeee” all the way down!

Once everyone had finished, we had photos in our get-up and then walked out of the shade into the burning sun. I couldn’t wait to get into the water. We went down to the river and followed it along carefully teetering on the narrow sandstone ledges. Some parts of the makeshift path were incredibly narrow and we had to hold on the ledge and shuffle in single file. We past shallow sections, and algae covered sections before finally reaching a perfect deep waterhole filled with little fishies.

I dumped my stuff in the shade, stripped down and walked to the water’s edge, unsure where to slip in. Suddenly, there was a big splash! Col had jumped straight in from a rock behind me. I gracefully lowered myself into the refreshing water, it was lush. After a few laps, I got out and tucked into my lunch. I sat with my toes in the water trying to get the fishes to nibble them. They did come over to say hello, but my toes remained unscathed... even when Matt started throwing food at them.

All too soon, it was time to leave. The guys told us to splash ourselves to keep cool on the way back. It was so hot that the water droplets dried on my skin almost immediately! The walk back up was long, especially as I quickly ran out of water. I was so glad to see the bus, knowing that there was an esky full of cold water inside! We were all amazed by the thermometer reading... it was FORTY FIVE DEGREES!! We were very pleased to have the aircon on as we drove back through the arid landscape to town.  

Back at the hostel, I thanked the guys and headed inside for a cold shower. I later caught up with M and Michelle and we got in the car to head to the Pink Lake at Port Gregory. I sat in the back and naturally fell asleep! I woke just as we were pulling up alongside the pinkest water I ever did see. It’s all a bit scientific why it is that colour... something to do with algae and salt. The colour intensity depended on the time of day and the weather. We scrambled over the dunes for a closer look, and I could have sworn it changed colour, looking brighter than it had previously!

I tried to take some artsy photos and M put her toes in the water, atop the grey sludge. I didn’t fancy joining her and instead explored the piles of salt on the bank. The odd shapes were quite fascinating, and the salt did have a slight pink tinge. I tasted some. It was quite nice, but had quite a strong flavour. A great bus load of tourists then arrived, so we shot off back to the car.

Michelle wanted to show us the old houses in town, they were prefabs that had been extended and adapted to meet the Aussie alfresco style. At the end of the road was the harbour, filled with Cray-fishing boats. I was happy to be by the sea, but the smell was far too much. We couldn’t get a word in edgewise on the way back; Michelle had another treat for us. She was keen to take us to a mulberry bush she had discovered.

She showed us how to choose and pick the berries. They tasted very sweet but my fingers, lips and teeth were soon stained purple! As the other two made their way ‘around the mulberry bush’, I spotted a few kangaroos in the distance. M was very excited; these were the first wild roos she’d seen. Unfortunately, before we could take any photos, they’d bounced off. I was very tired now and eager to get back for dinner.

Finally, we were back home, where I tried to help with preparing dinner. M told me off as I had cooked the day before. I took the time to read instead and was then introduced to Olivia. M had spoken to her in the day and she had agreed to let us tag along with her to the National Park. We would get to see more of the sites we’d heard all about!

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I woke up aching from the abseiling, my ‘abs’ were killing me! I must have really tensed coning down that cliff face. In order to distract myself I walked to another supermarket in town. It was still quite early so the sun wasn’t hot... yet! I treated myself to a massive bottle of water and car snacks for our road trip. I found M and Olivia back at the hostel. Olivia had an interview later that day so we had to leave as soon as possible. I had no qualms with this, I was ready!

I sat in the front of Olivia’s car and was given role of navigator; I had been to the National Park the day before after all. It soon became obvious that I had not been paying attention before and we missed the turning. Luckily, there were few cars on the road and my mistake was easily rectified. We paid our entrance fee and followed the track to the first lookout.

At Hawks Head, we exited the car to find ourselves surrounded by flies. It was a perfect day for them; dry and hot, making us sweaty and smelly. There was a short trail from the car park to the incredible view. I hadn’t realised how high we were, but from this vantage point, we really could see for miles! Beyond the green leaves of the trees was more of the bright Tumblagooda sandstone, with formations jutting out across the Murchison below. We didn’t stay too long here as we had very stupidly left our drinks in the car.

