CHARISMATIC KALBARRI

Rugged Coastal Cliffs

Nature's Sculptures

PREFACE – just a little note to warn you that this is, even for me, a particularly long entry. Kalbarri is a favourite spot of ours and I have lots to tell you about this place. In addition to that, we have an abundance of really good photos taken over the past couple of years and I have taken the opportunity to include a fair number of these with this blog. To make it a little easier to read, I will break it into several sections, so perhaps it would be easier to just read one section at a time, coming back later to read the others.

Across the Coastal Plain Towards The Coast

Across The Coastal Plains Towards the Ocean

PART ONE


I have always loved the wind! Perhaps that’s due to being West Australian born and bred. Of course I do know that it can sometimes be frightening, when you are not in a safe place or a major storm is brewing. The wind seems to blow away all the discontent and breathe fresh life into all it touches. Certainly here in Kalbarri, the wind is a dominant feature. Mind you, this is the worst time of the year for the winds – I have been here in May, July, August and September and it has not been quite like it is at the moment. Personally I am enjoying the freshness and I suppose I am just plain happy to be back in one of my favourite places.


As you will have gathered, this is not our first visit. This is the fourth year in a row when we have one way or another, made our way to this beautiful little seaside town. We generally stay much longer but this time we will only be here for around 10 days – sadly the end of the first leg of our journey is all too close and this will most likely be the penultimate stop before we arrive back in Perth. We plan on making the most of it!!


Kalbarri is a tiny little place located at the mouth of the Murchison River. I was amazed to read in one of the tourist brochures that the population here is 2,000 – most of those people must be living in far-flung farming properties in the region – certainly there is nothing like that number of people in town. I suppose the tourists do expand the numbers during the winter months. Tourists do visit Kalbarri all year round of course, the weather here being less extreme than further north. We are officially south of the North West of WA and I guess this would be accurately described as being the northern most reaches of the mid-west coast. A good number of Perth folk spend their winters here, even tho’ it doesn’t get anywhere as warm and toasty as ‘further up’. The winter temps here range from the low to mid 20s. My idea of paradise I think! I have never been one for the extreme hot and this trip has confirmed my love of slightly cooler climes. Rain-fall here is quite poor, as displayed by the fairly barren sandy coastal flats that surround the town. I know I will never do justice to the beauty here, but I will try to tell you about this picturesque place.


Kalbarri is a complete surprise package – the approach road winds through flat low lying coastal plains which are covered with stunted grey-green spiky foliage and which during the spring months comes alive with an abundance of brilliantly hued wild-flowers of all types and structures. Even now tall creamy spikes wave to the passer-byes as they speed down that windy road and brilliant pink patches of the Kalbarri Wax peek out from below stunted blue green trees. The foliage exudes a slightly other –worldly feel as it all tends to point away from the prevailing winds, and although not as exaggerated as further south, one certainly get the impression that some very strong winds ply their way thru’ this bushland. The generally flat outlook takes on a more undulating aspect as you get closer to the town and intriguing signs pertaining to River Gorges start to appear along the way. You will wonder at these signs as the country-side seems far too flat to accommodate anything remotely resembling a gorge! A little further on as the bush grows almost imperceptibly greener, the great Murchison River can be seen snaking its way to the ocean. Dazzling the eye as you crest a hill, you are quite suddenly confronted by the great expanses of the deep blue Indian Ocean. Glimpsed between stunted trees and sandy hills are great white combing boomers crashing onto the rocks fringing the coast-line.


When you arrive at your destination, you will find yourself in a tiny little seaside town which nestles along the banks of the sparkling Murchison River. An abundance of accommodation awaits the weary traveller, from luxury units right down to basic camping sites. There are three caravan parks in town, one right at the back towards the bush, one facing the mouth of the river and our favourite, the old Anchorage which sits atop the banks of the Murchison.

Spectacular Views of the Coastline

What Master Hand Built This?

