Kalbarri (pop. 2900) is a popular holiday resort which has been growing rapidly in recent years. Situated at the mouth of the winding Murchison River, with constant sunshine, the nearby Kalbarri National Park with its spectacular gorges, good fishing and an extraordinary abundance of wild flowers, the town is attracting increasing numbers of visitors.
Kalbarri National Park
(Mid West)
186,000ha.
Kalbarri National Park takes in an area of magnificent country on both sides of the Murchison River with awe-inspiring gorges and wide sandy plains. The windings of the river have cut deep into the sandstone. There are tracks leading to a number of fine viewpoints with a prospect of sheer sandstone walls and gorges up to 150m deep (the Loop/Nature's Window, Z Bend, Hawk's Head Lookout, Ross Graham Lookout).
On the coast south of the estuary of the Murchison River (on which canoeing is possible after rain) and the town of Kalbarri are imposing cliffs, which also continue northward, outside the National Park, to Shark Bay. They demonstrate the effects of erosion (Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock, Rainbow Valley, Pot Alley Gorge, Eagle Gorge, Shell House, Island Rock, Natural Bridge). In summer it can be very hot, and long climbing trips should not be undertaken at this time of year. Rain falls mainly in winter (June/July), after which the wild flowers blossom.
From the parking lots there are short signposted paths to various viewpoints and longer waymarked trails.
The roads within the park are unsurfaced tracks, but perfectly negotiable.
Address:
Department of Conservation and Land Management Midwest Regional Office, Box 72, Geraldton, WA 6530, Australia
Tips: Best time to visit: winter and spring.
Access from the south, on Brand Highway; from the north, on North West Coastal Highway; or on road running through the park from Kalbarri. Flights from Perth and Geraldton; coach tours from Perth and Kalbarri.
Warning: Swimmers should beware of sudden high waves on the cliff-fringed coast, and walkers should keep away from the edges of the cliffs, which tend to be crumbly.
No camping in park. No drinking water. Open fires prohibited.
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Kalbarri National Park, Kalbarri