Next, it was a short drive to Ross Graham Lookout. Ross Graham was the first school teacher in Kalbarri and was dedicated to the exploration of the Murchison.  We had a choice of two walks... one down to the river or one to observe the river from above. We opted for the latter. Thankfully, the walk took us down through the shade of the trees. We were closer to the river here and I was surprised to see how clear the water was. Now was time for the main attraction.

We hopped back in the hot car and drove to Nature’s Window. This was the biggest car park we’d seen all morning and we joined the small crowds making their way along the path. This ran out and we were left to follow sporadic signposts amongst the rocks. I was glad to be wearing my walking trainers as we clambered down the cliffs. Suddenly, we ran out of rock! Confused, I turned and was surprised to see the rock formation perfectly framing the east of the park. It was beautiful. The bright reds of the sandstone were vivid in the sun and the sparkling waters of the river snaked through the gorge.

I took so many photos, too many really, from different angles – the hardest part was making sure no one else was in them. I has gotten so used to an un-crowded WA that it seemed bizarre to have to queue for a photo. Fortunately, the crowds dispersed and we were shocked to find ourselves alone. We found a shaded spot to sit and simply appreciate the view. Of course, we took more photos too! No one appeared for ages and we were about to make a move when we heard voices. Who should walk around the corner but our roommates from Exmouth – Helen and Abby. What a lovely surprise!

We waited for them to marvel at the incredible view, and then caught up on each others’ adventures as we made our way back to the car park. We said goodbye again, remembering to get numbers this time, as we climbed into our ridiculously hot car. Even sitting with the windows down and fanning the doors made no difference and, in the end, we just had to hope that there would be a breeze on the journey home to the hostel. Luckily, we arrived back not too sweaty and with plenty of time for Olivia to prepare for her interview. We bid her farewell and good luck as we headed inside for lunch, I was starving!

After filling my belly, I decided to walk down to the visitor centre to buy a magnet, now I had actually seen the infamous ‘Nature’s Window’. I then helped M with some phone admin, before needing some fresh air and a nice little amble around town. I walked to the newsagent, where I bought a Maxibon - delicious - to enjoy while I read on a bench by the beach.

I started to cramp up, must have sat there longer than I’d thought, so made my way back up to the main street. Here, I bumped into M and we figured we may as well hang around to watch the sunset. Boy, am I glad we did! It was a glorious and beautiful sight, with the moon rising behind us to join the fun. Soup was for dinner, and then I headed to bed to read once more. Lord of the Rings had been a long struggle, but I finally finished the last book, hoorah!

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Had a lazy morning, despite being awake early, I watched a film in bed and then ate breakfast in my pyjamas as I waited for M. Having been so focused on the ocean, and cliffs to the left of our hostel, we thought we could give the other side a bit more attention. By mid-morning, we were out walking ‘the other way’ along the Murchison.

It soon became clear why we only saw two other people on our travels, it was just a whole lotta nothing. We had clambered over dunes and through the bush to reach the river bank, where it looked the same as far as the eye could see. The thing about Australia is even when something is ‘boring’... it’s still a world away from Northampton and, comparatively, still impressive. The rock bank under our feet was eroding and had strange moon-like patterns and craters on the surface, plants were growing from the strangest of places, and the water was so smooth it looked like glass.

We stopped for a break, and ate lunch sitting on the edge looking back into town. It was a hot day, surprise surprise, and being away from the larger than life waves and rock formations was calming and peaceful. We watched a small boat slowly make its way down river, often being beached by the shallow waters. It was quite funny to watch, we did consider helping but neither of us had togs on and we had no idea how deep the river was. No chance of a lift to the other side, so we started to meander back through the bush and along the red sand to meet the paved roads of town.

I had spotted an interesting looking restaurant the day before, so we went to take a closer look. ‘Zuytdorp’ was a beautifully designed waffle house, so of course we were going in! Everything sounded delicious, and I could not decide what I wanted. Too many choices! There was a very nice, incredibly patient, lady behind the counter who recommended options for us. In the end, I was allowed to have banana slices on my banoffee waffle (which strangely enough weren’t included). As I came to pay, I panicked. I had bought the wrong purse and didn’t have enough... Nice lady said I could pay later, what a star! It was a delicious waffle; we sat outside underneath the parasols to eat, chatting to the lady. Yummy.

