Kalbarri

Wildflowers

About 25 kilometres from the intersection of the North West Coastal Highway and the Kalbarri Road turn off the scenery totally changed from desert to rolling hills of green pastures, grain crops, and grazing sheep. Then we saw natures stunning array of wildflowers - ground covers of white, yellow, hot pink, pale pink, mauve and shrubs of red and yellow. I have this amazing picture etched in my mind of a carpet of white contrasting against the green, like it had just snowed in one particular area. This is absolutely gorgeous country. Our route took us through the Kalbarri National Park to the pretty seaside town of Kalbarri with its open sandy beaches and where the Murchison River meets the Indian ocean. This so reminds us of Caloundra where the Pumistone passage opens to the sea.

Natural Bridge

We had a three night stay at a park opposite the River and found lots to explore around the area. Safe swimming beaches and surf beaches, fishing spots, rock pools, whale watching, lookouts, a rugged coastline and the beautiful wildflower landscapes. The Kalbarri National Park's coastal gorges were easy to access with walking trails from the car parks where we saw dramatic cliff formations made up of layers of sandstone and limestone which the ocean has eroded over millions of years.

Island Rock

Moving on from Kalbarri we travelled down the coast road through the National Park and then the country opened up again to more rolling hills of pasture and more contented sheep and fat cattle - we really have left the desert behind, at last! Detoured into Port Gregory, a tiny fishing village, passing Hutt Lagoon otherwise known as 'Pink Lake' . The pink colour is caused by bacteria trapped in the salt granules which produces beta carotene. It was an overcast day so it was probably a little more subdued and we were told the sunsets are stunning when the colour changes from pinks to mauve and to purple hues.

The Pink Lake

Back out on the main road again, we came across the ruins of the stone buildings of the historic Lynton Hiring Station established in 1853 to house the convict labour who worked for the lead mines at Geraldine and local pastoral stations. The harsh conditions of the time forced the closure in 1856.

On to our next stop at Horrocks, another seaside

town.