Kalbarri

Kalbarri is a small town on the coast surrounded by Kalbarri NP. There is no camping provided in the National Park so we stayed in a caravan park for 4 nights.

The NP is divided in half by the town, one side are the rugged coastal cliffs and the other is a series of gorges overlooking the meandering Murchison River which flows out to sea in the town.

Natures Window

Skywalk


Many walks and lookouts to explore






Mouth of the river


Rainbow Loop walk


Overlooking Kalbarri

Pink Lake at Port Gregory

Nearby some convict history, all built by ex convict Joseph Horrocks

We left Kalbarri coast because a large storm with huge winds was approaching and safely bunkered down inland for 2 nights at a farmstay near historic Northampton

...it is sheep country, and a tribute to our favourite dog the Kelpie and sheep found all over town

Upstairs in the General Merchant Store we came across this old sewing machine collection

Bird of the week spotted along the coastline... White-winged Fairy Wren

Shark Bay Coastline

FYI we are the equivalent of the Gold Coast latitude at this stage.

Before heading further south we visited the Space Communication Centre (OTC) in Carnarvon. It is famous for helping NASA land the Apollo 11 space mission on the moon in 1969 and broadcasting the first visual communication via satellite between England and Australia. Sadly everything looked very antiquated and we marvelled at how the technology back then was at all successful at getting man on the moon.

Original Dish

It was very interactive, we got to go in the life sized pod and blast off into space, listening to and watching the original Apollo 11 count down and blast off.  We spent almost 2 hours here.

The original equipment on display 

And even old space invader games to keep kids entertained.....had to get the highest score 😂

Then down to Shell Beach and a quick day trip into Denham. We didn’t go out to the most westerly point of Australia..Steep Point or the Francois Peron NP as the roads are narrow and sandy and we really don’t have the recovery gear. Friends got bogged 5 times in Francois Peron NP.

Shell Beach is about 60km long and is 12 metres deep of little cockle shells. The shells can be quarried and have been used as blocks - Coquina and can be seen in buildings in Denham

Coquina blocks, Restaurant and St Andrews Church

On leaving Denham a family of Emus got separated crossing the road in front of us....4 chicks that did not keep up with mum were caught behind a fence to the left, and got a bit stressed, so I got out of the car and helped them find the access point through the fence and then off they ran across the road, they are my favourite wildlife to see as we drive along

Mum wondering where the rest of her littlies are?

An awesome free camp on the Murchison River at Galena Bridge, 2 nights, the birds and a 6km walk up the river kept us entertained

There is still a huge lot of nothingness between stops, vegetation still very low in height, but still finding plenty of beautiful road side flora


Next stop Kalbarri and Kalbarri NP

 

Back to the Bush

We finished our last few days of 2 1/2 weeks at Quobba by trying to stay out of the wind, and tried our hand at getting fresh oysters off the rocks, Brad said if we got them he would shuck them......he was sorry he offered. Greg helped us brave the wave surges to retrieve the oysters, but they were really too small, but we had fun.

This little inlet is covered in oysters....but massive waves this day

All waiting anxiously....


We had to at least brave the wind one night and go crab spotting in the dark....I think we lasted 5 minutes. They were about 10cm across their backs

We managed to get one more snorkel in before we left, as it was time to head inland and hope for some less windy days.

KENNEDY RANGES NP - Temple Gorge Camp

We left Quobba, got a few supplies in Carnarvon then headed the 234km to Kennedy Ranges, the last 60km was good dirt road, only a few corrugations.

The drive out was great, one cattle station after another with cattle roaming free, even saw a dingo and emu. The camp ground had only a handful of campers, it was very peaceful so we stayed 3 nights to ensure we did all the walks.

Honeycomb Walk...the longest - 6 km return, but well worth it

There was a small amount of water in the river nearby and plenty of bird life to watch

Can you see a face on the top of the mountain too?


Temple Gorge Walk...had to walk up a dry river bed

Beautiful but weird rock formations and colours




The Escarpment hike was also up a dry river gorge, but up 3 dry waterfalls too, it was all scrambling to reach the flat plateau on the top, which gave us awesome views back over our campground, and over Draper Gorge and Temple Gorge.

The hike up

The top

Moments like this takes me to my “happy place”

A fellow camper sent us this photo she took of us on top of the escarpment....so cool

We walked around the top for over an hour, to get different aspects




Our morning view


On our way back to Carnarvon we found this old cobbled road, it was a Wool Wagon road built in 1920, when this region was all sheep stations instead of cattle.

Clay pans and cattle alongside the road