Kalbarri

KALBARRI 28^TH APRIL – 1^ST MAY

On the way to Kalbarri we stopped in to look at the Lynton Convict Ruins, a small bit of W.A.’s history. The below photo explains its short life.



Inside of the main building which has been
restored.




The prison, the cells are on the left.




Charlie showing the size of one of the cells!




The only bit of yard the prisoners got to move around in.



Around the corner from these ruins is the old homestead called “Sanford” which was built in 1853 by Mr Henry Ashford Sanford who helped run the convict centre. They are slowly doing this up, putting through power and fixing up the lovely sandstone, it should look amazing when or if it ever gets done.



Sanford Homestead became a sheep and cattle station when
the convict centre closed down. There is still a working
station on this land they just allow you to
come and visit the homestead and other displays around.



On the balcony



A memorial to "Ron" who was the son of the pioneering
families. He lived and worked this land when it was a sheep
station.





This is just near Ron's memorial, what a view to practise at!




This is the original flour mill for the homestead.



Yes this is how the trees grow around here, they get bent over because
of the south-westerly winds. You start seeing this before
Geraldton at Greenough.



On the road towards Kalbarri you go past The Pink Lake, which is quite a large lake. As you drive by it each angle you look at it gives off a different colour.

From the bottom of the pink lake you can do a detour into  a place called Port Gregory which is a no through road. Port Gregory is like Horrocks but only smaller and not as pretty, good for fishermen. We stopped for a very early lunch on the water front then returned back to the main HWY.

                                The Pink Lake , you can see different colours in different sections.

You can tell you are getting closer to Kalbarri because you start getting the tourist signs pointing out named and interesting coastal cliff views to go and have a look at. We pulled into a few to have a look at and yes they are stunning but after about 4 stops you start getting a bit “viewed out” of the same cliff line.

Some of the views of the cliffs coming into Kalbarri.








Kalbarri itself is a nice place right where the Murchinson River meets the sea. We were amazed at how many houses there were, some quite new and fancy and others older and there is a new housing development going ahead and yet there is a very small town strip with only a small IGA for groceries. We asked a lady in the IGA what the go was and she said the homes are owned by Cray fishermen, either retired or still working and some would be holiday homes. She reckons the town is a ghost town without tourism. There is a lot of accommodation available, including three C.P’s so they obviously boom in their peak season, starting now.



Looking out at Oyster Reef which is where the Murchinson
River on the right meet the ocean on the left





A lovely swimming area down to the right with the main
shopping strip of Kalbarri in the back ground.



We were in a C.P called the Murchinson which is a Top Tourist and just over the road from the lovely Murchinson River. On our first night here we nearly had a floating camper trailer! Right on dusk the skies opened up and dumped about 20mls in about 20 minutes then stopped, all was OK. We had no leaks and the canvas was holding out. What water did come around us quickly soaked into the sandy base and luckily we had set up on a little pad that was slightly higher than the rest of our camp area. The road in front of us turned into a river and started to slowly recede and we thought that was close, then it all started again! Pete had his bathers on digging trenches around us. We ended up helping another couple (Gary and Kim) who had 6 inches of water go through their camp area and they were in a camper trailer like us. Unfortunately they were in the lowest spot of the C.P. and the drains around them were blocked or just didn’t work, so the owner of the C.P told them as Gary was trying to clear them, so not helpful!! The water on the road was halfway up my calves and you could feel all the sand that had been washed away under your feet. The rain finally stopped but it took quite a while for it to recede off the road and into the already saturated sand. The camper held up very well thanks to Pete’s trenches and tipping the awning so we had no pooling on the roof. We only had a couple of spots where it leaked in due to the canvas hitting the roof bars but we are not sure if we would have coped with a third dump! Gary and Kim had spent so much time worrying about the getting the water away from their outside they didn’t check inside and when they went to go to bed the bed was saturated!! They did get it dry the next day by putting it on the roof of their car to dry!! I wish our camera could handle water so I could have taken some photos. Another neighbour said he filled 2 20litre water containers within minutes off his awning!   

Kalbarri is the start of the some of this country’s finest natural wonders; its gorges. We love this landscape especially when water is around it is very tranquil. We did a few walks including an 8km loop walk around the Murchinson River which starts at“Nature’s Window”. We did this with Mike and Trish which was nice to have other people along to share the experience.

Nature's Window



This is the start of the 8km walk from Nature's Window.We went
left first down to the sandy river then returned on the right
across the cliff always with the Murchinson River on our left. 



The map of our walk.








Views down the sandy beach area of our walk.

This was a lovely part of the walk along the rocks.

 
 

The colours and formations of the cliffs
where stunning.





Views before you start the climb up to the cliff tops to finish the walk.





The view from the cliff top looking back from where we have walked. 

The other walk we did was called "Z-Bend ", this was a short steep walk down into the gorge. We had spoken to a ranger earlier in the day and he said this area was better for swimming and he told us to walk up the gorge to the right and we would find a nice watering hole to have a dip, so we did!

The walk to Z-Bend, a narrow track.



