In recent years Kalbarri seems to have become a very popular tourism destination here in Australia.
Last October we were heading across to Western Australia from our home state of Victoria for a family birthday. We had a few weeks available to travel beforehand and decided to work our way up the Coral Coast from Perth with Kalbarri a key destination (along with Shark Bay).
I haven't seen anything on this area on this forum so I thought I would pass on a few bits of info.
We flew into Perth staying 2 nights before picking up a hired campervan. We spent a few days travelling north up the coast to the city of Geraldton. A highlight of that part of the journey was the remarkable Pinnacles Desert in Nambung N.P. We then spent 8 nights spread between Kalbarri and Denham (Shark Bay).
So what to see and do in Kalbarri?
Just south is Hutt Lagoon aka Pink Lake. It is 14km long, when we visited on a sunny morning it was bright bubble gum pink. The shoreline was covered in a mix of wildflowers. It was impressive.
Nearby is the tiny port town of Gregory. It's main claim to fame apart from shipwrecks being it was bombarded by a Japanese sub during WW2. They thought the lobster sheds were ammo storage.
Just down the road are the ruins of the Lynton Convict Depot. Only active for 5 years from 1853, convicts were shipped here to work a lead mine. The nearby homestead and station outbuildings are also interesting.
Also south of town isa series of stunning coastal clifftop lookouts, Natural Bridge, Castle Cove, Island Rock, Shell House and Grandstand Rock. An 8 km hiking trail links these and makes It's way to beautiful Eagle Gorge. While hiking this trail we were privileged to observe several pods of dolphins below us. Eagle Gorge is a stunning little beach.
There is series of easily accessible gorgeous beaches and lookout points from there all the way into Kalbarri.
Red Bluff is an impressive lookout high above the sea. The sand at Pink Beach is coloured by crushed garnet crystals. Jake's is a well renowned surf beach. Blue Holes is a fish sanctuary great for snorkelling.
Pelican Beach has some friendly pelicans
The Murchison River flows into the Indian Ocean on the town doorstep. A number of sea tours head out from town.
Kalbarri's main tourist highlights though are north of town in the National Park. It has 2 Skywalk ramps extending out high above the Murchison River. Then there is the much photographed Nature's Window, a hole in a big rock that frames the deep red gorges of the Murchison below.
Starting from here the adventurous can take on The Loop a rugged 9 km hike through the red gorges.
Nearby Z Bend overlooks the deep river gorge. From there a steep challenging rocky trail with ladders leads to a magnificent section of the Murchison River. A bit of an oasis among the hot red rock.
There are several other lookouts and hikes, Ross Graham Lookout also has an impressive short walk to the river, a bit less challenging than the one at Z Bend. Meannarra Hill offers a great view of the town.
But for all that it was the wildflowers that impressed me most. Just amazing.
We mostly cook our own meals but we did eat at Finlay's. A good feed in a very quirky restaurant. They also often have live music quite often.
I really enjoyed my time in Kalbarri. I think it presents a much more interesting Aussie experience than many of the popular East Coast destinations.