TRAVEL WESTERN AUSTRALIA by FACTS4YOU.NET

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North Hampton is the next small town north of Geraldton. Historically famous, Northhampton still retains most of the original buildings & is well worth a stop. The remaining 100 or so k’s to Kalbarri is through rolling hill country with a few amazing pyramid shaped hills to relieve the otherwise non-spectacular scenery.

Some 70 k’s from Kalbarri I had to turn left off the northern highway which continues onto Carnarvon. Now driving west through  low, scrubby,  flat bushland, the remaining trip passes the various turnoffs into the famous Murchison River Gorges. More about those later. Several k’s east of Kalbarri the road ascends a very high hill from the top of which Kalbarri & the shimmering blue Indian Ocean suddenly hoves into sight.

Kalbarri, Murchison River & Indian Ocean – From Eastern Approach

Similar view at sunset

Kalbarri was quite busy. This was the last day or so of the school holidays so the holiday makers were still in abundance. We drove along the main street of Kalbarri which runs alongside the banks of the Murchison River & located our apartment accomodation. We received a bit of a shock on seeing the place we would be staying at for the next week. Now I realised why the advertising for the apartments on the internet had not shown any photos of the front of the apartments.  There had been plenty of photos of the inside of the apartment which looked okay.

This was Sunday afternoon (late), & the apartment Manager had left a note on the office door for us. The key to our apartment was in the door. Well that was a new one for us. Must be very honest folk living in Kalbarri. We parked in the appointed parking bay & then with some concern about what we would find entered the apartment.

Delightful…two large bedrooms, laundry, bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs a very roomy family room/lounge area, large kitchen supplying all necessities & a balcony with fantastic views over the Murchison River, the northern beaches & the entrance to the Murchison. Now while from the front the apartments were not enticing whatsoever, internally they were excellent. A classic case of “dont judge a book by it’s cover”!

And I should add  that this accommodation was only $110 per day…..!

View of Murchison River & northern Kalbarri beaches  from our Sunseas Villas apartment balcony – fabulous

Lounge/Dining area Sunsea Villas Apartment

Sunseas Villas Kitchen – Roomy & everything to be self sufficient.

We unpacked our bags & gear & were settled in within the hour. Next it was time for a walk across the road to the Murchison River banks to see what goes on at sunset. There were lots of families enjoying fishing from either the river banks, jetties & the rocky formations that occupy the southern river banks near the entrance into the Indian Ocean.

It was now around 6 pm & sunset was rapidly aproaching. We had decided on the famous “take away” Kalbarri  fish & chips for dinner so it was time for a couple of sunset photos then back to the apartment & then to the fish & chip shop.

Sunset over the Murchison River Entrance – Kalbarri

The skies were now a brilliant mix of pinks & pastels as the sun dipped into the Indian Ocean. What a perfect scene to conclude a perfect day’s travelling.

Please revisit shortly. Part Three will be all about what to do in & around Kalbarri with lots of photos.

See you soon.

Copyright May 2009

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Sunday the 26th April was a perfect Autumn day for a long drive north.  Clear blue skies, no wind….excellent. We had packed our bags the day before. All we had to do was load our gear into our new Mazda 3 sedan,  & head north on our 600 kilometre drive north to the fun holiday coastal town of  Kalbarri.  We had 7 exciting nights accommodation booked in Kalbarri…& we were really looking forward to the holiday.

We got away a bit late; 9.15 a.m.  instead of the planned 8.15. However we were in no great rush & intended enjoying the drive north along the Brand Highway.

From our home in the northern beach suburbs of Perth,  in order to connect with the major road artery to get to our north west, we drive north along Wanneroo road to just north of Moore River. We then take a crossover road to the east which joins up with the Brand Highway. The Brand is an excellent major road artery  that leads to the midlands city of  Geraldton & is suited to fast travelling…with great care at all times.