The boys like it when they get to climb ladders. 




The rock here was very purple compared to the cliffs at nature's walk.



Our swimming hole, you can just make out Tom, Pete and myself over the other side, Charlie took the photo.

 


Looking back down the gorge form the swimming hole.



Geraldton / Horrocks

 GERALDTON 23^RD – 25^TH

On our way up to Geraldton we called into Jurien Bay. This is a lovely little fishing town which is obviously doing well out of the new HWY and the tourism it is creating for them. They have put in a new playground which is right on the beach and next to the new jetty, creating a great area for the whole family to use, good thinking.

Geraldton is a large town spread down both sides of Pt Moore and is a very windy place! There is a nice foreshore area all done up with paths, green grass areas and playgrounds, one of which is a small water play area for the kids. We stopped here so Tom and Charlie could have a play, then we walked to the main shopping strip. We went for a drive around to the point out through the industrial area where there is a lighthouse that is fenced off and a windy beach!

The thing we really enjoyed at Geraldton was the wonderful memorial they have done to honour the 645 men who lost their lives on the HMAS Sydney II, a very well thought out monument. 

The path leading up to the memorial.

This is a representation of the
bow of the HMAS ll



The dome with 645 silver seagulls on it.




A closer view showing the gulls.




The Waiting Lady



You need to read this as it explains about the waiting women and the pool of  remembrance ( below)






Pool of Remembrance





This explains the seagulls and the dome shape of the memorial.



For three nights we stayed here and every night the wind blew quite hard. I was sure the poles in the camper where going to be bent, needless to say we didn’t sleep that well. The one and only advantage to the wind was I could do five loads of washing and have them dried within two hours!

It was Anzac Day while we were here and for those who know us also know we go for the mighty Bombers so we really wanted to watch this game. We set ourselves up in the camp kitchen with the small T.V and watched it. I could hear Pete yelling at times from the toilet block 30 meters away. It was a good game even though we did loseL.

 HORROCKS 26^TH -27^TH

Tracey and Andy recommended we call in and have a look at this little fishing village, which we did and ended up staying 2 nights. Horrocks is a C.P., general store and a few beach chalets and fishing houses/ shacks all beside the beach. There is a lagoon with a reef protecting it and it looks very inviting. Once we had set up we went down to have a swim, thankfully the lady in the office warned us about the strong current. You jump off the pier and straight away you get carried off by the current. You can’t go too far because you are in a lagoon, it is just hard work if you don’t want to go the way of the current. We had our flippers and snorkels on but there wasn’t a lot to look at and it was going to be hard for the boys to swim over to the reef. It was still nice to have a swim in the clear water.




Looking down the main street of Horrocks with the general store on the left.




The beach.



Sunset At Horrocks

Pete could have had work here if time wasn’t an issue. The C.P. owner wanted things built but he wasn’t in a hurry, he said he had plenty of time but not enough money!

We got chatting to another couple from Victoria, Mike and Trish and their Jack Russell, Jackie. They are also travelling around and have been on the road for 7 months but stopped at Busselton for 2 months doing some work. They have sold the family home with no time limit and no hurry to find a new home. We are going the same the way so will see them in Kalbarri.

The Pinnacles

THE PINNACLES 21^ST – 22^ND

The Pinnacles Dessert is another place in Australia where you see nature at its best and you need to ask yourself why here? Like a lot of these places scientists and geologists have put forward their theories but it seems here there are different ideas as to what the Pinnacles are. One theory is the sandstone columns have been formed and buried for Millions of years and now they are slowly being exposed by the wind! The other theory is they are fossilised tree roots from millions of years ago! I go with the first theory!




Overlooking the area of the Pinnacles.

 

 We called in here 12 years ago and since then they have added an entry gate where you need to pay the $11 N.P entry fee, a nice looking discovery centre, flushing toilets and a huge car park.  We were wrapped that they still allowed you to drive your car in and around the pinnacles, they have just made it that you follow a track and not drive anywhere you want to!!

Another thing that has happened since our last visit is the building of a new HWY. It is called The Great Indian Ocean HWY which now allows you to drive up the coast line from Lancelin to Cervantes and it has opened up and created much more tourism to the small fishing towns along this route. It has also made the Pinnacles an easier place to get to and over Easter the Pinnacles had 700 cars a day visit them!!  Prior to this road you had to turn off the Brand HWY and drive over 50km to get to them.

We stayed at Cervantes for two nights and did a day trip to the Pinnacles. Unfortunately the day we got into Cervantes Charlie had Gastro so we had a quiet day while he rested.

We are starting to really understand the frustration my parents and a lot of other people who travelled this country 30 odd years ago feel.  With progress comes change, some for the better, some not, and with change comes costs and it really starts getting annoying when there is a charge/ costs at every “natural” occurring formation. We bought an Annual N.P Pass for Western Australia when we got to Esperance, it was $80 and we have gotten our money worth but it still frustrates us at all the times you are asked to pay up!! This country is not cheap to see so we are grateful we are doing this now and not in another 10 years! Yes, I feel better now, I have had my gripe!!