Blogs from Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania

Where did our week go? This was our last day in Kalbarri before heading off early in the morning for Exmouth, about an eight hour drive. So we had to do laundry, vacuum some of the red dust that infiltrated our vehicle and get our packing organized. We did have a chance though to explore a couple of nearby spots and spend a bit of time taking in the sun on the river mouth beach. Meanarra Lookout This lookout sits several kilometres east of town and gives panoramic views of the Murchison River, Kalbarri on its banks and of course, the vast Indian Ocean. Clearly visible also, were several clearly delineated black areas which were the sites of localized bush fires. The hill sits within the Kalbarri National Park which is without trees and as far ... read more

The Murchison River meanders its way to the Indian Ocean cutting a swath through the stratified rocks of the region. Today for a change of pace we decided to hike into the gorge about a round trip distance of three and a half kilometres. The descent involved climbing over giant boulders, negotiating crevasses and narrow canyons, and even climbing some man-made ladders. There was that familiar feeling of “what were we thinking?” The gorge is stark with stratified layers of multicoloured rock formations signifying the action of water on these ancient rocks. At the bottom there is plenty of water in the river which propels the brown sediment that is visible at the river mouth in the town of Kalbarri. Occasionally, you can see fossils of ancient worm-like animals embedded in rock. After a short snack ... read more

Kalbarri is the sort of place where nothing much changes over time. My first visit here was 1983. Our last visit here was seven years ago, and as we drove along the main drag today, we got confirmation that all was as before. That is the charm of Kalbarri, sitting where the Murchison River meets the Indian Ocean. It is a place to contemplate the peacefulness of your surroundings, far away from the stresses of city life. People take things leisurely where a quick take-away order of fish and chips is likely to take 40 minutes as it did our first night. But, we thought in our rush-rush world, what’s the hurry. The mood of the ocean and surrounding hills changes from a menacing grey under a cloudy sky to a glittering sparkle when the clouds ... read more

We left Jurien Bay and were straight back on the Indian Ocean Drive. It was a lovely road with very little traffic apart from some three trailer road train lorries. The road had plenty of overtaking lanes, regularly signed (next overtaking lane in 5 kms) to stop you taking silly risks, but they weren't really needed as even the big lorries could maintain 110kms/h and everyone drove to the speed limit. We drove through Geraldton, a place I would call a proper town, with a population of 40K and things like carpet and furniture shops, DIY stores, hospitals and dentists - all the services you need to get by. During the course of our travels it became clear that people travelled significant distances from 'up North' and the Outback to shop in Geraldton and I could ... read more

Geo: -27.6568, 114.395Shell & I were up early as she'd got a horse riding session which I pre booked last year, I did email them before we left Hong Kong to confirm the start time as dependent on the weather it would be 08:00 if it was fine or 09:00 if there was a problem and they promised to email me in advance to confirm the start time. Unfortunately despite another email from me nothing further was heard, not looking good we thought, anyway off we went arriving at the ranch at 07:30 to allow for briefing etc. As we pulled in the place was deserted, there were plenty of horses around but no cars or people; we wander around the stables and accommodation bloc, nothing so back to the car we went with heavy hearts, ... read more