Kalbarri, WA

A very rare calm entrance to the Kalbarri Harbour, mouth of the Murchison River

Kalbarri, WA

From the Murchison River to the Sea

Kalbarri is a must-see place for anybody who lives the other side of The Paddock. It really is something, located at the mouth of the Murchison River after its journey from the red and spectacular inland through some of the best scenery in the state.  Combined with such a magnificent coastline aspect the deep and fascinating gorges make this place a travellers' must-see item.

Local Pied Butcherbirds automatically wake people with original compositions.

The Murchison Rose is small as roses go.

Kalbarri's Anchorage van park was a perfect home base for a varied and interesting stay. Before saying anything about the place, let's get something really out there; the people running the park, from Gemma to Pete and the others in equal measure, are outstanding in their interaction with park clients. They put up with my reluctant acceptance of the Australia Post attitude to WA's mid-north and when finally the problem was solved they were seemimgly as happy to be part of it as we were!
Other things being equal, the Anchorage CP was neat and always clean, with huge sites and driveways.The views of the Murchison River are pacific and the position of the park makes the wind easily managed. Sure the sites are not concrete, but a huge piece of shadecloth over the sand made it fit in with the atmosphere.

Mind you, our troubles with Zan's cracked contact lens (left her as grumpy and unhappy as any cyclops might be) meant just that sight-seeing was only half as good as it should have been, and others had far worse troubles to cope with. One young family man was pretty distraught at being far from their Queensland home, and almost exactly half-way round a lap, and his towing vehicle developed a potentially deadly fault. It would simply die, without warning, without any comprehensible reason, and he had whatever way he had up at the time to find a place to stop, minus power steering or brakes.  Hair-raising stuff with wife and two young children aboard the 5th-wheeler.  Not surprisingly, he decided to have ANOTHER shot at getting it fixed, sending it off on a flat-top to Geraldton. His list of attempted fixes impressed everybody but no-one could offer more than genuine sympathy, and an inward prayer of thanks that we didn't face his predicament. I googled the make, year and model and found that he is truly not alone, the frustration and anger at the maker's inability to fix its own products listed off by hundreds of owners. No news yet of the result, so I can only hope for the best.

   

When we finally gave up waiting and went out to the Gorges we got a great day, photo-light wise, with a gentle anti-fly breeze doing its best. We soon worked out that we were in sync with four other vehicles, all popping along to see the totally managed vantage points allowed by NPWS.

One effect of this caged-tourist stategy is that the sheds, shades, seats and so on are all in one place and therefore easier to maintain; pity about the budget to do it though. Now the facilities are looking tired, yet the Tollgate at the entrance is not.

The scenery around the Murchison River is compulsory fare for the WA traveller and international visitors abound.
The road in is becoming mundane, though the campervan traffic still needs to proceed with egg-shell caution (perhaps they could pack the eggs a bit better instead of travelling at 20 km/hr). The day was perfect, as I said, and even the flies were subdued and the precautions provided by our WA guides were unnecessary. They did get comments from the Others we met, ranging from 'I like your hats!' to 'bit of an improvement, mate'.

The colours and bizarre rock formations are fascinating. Despite the over-management it is still worth the walks to get the views from the chosen vantage points, and we had no trouble climbing up, down, round and round despite Zan's misgivings about my choice of footwear.  In fact she almost came a cropper at Z bend watching me scuttle down the rock face in my thongs. Hmm.

We discovered several gems on the walk. People generally miss a lot of what's there by hurrying 'to see the good bits' and making a noise as they walk, and it isn't just the cranky suspensions that have us make such mild progress. Bird calls and sudden arrivals halt us completely, and the red wallaby mum and baby that were sitting a metre or so off the path had been passed by a group of six ahead of us.  The long tail of the lizard below too, must have been almost at risk but they missed that too, thank goodness.

We spent all day wandering around and came back via a lookout with a middle-distance view of Kalbarri. As it is today, it is rapidly becoming a resort town with just a whiff of the outback more than the rough bush beach shack and fishing joint of the past. 

In fact fishing has to get a mention.

