Kalbarri - Places to See

Kalbarri National Park
Few visitors would disagree that the Kalbarri National Park is simply one of the best National Parks in Australia. The combination of nearly 200 000 hectares which, between August and October, becomes a vast carpet of wildflowers, the elaborate and spectacular twists and turns of the Murchison River as it cuts its way to the sea, the dramatic beauty of Red Bluff, and the equally dramatic beauty of the sandstone cliffs to the south of Kalbarri township make it a National Park rich in variety, drama and beauty.

First contact with the park (for those people travelling west from the North West Coastal Highway) is the virgin bushland beside the road which, while dull in summer, turns into a wonderland of wildflowers in the spring. The thing which impresses every motorist is the sheer scale of the bushlands. There is literally over 50 km of roadway with wildflowers on either side.

The first turnoffs are to Ross Graham Lookout, a conveniently located lookout which looks east along the Murchison River from a rocky outcrop above the river. A little further west on a good dirt road is Hawks Head Lookout which offers similar views.

Returning to the road and driving towards Kalbarri the motorist next comes to the turnoff to the 'Z Bend' and 'The Loop'. The road out to the viewing points, which are located above the dramatic twists and turns of 'The Gorge', is a good quality dirt road covered with a distinctive yellow sand.

It is at 'The Loop' that visitors can inspect 'Nature's Window' - a large hole in the Tumblagooda sandstone walls (they were formed about 400-500 million years ago) far above the Murchison River. To visit 'Nature's Window' visitors should not take the turn marked 'Lookout 2' - although that is well worth visiting - but continue heading west until reaching a large car park. 'Nature's Window' itself is about 600 metres along the ridge. Located on the edge of the ridge it affords superb views of the entire loop. It is quite safe - if you are careful.

The road then goes into the small township of Kalbarri. If you follow the road through town it becomes a dirt road once again and runs along the cliffs for some kilometres. It would be easy to spend a day exploring all of the paths which lead to the cliff faces. It seems as though every few hundred metres there is another sign inviting the visitor to inspect dramatic cliffs with names like 'The Shell House', 'Castle Cove', 'Island Rock' and 'Rainbow Valley'. 'The Shell House' was named by the local rock lobster fishermen. From the sea the cliff resembles a house with a shell shaped roof. This feature obviously cannot be seen from the top of the cliffs.

This must be some of the most beautiful and spectacular coastline in Australia. The cliffs rise over 100 metres above the sea which crashes far below. The shapes of the gorges and the little promontories are dramatic and quite frightening. This is an adventure which is not for the faint hearted. There are no handrails on the edge of the cliffs and there is this awful feeling that any minute a giant piece of sandstone will collapse sending the visitor into the sea below.

The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) have a brochure of 'do's and don't' which includes a good map of the whole of Kalbarri National Park which should be obtained by anyone intending to do some bushwalking or exploring.

The road between Kalbarri and Port Gregory, while not being a major highway, is quite adequate. The early section through the National Park may be a little rough in places but once out of the park it is a dirt road which is nearly as good as a sealed road.