Kalbarri has become my Australian home. The coastal cliffs are beautiful, the Indian Ocean on my doorstep is ferocious, the fish are fresh from the sea and there is loads to be explored.
I have been living in Kalbarri for a while now, and I like to feel that I have done most things there are to do here. So I thought I would share with you guys what I have been doing with my spare time, maybe convince one or two of you to escape your own personal rat race and relax into this coastal town, even if it is only for a few days!
Lack of curtains means the sunrise wakes me up every morning, usually 6, 6.30 if I’m lucky. Grab a quick breakfast and my snorkelling gear we’re heading to Blue Holes. This part of the beach is sheltered by the reef making pools perfect for swimming and snorkelling. Get your mask on and dive in. The reef in these pools are full of hundreds of little tropical fish, bobbing around in the gentle swell of the Indian Ocean, generally loving their little fishy lives. Swim north, out of the Protected Area and the spear comes out, dive down into the channels under the ocean and you will see Snapper, Parrot fish and other larger fish. See how good your aim is and maybe you will take home some lunch. You can’t get better fish than one you speared your self!
Throw a cray pot in the ocean and check it in a day or two, with any luck you will have a nice fat cray to cook up, if luck is against you, you will end up wrestling a Wobbegong shark out of the pot. There’s nothing like a good shark wrestle before lunch.
No luck with the spear or crays? thats fine, grab your rod and we can head off to the cliffs. A little 4×4 track and a hike down the cliffs and we are standing 10m above the water. Theres nothing and no one around for miles, just the Indian Ocean and Kalbarri’s Famous red cliffs. Hook on some bait and cast out, catch your self a nice Pink Snapper or Mulloway. Things get too hot, dive off the cliffs into the ocean, explore the sea caves with crystal clear waters, just make sure the swell is low. No one wants to get dragged out to sea!
If you’re not into getting wet, jump on a quad bike and head up the Murchison river, hundreds of winding tracks, over red rock, through boggy sand, past wild goats and 2m high ant hills! Hike up Big Red and try and trace the river from the horizon to the ocean. Vast bush surrounds you for as far as the eye can see.
If you liked the hike, head into the National park, 6k around the loop, along the river, over the top of the gorges and of course the famous Natures Window. Climb down the Z-bend over the red rock, through huge gorges, down to the river and relax on the huge boulders littering the river bed.
If camping is your thing, get a car full of mates, cool box full of beer and head down to Lucky Bay. Let your tires down and spend the day driving over sand dunes, watch the waves explode against the reef line just off shore. Grab a sand board and test your balance down some 40m dunes!
Swim in the aqua blue bay and dry off under the hot Australian sun. Find a few dead trees and build your self a fire. Stick on your favourite playlist and drink beer by the fire sat under the majestic Milky Way!
Finish any day with my favourite part of Kalbarri, the sunsets. You really are spoilt for choice here. Watch the sunset, on Meanarra hill, with a view of the whole town; watch it down at Pot Alley sat on the natural bridge and where the dolphins dive through the waves right in front of you; watch it at Jacques point while the local surfers enjoy the last of the day light riding 20ft barrells; watch it over the Murchison river as the hire boats turn into silhouettes; walk up to Red Bluff and watch the last of the whale season swim past with their blowholes erupting all across the ocean; or my new favourite, dive into the ocean, swim into the caves and watch the sunset over crystal clear waters while the cave becomes illuminated by the warm glow of the sun disappearing over the Indian Ocean.
I have loved my time here is Kalbarri, but it is time to move on.
There is a video here to compliment this post, check it out.
One thought on “Just Another Day In WA – Kalbarri”
I’ve never had an interest in Australia, but you’re starting to really sell it to me! Maybe one day, when i’ve done everything else..
Can’t wait to see where you’re off to next!