M wanted to head back to the visitor centre, so we agreed to meet later on to buy dinner at the IGA. I first went back to dump my bag, find money for Zuytdorp, and fill up my water. I then took a stroll down to the river shore, walking left this time, to dip my feet. I paddled a little in the water and then walked further along to reach the seaside. I found myself a nice spot on the soft sand, lay down on my towel and relaxed, listening to the sounds of the waves.

Naturally, I woke up much later and was late to meet M. I rushed to the IGA and we bought our supplies for a BBQ. Having dropped food back at the hostel, I went to pay for my waffle. The nice lady was surprised to see me back so soon! M had started cooking sausages when I got back, so I prepared a salad. We took our meal out back by the pool, and sat on the sun loungers. It felt very Aussie! The end of another day, it was time for bed.

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Today was our last in Kalbarri; it had gone so quickly, I couldn’t believe we had only been planning on staying for two days originally! We would have missed out on so much. Determined to see more of the coastal cliffs, I had an early breakfast and packed a bag ready for a long morning of exploring.

I retraced our steps along the Melaluca Trail, all the way to Jakes Point, actually spotting surfers this time. I stopped for a few minutes or so to watch from above, they all looked so small compared to the waves. Looked a little too dangerous my liking! I followed the road to the next turn-off, for Red Bluff Beach. I spotted a sign on the way in outlining the trail to Red Bluff Lookout. Rather than head back and go the boring way along the road; I opted to be more adventurous. This meant following the sparse signposts away from the beach and up and over the sandstone.

I was soon clambering above the sand, looking down on the people sunbathing and fishing below. There was a well worn track, but I was glad I had my walking trainers on. I followed the signs around a small inlet, down and up a valley and finally up a hill to the lookout. Red Bluff Lookout is the highest elevation point in the area, at 100m. It was a very impressive sight! I walked along the path to the end, surprised by the sudden winds that greeted me. I had to hold my cap down and, in the end, after it tried to blow off several times, gave up and put it in my bag. I could then focus on the incredible views in front, behind and to the side of me. I could see for miles and miles, back to where I began the walk and all the way to Kalbarri in the distance.

I took the short route to the car park, and walked back up to the Melaluca Trail to find the next spot to explore. Mushroom Rock was the next turning, the road seemed never-ending, down towards the cliff edge. Eventually, it levelled out to another car park, and information for another trail: Mushroom Rock to Rainbow Valley. Sounded like my cup of tea. And so off I went, the trail taking me inland amongst the sandstone. The many different shapes and colours of the rock astounded me. Some looked like it had been melted, and dribbled down like wax. Other, smaller, rocks spurted out of the ground like bubbles of lava. It was like being in an art gallery, surrounded by different sculptures, all with something different to say. Add to this the flora that grew in the cracks, reaching towards the sun. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nature is bloody brilliant.

I was so immersed in reading the info-graphics along the route, and taking a million photos of the insane geology, that I’d reached Rainbow Valley before I knew it. There was a slight change in the sandstone here, it was stripy! The contrast of that against the azure waters took my breath away. Looking back towards Mushroom Rock I could see where it got its name, spotting a large flat rock atop a smaller one. I wonder how much longer the balancing act could continue, with the changing tides and crashing waves.

Back up to the Melaluca again, I aimed to visit one more attraction before the sun got too high in the sky. A short stroll took me to Pot Alley Road; I followed it to the end and found yet more incredible views, and another trail to navigate. I read that local Cray Fishermen had named the cove ‘Pot Alley’ after losing many pots to the rugged and rocky spot. From above, with the tide out, I could see the sandstone continued way into the ocean, with multiples layers and levels that would make it a dangerous place indeed. I kept to the signposts, taking the path down to the small beach and up, over to the other side of the cove. Here, I sat and watched the waves for a while. I noticed a couple climbing down the other side, and decided to take my leave; they could have the small cove to themselves.

And so began the long walk home, past the incredible coastal cliffs and back towards the Murchison and Kalbarri. I was really ready for lunch, and a shower! Checking my phone when I arrived back at the hostel (a surprisingly short amount of time) later, I found I’d walked nineteen kilometres. That’s nearly twelve miles! Blimey. I dipped my feet in the pool to cool off before eating and having a shower.

Joe was allowing us access to our room, and the other amenities, right up until we had to leave for our bus. I made the most of this and did my laundry, repacked my bag and had a late afternoon snooze. Too soon, it was time for us to head up to the roadhouse, and trust we would have a quiet bus. It was an overnight to Perth and I was really hoping to get some sleep!