Now we have undertaken this journey numerous times. This trip we fell for a trap. On our last trip upto Lancelin we noticed a road that headed east just south of Lancelin. Being in an adventurous mood I decided we would drive north past our usual turnoff just past Moore River. Big mistake. We travelled an extra 40 k’s north past our usual turnoff, only to discover the more northerly turnoff actually ended up heading back south for a similar distance. We ended up back on the road we normally would have taken.

Lesson …..check the map prior to wandering off onto unknown country roads!

Having wasted the best part of an hour driving on one of the loneliest roads on the planet, we eventually connected with the Brand Highway & headed northwards. The Brand Hwy passes through several extremely isolated, very small townships.  Cataby, Badjingarra & Eneabba are the main road stops on the way north that finally culiminates in the city of Geraldton.  These  road stops contain just one or two road houses & very small populations. Out here you really get familiar with “isolation in the great Australian outback”.

I can see for miles & miles…. Driving north along the Brand Hwy around Eneabba

Wind Farms – Badgingarra region – Approx 205 kilometres north of Perth

To the west of the Brand hwy, in the Badgingarra region,  I was amazed to see numerous wind mills on the hills, forming part of an enormous wind farm that extends for many kilometres towards the coast.  I dont recall seeing this on our last visit north to Geraldton. We were to fully experience the enormity of this wind farm project on our return journey along the coastal road.

We decided to push on north until we reached Eneabba where we would stop at the one & only roadhouse for lunch. Normally the Brand hwy is very busy with lots of articulated semi trailers, numerous grey nomads holding the traffic up with their slower caravans, & sadly, some crazy drivers trying to break the sound barrier.  However on this Sunday morning the road was very quiet.

Wow…there are other people out here! Typical country around the Brand Hwy on the trip north to Geraldton. Eneabba region

We pulled into the Eneabba road house around 12.15. Now there is not much of much whatsoever in the little township of Enabba. I think the town mainly services some mining facilities further inland. The first thing I noticed when getting out of the Mazda was the temperature was somewhat higher than back down south, even though we were now only some  280 kilometres north of Perth. In addition the flies were numerous!

After enjoying an excellent egg & bacon roll & coffee we continued north, feeling much refreshed. The drive north of Badginarra & the Eneabba region, while mainly somewhat flat & boring, does contain some spectacular high, flat topped “Messa” style ridges. Otherwise the country is harsh & dry. Not an area to break down in or wander off the main road without plenty of water. Because out there you wont find any H2O…& that can be fatal due to the average very high temps.

Travelling the Brand the maximum speed limit is 110 KPH. We sat on our 110 KPH which feels like one is crawling along after half an hour or so.  Within another hour or so we passed through the large town of Dongara. Now from the Brand Hwy the impression one gets is that there is not much to Dongara. However, if you have time to deviate off the Brand into Dongara, you will find a most pleasant town. And only a few k’s  to the southwest there is the delightful town of Port Dennison. In fact Dongara & Port Dennison are top places to enjoy a quiet holiday by the sea!

We didn’t have time for too much sight seeing on the way north. We still had some 250 k’s to Kalbarri. On the way home we did deviate into Port Dennison. More of that later.

Finally, after passing through Dongara & seeing the strange horizontal growing trees between Dongara & Geraldton, we by-passed the city via the ring road system. Trees grow almost horizontal in the region due to the constant, strong westerly winds that blast the Geraldton region most of the year round.

Geraldton is a delightful, large town on the coast, designated a city. We reached Geraldton around 2.30 pm. We still had another 170 k’s to Kalbarri. We wanted to be there by late afternoon so we pushed through Geraldton, refueled some 15 k’s north of the city & continued on our way through the very scenic hilly country to North Hampton.

Fuel stops are few & far between in the northern regions. For that reason it is always wise to top up the fuel tank regularly!

That’s it for now. The next part of the story will be about Kalbarri & surrounds as we found things. Fantastic scenic photos. Great place. Great fun!  If you are thinking about enjoying your own holiday to Kalbarri dont miss the next segment. See you shortly.

