DCX3 (Kalbarri, WA)

Dinner was an interesting affair. The bus group that inhabited most of the restaurant were celebrating Christmas in July. It's not a concept that resonates with me and, in Kalbarri in July, it wasn't cold. In fact I've endured colder December days in Sydney. The food was fine, expensive but fine; not that it would necessarily be my first choice, should I return. However, even in school holidays, options were limited as we soon discovered.

The next morning was not the sunshine promised by my weather app. It was already cloudy which meant the Pink Lake or Hutt Lagoon, as it is properly known, would not be at its best. It also cast further doubt on the sunset cruise going ahead.

The local bakery, Red Bluff Bakery Café was fêted for its wares and coffee on some website Jayne had been using, so breakfast there en route to the lake was the plan. They were sold out of plain pies so we settled for a $6 sausage roll. Quite tasty. Am I out of touch, dear reader, or is that a tad pricey? And the coffee? Served in cardboard cups with a sippy lid. Two of my pet hates. Good coffee requires a proper cup. No coffee for me.

The Pink Lake

The view from the road to Kalbarri.

We drove past the Pink Lake on the way in to Kalbarri last evening. It was just on sunset and probably would have produced some spectacular photographs, but I was keen to get off the road, away from wandering animals, so we didn't stop. The road was punctuated by road kill, a black cat, kangaroos, wallabies and un upturned car.

Cloud kills the colour

The drive back takes around 35 minutes and during this time the sun came and went. We spotted a kangaroo, but it was far enough away not to be a concern. The cloud was moving fast in blustery conditions, signalling a change in weather.

Colouring up with a break in the clouds.

There were plenty of cars in the 'car park' and a bus, which meant the sand strip along the lake was crowded. The high ground, which afforded better views, was not so. Although we had an excellent vantage point the cloud really dulled the impact of the salt crystals that provide the colour. It was definitely pink, but looks blindingly fairy floss pink in full sun. They should have launched the Barbie movie here, there is more pink than the Barbie aisle at K-Mart. I'd come back to see it on a clear day, as it is quite startling and not something I've seen before.

An arty shot from Jayne.

On the drive back toward Kalbarri we passed the dead black cat for the third time which made today's title choice simple. DCX3 or Dead Cat Three Times by Grinspoon what a great rock band.

Bigurda Trail: Natural Bridge and Island Rock

The rest of the day was focused on the natural environment and we turned our trusty Camry back towards Kalbarri. After a short period of time second guessing how quickly the fuel would run down, I gambled that we had sufficient to stop and explore a couple of sights before heading back into town.

The clouds were being ripped across the sky by this time as the wind increased. A boardwalk on the edge of the coastal cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean was always going to be an interesting experience. The road in to these 'natural wonders' has recently been sealed. 

Island Rock

Car parked, we made our way to the first lookout point that provided views of Castle Cove and Island Rock. I'm not sure it was worth the walk to be honest. While the view was dramatic again, the colours were muted by the cloud. Undeterred we walked towards the other lookout to discover that we were gifted with a view of Island Rock from the northern side. About face, down the boardwalk to the southernmost point where Natural Bridge was the attraction.

Given the velocity of the wind and the sand that was providing us with a face exfoliation, we are not certain Natural Bridge is going to be a tourist hot spot for long.

Natural Bridge

In all seriousness, the walk along the cliff top was an attraction in itself. The two manufactured sights are really quite an embarrassment. It's like a little brother trying to outdo the elder, or some sort of animal competitive thing you'd see on a David Attenborough program. WA is bigger than Texas with plenty to offer, it doesn't need to 'create' attractions.

Point in case - whales. They were just doing their thing flopping about in the water. The assumption is that they are juvenile humpbacks.

Once again the car was pointed toward Kalbarri, this time for petrol before heading to the Kalbarri National Park. Incidentally, I'm averaging 5.4litres per 100km in the hybrid Camry. Pretty good given all the highway driving.

Kalbarri National Park 

First stop was the Skywalk. As the name suggests, this is a boardwalk that has been constructed by combining steel and sandtone to create two cantilevered viewing platforms that protrude out into the gorge, 100 metres above the Murchison River. The walkway provides a canvass for first nations Nanda artists to tell visitors about their Dreaming and the Beemarra Serpent, central to their country. It is also an opportunity to educate tourists about the local fauna and for some truth telling about the post-colonial treatment of the Nanda people.

The Skywalk structure boasts a capability of 1000 kgs per square metre of the steel mesh platforms - it is said to provide a thrilling experience and great photo ops of the gorge. Not so thrilling, if you are not comfortable looking through the mesh under your feet at the gorge floor 100 metres below you while the "sturdy world class engineering marvel" sways and sings in the strong WA winds....

Anyway, for your enjoyment, the less than thrilled intrepid photographer ignored the dangers and took the stunning shots of the gorge and the river before we moved on to the next walk in the Kalbarri National Park.

In WA, all walks are classed 1-4; a different rating system to NSW. The Skywalk was a class 1 walk - wheelchair accessible. There was some discussion about next going to Nature's Window, a much celebrated photo spot but this was rated a higher class walk so the decision was made to hold that over till next time.

Instead, we headed to the Z Bend Lookout Trail, a relatively short walk which was said to offer the most spectacular views of the park, showcasing the sheer gorge walls of iconic sandstone layers that are synonymous with this environment.

The walk also featured fossilised tracks made by the Eurypterid, a long extinct creature that looked a lot like a trilobite.

A model of the Eurypterid.

This was a Class 3 walk, the second most difficult. Yeah, nah. Too easy. It was clearly marked, had drainage channels and was stable underfoot. here was no scrambling or climbing. Too easy. Had I known I would perhaps have tackled Nature's Window, despite wearing jeans.

The fossilised tracks.

Meanarra Lookout

This lookout is outside of the park, on the drive back into town. We stopped and admired the 360° view but the wind had whipped up the sea spray to ensure the entire valley was covered in mist. No photo opportunity here as you can see.

On a clear day ... not today.

Despite the weather, the view is worth the short drive off the road and there are interactive points where Indigenous elders relate stories of the area. The wind and threat of rain sent us back to the car and The Edge to check on the viability of the sunset cruise.

Sunset Cruise and Pizza

No deal. For either. The weather was,  accurately described as foul by the cruise operator. It was off. As I put the phone down the drizzle turned to rain and the wind ratcheted up another notch. Not a afternoon to be on the water.

The reputedly best pizza in Kalbarri was a 3 minute walk from our accommodation. Once again a carefully researched destination. We arrived to the shop in utter darkness and a potential customer was sitting on the doorstep, surrounded by all her shopping bags of groceries. Shortly after, a car arrived and disgorged more potential pizza eaters. We stood and discussed the situation as the phone continued to ring inside.

The lady who was waiting when we arrived said this was not an uncommon event as there was illness within the family. To wait or retreat? The rain and wind settled it.

Plan B. Back to the resort, into the car and down to the jetty to the Jetty Seafood Shack. This turned out to be a masterstroke. Again the food was expensive but it was excellent. Certainly some of the best fish and chips we've had. We would most definitely return because of the quality of the food but also because we witnessed the staff breaking in a new worker. She was slightly under the pump at her station and she was frequently asked how she was going, was she okay, did she need a drink of water?  Nice to see them look after a newbie.

And that's about it. We watched the cricket - go Australia - tomorrow is a 4 hour drive without breaks, but there will be breaks.

Until next time.