Kalbarri National Park

Nature's Window is recognisably the unofficial hallmark of Kalbarri. It's easy to see why this is such a familiar trademark however Kalbarri is so much more than just this!

The beautiful Murchison River that snakes its way from the Indian Ocean through the humble seaside village of Kalbarri and out to the National Park is the link between the sea and the outback.

The river gorges are reminiscent of two other 'K' national parks being Kings Canyon and Karijini but Kalbarri is of course unique in its own right. The red and white slate-like sandstone (Tumblagooda Sandstone) lines the cliffs at varying angles and the green river and plants make a beautiful contrast against it. Nature's Window and Z Bend are the feature pieces and depending how you choose to adventure you can enjoy an easy stroll or a longer more challenging hike to enjoy both of these areas.

The drive in (now almost completely sealed road) is lined with wildflowers of so many varying species. It's hard to believe that they haven't been carefully placed and purposely planted there as the shrubs and flowers heights and colours are complimentary of one another.

Not only does Kalbarri National Park have the river gorges but it also has the 'Great Ocean Road of the west' being the magnificent coastal cliffs. Unfortunately for us the windy weather made it too difficult to do as much walking here as we would have liked but what we did do was amazing! From Red Bluff, nearest to the township of Kalbarri, to Natural Bridge in the south, the Indian Ocean pounds the cliff faces revealing rocks of varying colours and formations as it has done for thousands of years. We were lucky enough to watch a pod of whales breaching and splashing about from Natural Bridge lookout. A local tells me that the whales get closer to the lookouts than the whale watching cruises can get to the whales making the clifftops some of the best whale watching spots in WA.

There is much to see and do in this part of Australia. Be sure to book ahead if you're planning to visit in peak time or you may miss out like we almost did. We stayed at the Big River Ranch which has a lovely country charm and is convenient to town and the National Park.