PART TWO

The town provides almost everything you could wish for in this environment. The only less than wonderful aspect is possibly the lack of good quality fresh produce and the price of tucker. Talking to our caravan friends from the east coast we have been reminded just how much more we spend to live over here in the west. From groceries, to dining out and right up to real estate, WA is a pricey place to live. Anyway, I digress, it is a good idea to stock up on fresh food at either Geraldton on the way up or Carnarvon on the way down, particularly if you plan on spending any real time here. There are two IGAs here, but experience has taught me that their fresh produce is both expensive and poor quality. Perhaps when I go shopping this time, I will be pleasantly surprised. I shall certainly let you know if this is the case. The town also has a butcher, chemist, several restaurants, cafes, fish & chippers, antique shop, post office, hair dressers and a couple of quite good gift shops. For the thirsty ones amongst you, you will be pleased to know there are a couple of pubs and a liquor store as well.

Sea Caves

Amazing Cliffs





Apart from the local scenery which I will get to in a moment, there is a very good wild-flower garden to amble through. Obviously it will depend on the time of year as to whether you feel the admittance fee is worth spending. One place we always visit is the Rainbow Jungle, an Australian Parrot Breeding Centre. This costs a few dollars to visit, but is well worth the effort. Well presented and interesting, particularly for a bird-lover like myself this place is a delight. They have a gift shop there and also sell coffee and cakes which you can enjoy in this very birdie atmosphere. I have always abhorred seeing birds in cages, but as this is for the survival of several species, I can see the necessity. They do have a few exotics there too, including some beautiful Macaws. Last time we were there they were selling a young bird (macaw) and I was very enthusiastically envisioning turning my back yard into a tropical wonderland with a tree high enclosure for my new and colourful mate. Fortunately for all concerned, he was sold before I could realise my little pipe-dream.

Would Have made a Wonderful Additionto my Back Yard

The Rainbow Jungle is out along the southern road heading out of Kalbarri town-site. This scenic drive takes you down to all the coastal gorges and some outstanding coastline. Massive multicoloured and layered sandstone and limestone cliffs tower over the sparkling turquoise ocean and enormous waves hurl themselves against the forbidding cliffs and rocks. Amongst all the gorges are some wonderful surfing beaches and whilst we no longer get out there and ‘boogie’, we do love to watch those intrepid souls who do risk their lives in these very uncertain waters. We have to our delight, seen small pods of dolphins surfing with the boys and girls, dropping out the back of the crystal clear waves before they break and then diving back into the next wall of water. It was spellbinding to watch this spectacle. This is also a good place for whale-spotting and we are looking forward to this activity again this time round. It is our habit while we are here, to drive out each morning to have a look at each of the coastal gorges and scenic spots – it is always different and you just never know what you might see. The other ‘must-do’ is to sit and watch the boats attempt the break from the river into the ocean. This is a spectacularly dangerous place and we are told that many fishermen have lost their lives here. The often massive waves roar in over sharp rocks obscured by the waves and froth, there are only moments between waves when the boats can skip laterally across the break and out into safer waters. We are proud to say we have ‘done the break’ ourselves. An enterprising young man has started a jet-boat tour business. He runs two distinctly different types of tours, the first is for the thrill-seekers and takes you on an insanely speedy and wet run out thru’ the break and down and around some of the safer bays. A great deal of shrieking and whipping around of the boat can be heard and seen from the shore. Needless to say, that is not what we did – instead we took a very sedate trip down the coast viewing the coastal cliffs and gorges from the ocean – it was brilliant, but I have to admit to having a few collywobbles before heading out thru’ that break. There are a couple of cafes situated conveniently where you can sit and sip a cappuccino whilst watching the boats. Soft? You bet!


Another ‘must do’ while you are here is to visit Finlay’s Fish BBQ – this place is famous for being rude and ready – no service, no ‘fightin’ utensils, no serviettes, quite a bit of rude commentary, no booze, and yet people flock there, including us. The place is an old fishery shed and is full of intriguing antique odds and sods, the food is excellent and well priced – the fish platter is enormous – the general idea is to arrive early with your own drinks, glasses and nibbles, sit and enjoy the atmosphere, listen to any passing musos, then order your food, be insulted by mine host, have a good laugh and enjoy some good tucker. The ‘place’ is a host to The Order of Old Bastards and will give any half-way decent muso a freebie if they agree to entertain the guests. If you do decide to go, be prepared for outdoors as the place is open air with only limited over-head cover and it is hard to find. You will need to go around to the industrial sector in order to find Finlay’s. Just ask around, someone will sort you out.

