Denham to Kalbarri

Shell Beach

It was an unusually quiet Blunderbuss that left Denham. I think we were all musing on our fantastic experiences there. Either that or it was communal anxiety over the bakery being closed and having nothing tasty for morning tea! We crossed over the 126th parallel - again - and stopped to view Shell Beach, comprised entirely of billions of tiny cockle shells, amassed over the last 4000 years.

The start of the 3.4km Project Eden fence

Project Eden's 2.4m high vermin proof electric fence starts on the beach there and goes across the narrow neck of the isthmus to the southern side. Eradication of wild goats, foxes, rabbits and feral cats is not yet complete, but the re-introduction of many rare native species has started. Bilbies and banded hare wallabies are apparently doing well there.

Ella gave us all a good scare as we drove on, yelling "BIG ROO". Dave braked, we all braced for the impact and when nothing happened asked "Where?" She said airily "Oh, back there. It's already dead." The next set of tyres may well come out of her pocket money! Wheat crops started to appear as we travelled further south and there were amazing fields of wildflowers through Kalbarri National Park.

The Murchison River meets the sea spectacularly
in Kalbarri

Kalbarri was windy - what a surprise! - and the surf was wild, crashing onto the rocky headland.

We got the van sorted and put the tent up quickly so the boys could listen to the Rugby semifinal. There is nothing like an All Blacks v. Wallabies game to divide the family - although the boys now all support the All Blacks. Ever pragmatic, they support the All Blacks and the Aussie cricket team for the best chances of victory! Ella got bored after the first try so I took her for a walk to prolong her lifespan. We watched in awe as the wild surf crashed onto the headland and the spray whipped along the beach.

View towards Kalbarri from Red Bluff -
named by Willem de Vlamingh in 1697

Next morning we drove the Kalbarri coastline, stopping at scenic points along the way. Red Bluff was used by the Dutch mariners in the 1600s to help them navigate the treacherous waters, as it was able to be seen many miles out to sea. We called in to most of the attractions along the 13km to the Park's southern boundary, but Natural Bridge was our favourite. We spotted a Humpback whale off the coast and watched it breaching - the classic belly-up splash. There were at least 5 whales travelling together and we watched, spell-bound, for an hour or so. The Kalbarri cliffs provide an amazing vantage point for spotting marine life. Lachie and Dave went off to try their luck fishing after lunch, and returned very quickly, having lost their sinkers and line in their first casts. The locals obviously know where to fish, but we are having trouble!

Spray forcing its way between the rocks

On our last day in Kalbarri water started falling from the sky. We had almost forgotten what rain was since leaving home! We drove out to the coast to see a couple of spots we missed the day before as the skies seemed clearer to the south. The rain, clouds and wind added more drama to the already dramatic coastline. The walk around Mushroom Rock was 3kms of fascinating coastline with interpretive panels along the way. The rock itself was magnificent and covered by hundreds of colourful crabs. Every now and again the swell sent a huge wave crashing through a split in the rocks, which of course had the boys climbing up to view it from on high. While they were there, they took the opportunity to help Mother Nature rearrange one of the rock layers ...

Further along were beautifully coloured layers of rocks, with what I thought were plants "dripping" over the edge. Closer inspection (and the interpretive information) revealed fossilised burrows from ancient wormlike creatures. The kids were very impressed.

Wildflowers bloom even on the sand!

The rain started again as we reached the carpark, so we drove out to the Murchison River section of Kalbarri National Park, hoping it would clear. Ross Graham Lookout was a fantastic vantage point and we climbed down to the river before the rain set in again. The kids enjoyed sheltering under overhanging cliffs and exploring small caves before paddling in the river.

Murchison River far below

Hawks Head was another wonderful lookout, but Marcus was too excited about finding the perfect stick to appreciate the view.

The triumphant stick hunter!

Lach was desperate to fish so we took him to the jetty in the late afternoon. An old fellow was next to him, catching yellow fin bream every time his hook hit the water. He had half a bucket of fish in no time, whilst we did not get a bite. He shared his "secret" bait recipe before he left: tuna oil, pollard, meat meal and prawns. Fishing in Haystack Creek is so much easier! A worm and a handline and you're done. I suggested it might be easier to just throw $20 notes into the water and that it would possibly be more fun as well, but it fell on deaf ears.

Onwards to Geraldton next.

Stay tuned ...