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Do you recently dream of relaxing opposite a colorful, meandering river situated in a semi wild coastal landscape? Fishing rod at the ready. Bait out there somewhere enticing a fish…or maybe a crab. And feeling so relaxed you dont really care whether a fish takes the bait or not. In fact, hopefully a fish wont take the bait, as that would mean investing the effort to reel the line in…& then having to clean & cook the poor old fish! How would you like to enjoy that lifestyle for several days, instead of enduring the daily traffic grind & dealing with crazy people. Well, maybe not all the people you know are crazy…..?

Since Christmas; 2008; it really has proved a crazy & somewhat stressful couple of months. As a result, last week we decided to book ourselves into Sunsea Villas up at Kalbarri,some 550 k’s north of Perth, Western Australia. In late April we have a week to look forward to of enjoying gorgeous views of the Murchison River & the Indian Ocean from the balcony of the 2 story apartment we have booked. In actuality we dont intend to sit on that balcony for seven days! Although having stayed at Kalbarri a number of times over a 25 year period that would not be hard to do!

Kalbarri is a delightful country, coastal holiday town situated right on the coast & directly opposite the mouth of the  famous Murchison River. Besides the fact that this coastal strip contains fantastic ochre red  cliffs, colourful ocean, & things like pods of dolphins to film, & maybe some whales (wrong time of year I think), the rugged country surrounding the Murchison River is reason enough for a few scenic drives during our stay. Kalbarri offers a wide scope of scenic tours to keep one very busy…however who wants to be busy!

April is an ideal time to holiday in the Murchison River region, north of Geraldton, as the weather is near perfect, the kids are all at school giving peace in holiday towns, & holiday crowds are somewhat thinned out. Plus it’s the shoulder season & accommodation costs are very attractive. You can enjoy the best fish & chips & fresh crayfish (lobster) in the world at Kalbarri. Man, I can taste those delicious foods now!

While staying in Kalbarri we intend to zoom a bit further north, well some 360 k’s north, to visit Monkey Mia & then a bit further north to Carnarvon. We will stay a night in Carnarvon then drive back to Kalbarri the following day. In the northern regions of Western Australia, sitting on the speed limit of 110 K/hour, one can cover a lot of country in a short time! Maybe we might get sidetracked for an extra day. Anyway there’s no hurry is there!

I intend to take lots of great photos & video on the trip. That means in mid May return to this blog to view the latest from the world of Kalbarri. If you ever intend to visit Western Australia & wish to enjoy a great holiday make sure Kalbarri is high on your list.

Looking forward to telling you about our holiday north to kalbarri & beyond in mid May!

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We woke up to a perfect day in Kalbarri Western Australia at the Kalbarri Beach Resort. The sky was crystal clear and the day felt like it would be a  warm one. Now this was mid June and back down in Perth, only about 500 kilometres south, it was pouring cats and dogs and very chilly. Kalbarri was the place to be!

After breakfast we drove west through the town of Kalbarri, which is not huge, but very pleasant with everyone dressed for the beach type atmosphere, wandering through the early morning shops and along the banks of the Murchison River. Kalbarri fishing is excellent and lots of people were enjoying fishing from either the river banks, jetties, or from boats anchored out in the river.

We inspected the Blue Ocean Villas, the  Reef Villas and the Palm Resort. Kalbarri hotel accommodation is wide in in the variety of quality. So you need to check the features of each hotel, resort or apartment carefully prior to booking. The locations mentioned earlier are all excellent.

For those touring in caravans there are several Kallbari Caravan Parks. The Murchison Caravan Park provides excellent facilities. This facility is central to all attractions.

We had heard the roar and rumble of the cray boats very early in the morning. Their day starts about 4 am as they need to check their cray pots early and get the catch of crayfish back into port as early as possible. later that day we were to enjoy a few of the crayfish caught that morning…none fresher anywhere.