Every morning at somewhere around the 9am mark, volunteers feed the local pelicans. This is a lot of fun and also super interesting. We will go again this time, and once again I will learn all the fascinating facts about these beautiful birds, and no doubt, once again forget it all until our next visit.



Fishing is a big attraction here and they say that there is good fishing to be had both on and off shore. I would investigate thoroughly tho’ the fees and rules applying to any charter you might be thinking of taking – the relatively new regulations these businesses now have to comply with often make the trip unviable. There is a small fishing fleet here and most of the skippers will sell you fresh fish straight from the boats at a good price. During the cray-fishing season (Nov – April I think) you can also buy fresh crays this way. Last time we were here we managed to buy a good size Dhufish from the boat. For those of you from the east, if you have never tried this local fish, do try as it is one of the best eating fish you are ever likely to find.


The inland gorges are also not to be missed and they are truly spectacular. You will find your senses reeling when you discover the enormous gorges the ancient river has gouged thru’ the countryside. As usual, there are levels of difficulty – you can just go and peer over the side, or you can trek down into the belly of these beautiful chasms if you are up to the challenge. A canoe trip up the river is also a great way to go. Be prepared for the flies tho’, this is one place where one of those wonderful fly -nets is a must. The time we went, we could have sold ours for hundreds of dollars. As with the ocean gorges, nature’s sculptures are at their very best here, this is where you will see the much photographed ‘window’ looking out from the very edge of one of the gorges. I hope you will forgive me for cheating a little here, as we have so many photos taken over the past few years, some of the ones I will use here are a couple of years old, they are too good to waste.

Nature's Window





A Long Way Down

   

Fishing Boats at Dawn




Sunset Over the Park




PART THREE



I mentioned we stay at the Anchorage. This is the first CP sign-post you will see coming into town. The CP is quite high at the back and we always try to get a spot up high looking out over the river. I actually prefer these views to the more spectacular ones to be found at the other main park, the Murchison C P. The views from the Anchorage are softer, taking in the broader expanses of the river as it gently winds its way out to the countryside and the gorges for which it is famous. Below us the river waters sparkle drenched in diamond dust. Seagulls wheel overhead and stately pelicans float majestically up and down the river searching for their dinner. A red gravel road winds alongside the river inviting exploration. Walking along the river grants rewards of sightings of some of the multitude of small birds that make this place their home. Bright blue flashes of Splendid Wrens and the Red plumage of the little Crimson Chat catch your eye as you wander along the shore of the languid river. Smooth rocks, just right for sitting and pondering life’s blessings lay along the way. Colourful wild-flowers beckon for inspection and the lazy plopping of the fish intrigue the eye and ear. Overhead you are likely to see the resident Sea Eagle hunting on flashing wing. An early morning wander along the river is incredibly rewarding, and if you are early enough to see the sunrise that will be nectar for the senses.


Afternoons here draw one outdoors to sit and gaze at the river in its ever changing moods, and sundowners are consumed watching the birds circling overhead and the boats bobbing at their anchors. Some of the most spectacular sunsets we have ever encountered have been from the caravan park here and it is reluctantly that you head indoors for tea. After dinner, if you are so inclined, a light refreshment under the incredibly bright stars is not to be missed – the night skies here are amazing.


Do you begin to see why I love coming here and why I hope to return here again and again to continue this love affair? I’m always sad when people tell me they visited Kalbarri and thought it a nice little spot, having only spent one or two days here. This is a place where you need to stay and absorb a little of the local atmosphere.


The Anchorage CP is dog friendly and for those of you who have been here before, there is now a beautiful big and new ablution block. The roads leave a little to be desired and it can be dusty or muddy depending on the weather, but all in all we find it to be excellent for our tastes. There is a sausage sizzle held on Thursday nights. I think its $3 for a hamburger or sausage in a bun, plus there is usually very good homemade soup. The park has a good sized swimming pool too. The Murchison CP is in the middle of town, opposite the river mouth, is more upmarket and is right next door to a good cafe, but we find the bays to be a little squeezy. There is also a the Tudor CP (a family park) at the back of town and right away from the water.


Love your life and laugh out loud – Steph.