Day 122 - Kalbarri and to the south

It was sunny this morning - and windy.  The wind did not relent until about 3pm but this did not stop us having a look at Kalbarri and all highlights to the south.  There are no accessible coastal attractions to the north of Kalbarri, beyond the visible and very large sand dunes.

Kalbarri is a township of about 2000 people which swells to about 7000 in the holiday season.  It is on the coast and alongside the mouth of the Murchison River. There is a single main street along the river bank and the town is very well presented.  The Murchison River is the second longest river in Western Australia at 820km and has a catchment area of 82,000 square km, which is larger than Tasmania. 

So, needless to say, most highlights are near the sea.  Tourists are of course well catered for and all the scenic spots have excellent pathways, particularly where there are cliff top walks.  Given they are cliff top attractions we did not have to suffer too much walking.  However, there were eleven attractions and assuming an average 250m walk to each attraction, that meant we must have walked at least 5.5km.  Add the shopping and we knew we had been on our feet a fair portion of the day.

Now, the attractions.  Oh, one should add 

• these are all within 9km of Kalbarri 
• no further explanations as the pictures tell their own stories
• we saw whales but could not get a photgraph
• you are rested from having to view the many wildflowers photographed during the day

060814 The mouth of the Murchison River

060814 Kalbarri from a sand dune near rhe town

060814 The mouth of the Murchison River with its bar
from the Ross Graham Lookout

060814 The Blue Holes - beautiful clean water in holes in the rocks

060814 From Jakes Point looking north

060814 A seal fishing at the base of Red Bluff

060814 Red Bluff - the cliffs are composed of the Tumblagooda Sandstone

060814 From Red Bluff looking north over Red Bluff Beach

060814 From Red Bluff looking south

060814 Mushroom Rock - with some imagination

060814 Pot Alley - so called because of all the lobster pots lost there

060814 Eagle Gorge looking north

060814 Eagle Gorge looking a bit inland

060814 Eagle Gorge - some keen people took the path to the beach

060814 A pod of dolphins off Eagle Gorge 

060814 The Shellhouse - don't know why it is called this

060814 The Grandstand - again with some imagination

060814 A local resting on the cliff top

060814 Another cliff top dweller

060814 Rock Island - or we found the twelfth apostle

060814 The Natural Bridge