Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park covering an area of about 186,000 hectares of rugged terrain and majestic beauty attracts thousands of visitors each year. We only saw some features in the inland section on the Murchison River as dogs are not allowed and we had Maxi looked after in Kalbarri for three hours while we did a quick visit.

The Skywalk is a new feature in the NP.  Two spectacular cantilevered lookout structures that are viewing platforms hanging in mid-air have been constructed high above the curving Murchison River.  The platforms provide uninterrupted views out over the gorge.  Standing on the mesh walkways means that there is nothing but air between you and the river over 100 metres below.

There are also bronze sculptures of animals.  An emu and its chicks.

and a quoll.

Nature's window is one of WA's most iconic natural attractions.  Perfectly framing the Murchison River, it is one of the most photographed sites on Australia's Coral Coast.

This is the trail that leads to the window in the rock.

This is the panoramic view of the river below.  An 8 km walk around is what we did when we were last here about 8 years ago.

Back on the road in WA

Newly released from a most pleasant three months virus enforced stay in paradise, we left Geraldton on Saturday 26 June to continue our winter sojourn in WA.  The hard border between WA and the rest of Australia is still closed and virtually the only registration of RVs we have seen so far are WA registrations.  But boy, the escapees from the Perth lockdown are all out on the road and we are told that people trying to book to get into caravan parks and national parks are being turned away.  Caravans, campers and motor homes, all WA owned, are out in force.

Our first scenic spot was the Pink Lake between Geraldton and Kalbarri.  The algae is the reason for the colour of the water.

The toilet blocks in national parks are often very imaginatively built using timber for a windshield instead of artificial material.  This is in the coastal section of Kalbarri NP.  It was quite attractive for a toilet.

The rugged and stunning WA coastline is very picturesque with jagged cliff faces everywhere.

Natural Bridge a remarkable coastal landform caused by the wind, waves and the salt spray.  The rocks are a combination of sandstone at the bottom to which million years of sand dunes being blown around and being converted to limestone has been added as the top layer.

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This is Island Rock which was once part of the shoreline but now stands as a solitary sea stack against the pounding ocean waves.

After leaving Kalbarri, we stayed at Wooramal Station campground, otherwise known as Wooremal River Retreat.

The campground is on the banks of the Wooramal River which flows under the ground and provides naturally heated therapeutic artesian bore water which has been put into pools for relaxation and enjoyment.  It reminded us of the wonderful Lara Wetland Camping Ground at Lara Station in Queensland, between the towns of Blackall and Barcaldine.  It too had the underground artesian springs and a very scenic pool in which to enjoy the warm water.

Scenic flight over the Abrolhos Islands

We could not leave Geraldton without taking a flight to the Abrolhos Islands.  Official name is the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, discovered by Frederick Houtman in 1619 on board the Dordrecht while following the coast northward. There are 122 islands in total which span 100 kms of ocean in approximately a north/south direction.  There are three main groups. the Pelsaert, Easter and Wallabi group.

We selected Shine Aviation from the many companies offering flights for no particular reason but our young pilot was named George, a name that has close associations for me.  Father was George, ex-husband is George and this very personable young man did a great job flying us to East Wallabi Island.

Co-pilot Andrew enjoyed sitting up at the front while we lesser three others sat in the back of the small 8 person plane.

Another of the small planes which do these flights also landing on East Wallabi Island.

These groups of islands hold the tragic story of the Batavia saga of 1629. The location of the wreck was unknown for 350 years until it was discovered by fishermen and then researchers in 1963.

The ship, heading to Batavia now modern day Jakarta along the trade route to the east, came to grief along the coral reefs as the Leeuwin current which flows from April to October caused it to flounder.  A mutiny followed and 125 men, women and children were murdered by the mutineers during the time that Captain Pelsaert set off in a long boat to Batavia for rescue.  The others survived and on Pelsaert's amazing return some months later the mutineers were dealt with in various ways, none of them nice.

Many of the islands are semi-permanent homes to fishermen who are there for commercial fishing.  People from Geraldton and other towns nearby also come for week long fishing holidays and camping.  A lady at the bridge club, on hearing we were doing the flight to the islands told us of the many many happy holidays she and her family spent there.  She said the islands were the most beautiful places on earth as far as she was concerned.

The colours of the coral reef are wonderful with wonderful healthy reef all over the ocean.  Quite a few of the scenic flights include shallow reef snorkelling but we chose not to do one of those.

The view of Geraldton on the way home.

A photo of the remains of the fort on West Wallabi Island built by the soldiers led by Wiebbe Hayes during the mutiny.  We could not make out the remains clearly enough to take a photo as we flew over the island so resorted to this image which is on the wall at Shine Aviation showrooms.

Passing the time in Geraldton

Our big news is that the Geraldton Bridge Club has opened its doors again after the lock down.

Only 20 people allowed at any one time but this is not a big problem for a smallish bridge club.  Notice the big bottle of hand sanitiser.  Everyone was asked to carry their own bidding boxes from table to table and to use the sanitiser at each table before play.  Geraldton plays three times a week and they opened for two sessions to start with and are moving to a third session this week.  We will continue with online bridge which is still enjoyable in its own way but it was also very nice to face real people across the table once again :-)

The library in town is also now open but people have to sign in and are limited to a 30 minute visit.  Cafes and restaurants are slowly opening their doors.  Schools have gone back but playgrounds are still off limits, until next week.  The inconsistencies between various restrictions are hard to fathom.  For example the library is open but the visitors' centre is not.  And yet, the Premier is urging West Australians to holiday in WA.  But we understand the caravans leaving Perth for the north are filling up the roads.  Hopefully, if we wait to leave Geraldton until the end of June we will miss some of the big rush.

Sand dunes along the coast between Geraldton and Cape Burney where Andrew went for a walk.

Our social life has burgeoned these last few weeks.  Not only has the bridge club opened but we had visitors staying a few days too.  We met Marienne and Robert from The Netherlands on our recent trip to Dongara.  They too have been captives of the corona lock down and are only now able to continue with their planned WA trip.  They finally left Dongara after some months there and they visited us on the way to the north.

Here we are having a game of rummy kub.  Not as good as bridge but more people play that and it provides a very nice few hours of entertainment.

Our two motor homes lined up outside 20 Glass Crescent.  We may meet up with them somewhere up the northern parts of WA as we both continue our trip.  We set off later this week with a farewell to Geraldton.

Our lovely neighbours at 23 Glass Street, Ailsa and Chris.  They are the ones who gave us the two wonderful crayfish some weeks ago.  Then they had us for a farewell to Geraldton dinner at their house.  Chris is, like me, a continuous joke teller and we had a great evening with them.  And Ailsa is a wonderful cook and hostess.  We seem to be lucky with neighbours who are both hospitable and good cooks.  Thinking of you Desiree and Todd back across the road at Ebden Street :-)