Anyway we drove south adjacent to the rugged cliffs that descend steeply to the Indian Ocean. We had an excellent tour map in order to determine how far south to drive to start our walking tour from the various car parks into the tops of the cliffs. Our first stop proved to be an excellent photo stop from the viewing platform situated at the top of the red ocre coloured cliffs. The reason being that a large pod of dolphins a couple of hundred feet below us were having a great time diving and porpoising out of the ocean in pursuit of school fish. Wow what a sight.

We made a few more photo stops at various perfectly located car parks and the scenery was spectacular at each spot. About mid day we settled into a beautiful scenic area, and sat on our portable picnic chairs to enjoy our lunch of sandwiches and coffee while watching the ocean crashing onto the rocks of a sandy bay many feet below us. The birdlife was great as they dived and swooped on the heated rising air into and out of the bay below us.

When you visit Kalbarri make sure you allow a full day to explore the coastal region around ten kilometres south of Kalbarri almost into Kalbarri town itself. The colours of the cliffs, the magnificent Indian Ocean, the wild life and the foaming waves smashing onto the rugged rocky coastline will provide you with many magnificent photos and video to take home with you.

We eventually wound our way back into Kalbarri proper late afternoon just in time to once again watch some of the fishing boats braving the dangerous rips and currents into the harbour entrance. Make sure you dont miss that event either. We then went and purchased a few more fresh crays for dinner that evening.

Tomorrow we head east, from Kalbarri to the inland to explore the magnificent, rugged Murchison Gorges in the Kalbarri National Park area. Please visit again for the third day.

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One of the most magical holiday destinations has to be exciting Kalbarri Western Australia. Situated on the Western Australian coast, about 150 kilometres north west of the coastal city of Geraldton, Kalbarri has every thing to offer for your perfect holiday. Does not matter if the holiday is for a family of six or a honeymoon for two…Kalbarri WILL fulfill your every holiday dream!

Doesn’t matter if your level of comfort is a caravan, tent, motel or a five star resort; Kalbarri accommodation has them all. Take your pick, but make sure you book well in advance as this is a very popular holiday destination…with good reason!

I so enjoyed my last brief trip north from Perth to Kalbarri that I will be heading back there shortly for a much longer stay. We arrived in Kalbarri mid afternoon and checked into the Kalbarri Resort just in time for a power blackout. Fortunately the power was back on within an hour or so otherwise the night would have been very dark indeed.

We settled into our comfy two bedroom apartment just a stones throw from some jetties on the Murchison River. The local Crayfishing fleet anchors around or near these jetties. Wow; did I just mention crayfish…I sure did. This is the land of fresh crayfish on the hoof…or is that on the fin…I dont know. What I do know is that we did buy freshly caught and cooked crayfish the next day and man were they ever the greatest taste delight that evening with a couple of cold beers and icy chardonnay!

That first evening we went to watch the sunset from the beaches just a kilometre or two from central Kalbarri. Now the coast that runs north and south at Kalbarri is in itself worth the trip from wherever you are right now. Magical red cliffs and rugged rocky outcrops that fall steeply to the Indian Ocean churn through a myriad array of mystical shades of ochres and reds as the sun sinks into the western horizon.

We were fortunate enough to witness the last of the fishing fleet manouvering their way in from the green, blue Indian Ocean through the difficult and treacherous entry via surf washed reefs to get into the safety of the Murchison River and the port of Kalbarri. How these Skippers pilot their large fishing boats through these churning waters is another reason for you to visit Kalbarri. I could sit and watch the excitement of the boats leaving and returning each day and never get bored!! Real scary stuff!!

After sunset we drove the short trip back into Kalbarri central. By now the lights were on and the colours and vibrant atmosphere were excellent. We found a fish and chip shop, purchased fish and chips and sat on our balcony overlooking the Murchison accompanied by an excellent Charonnay!

Wow this was just day one and I loved Kalbarri. Tomorrow we planned to do a tour of the coastal strip to watch the rock fishermen and get some photos of this fantasticaly rugged and beautiful country of outback Western Australia.

Visit us again in a couple of days for the next post about fantastic Kalbarri.

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