Up early in our roadside camp, and off by 8am
First stop Kalbarri National Park by 8.30am, where we revisited places we last visited 20 years ago. The national park is fantastic - the main feature being a massive gorge which snakes its way through the park.
Of course as ever things have changed over 20 years. There are now marked footpaths, guard rails, specified look outs, warning notices. Places where we were last photographed clambering on are fenced off as too dangerous etc - but the increased volume of people justifies this I guess, although the park was still very quiet.
Went for a few small walks over the park, all in all we would have walked 5 miles or so. Tried our best to enthuse the kids not only with the vistas, and physical features of the gorge, under cutting by water, striation marks on rock which show that they were formed under the sea, but also the fauna. There are some amazing wild flowers, and also grass trees (when we were last in Aus these were called "black boy" trees). These are trees that are close to the oldest surviving trees in the world with fossil evidence showing they were around at the time of dinosaurs.
In terms of wildlife, some pretty birds, a kangaroo and lots of feral goats which they are trying to cull out of the national park along with feral pigs, rabbits, foxes and cats. Clearly the number of goats we saw suggests they have a way to go!
It was very pleasant in the National Park - 25 degrees C or so and a gently cooling wind.
Then onto Kalbarri town itself. Our abiding memory of Kalbarri is hot, still and flies, flies and more flies. This time there was a gale force wind so no flies. We had our picnic lunch by the sea, but anytime anyone got up, their chair blew away.
We then slowly moved down towards Geraldton, calling in on a few of the coastal features (trying not to get blown away), until we realised that we were again getting short on daylight, so speeded up towards Geradlton.
On the way we passed a bright pink lake where the natural beta carotene in the soil makes the sea appear bright pink.
Around Kalbarri the landscape suddenly changes from bush (as per Kalbarri national park) to huge fields of wheat and pasture supporting sheep. We went through a town called Northampton, and some of the houses, along with the greenery, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in some park of rural England.
We arrived at Geradlton just as it was getting dark. A friend from work had kindly "volunteered" his friends driveway for us to sleep in. His friend was away so had offered to leave a key under the doormat so that we could use his loo, kitchen, washing machine etc.
He actually had someone else house sitting so when I tried the door I nearly gave the English house sitter a heat attack, but once we established who we were we took full advantage of the shower (water is very limited in Shark Bay and Coral Bay) and the washing machine. Kids took full advantage of a TV for the first time for 3 weeks!
Arrival in Geraldton was amidst a massive storm. Gale force winds and rain such that we got soaked to the skin in the 10 metres between the campervan on the driveway and the house. The house is right on the coast, overlooking a fantastic beach. However exploring the beach will have to be tomorrows job!
Stayed c/o Dr John Pollard, 32 Glendinning Road, Tarcola Beach, Geraldton
photos to follow....
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