A good friend, Bob B, ordered a fishing charter trip because his experience had been the stuff of legend. Today, the story has radically changed.  Whether it is the drought, the lack of nutrients (or the surplus of out-fall from the inland floods that seem paradoxically to go with 

droughtd) the fishing was the talk of the town for the wrong reasons. Five boats, we heard, went out to their favourite off-shore haunts for five days in a row, and all came back without having had a bite.

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As you can see, a short-toed Gouldian Finch.

Finally, The Lens arrived and the extended stay at Kalbarri came to an end.

On the trip south we had the rarest of events, worthy of a photo, despite that photo really not telling the story.
Left is a windmill facing NW, alonside the trees bending obediently to the wishes of the legendary SE gales. Yep, we got another tail wind, all the way back past Geraldton to Dongara and then Port Denison.  Coming right up next, folks, as Cam says, and here is the promotion poster to whet your appetite.

Kalbarri to Port Denison, WA

Lord of all He Surveyed.

The Swan Valley, Perth

A Guided Birthday Tour by SD & DD

This was the first of two great days. We were given the genuine cook's tour(s) by two expert travellers. Laid back, sensitive, observant  people. It was the best birthday present I could have wished for.  And with dessert.
Mind you, this was the first foray, and the second, which included a Black Swan Restaurant lunch, rocked my socks right off. Paella! And wine so good I actually bought some at WA prices. Really!!  A genuine Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cabernet and Merlot, and with 5 years on it and a nose like Jimmy Durante.  Good mates to show us such good hospitality.

Laid back? You want laid back? This is IT. When I master this style, I'll quit.

Local birds in their finery, just hanging round to see what happens when there's a party in the air.

 Driver, driver - are we there yet?  Steph drove us home after lunch, down the Zig-Zag!  Wow, what a switchback trail, but wow, what spectacular vistas across Perth.
I can guarantee no coach-load of tourists will be popping up there for a look and a snap-shot or two because they'd be beached at the first turn.

Mundaring Weir. On reflection, it could have more water in it.

The country showed the effect of fires and that it's a genuine National Park. You can drive through it and look but I get the feeling that if I stepped out in the wrong place a khaki jihadist with a badge and frown would have me 'Back in the CAR' pretty damn quick - same as they do in SA. To be honest I an finding that increasingly Australians are being very limited in their access to their 'own country' and that paving, steel bars and locked gates make sure we don't stray very far. Soon a camera will be useless because no more unique shots will be possible given that a hundred thousand others have stood and 'shot' from here before.
























The next couple of pix were taken in King's Park the day Steph and Doug took us there. The magnificent River Red Gum (pictured lower right) is not specifically a WA native (well, not in the south west) and looked like it was out of place; it certainly is Australian. However, it's so huge I was surprised to see its age; planted in 1954 as a sapling, maybe two or three years old, it must have been fed some good shit to get to this size in 2015.

There she is, QE II, in 1954.
Maybe I have in my head the Penwortham Giants of my home in the Clare Valley, or the gloriously gnarly samples that fill our Murray-Darling River system, or the absolute giants of Victoria. Besides them, this brawny up-start of a tree seems to be too big for its roots.

Surely one of Perth's oldest churches.
Certainly one of the most impressive; still a place of regular worship.

Houghton's historic cellar. The smaller barrels stencilled "Cognac". Yum. 

Houghton Winery, Gallery, Museum and Eatery. Is this the most recognisable WA Swan Valley establishment? Perhaps.

Perth

Western Australia

Famous both at home and around the globe, this magnificent example of a modern, cosmopolitan city with the affluent aura so characteristic of Australia is sited perfectly between sea and sky. Nowhere in that city is there a better example of its colour, style or theme than the aptly named piece of state endeavour, King's Park. From its centrally located outlook across the Swan to the respectful pride of the War Memorial, this park is a joy to walk.

Examples of trees and beds themed to show both form and colour of plants are now mature and impressive displays. That figures, given the length of time it has taken to develop this park.


The day we visited was certainly a perfect tourist attraction on its own, but we also happened to be there for a National Day of Appreciation at the War Memorial.

Here was America Day, the day the US remembers the people of the armed forces who served in war. The WA people remember with especial attention, the ceremonies pointing out the rescue of our nation in the Battle of the Coral Sea, and in the establishment of Naval and Airforce bases in WA to combat the advancing Japanese forces. 

Boat tourists passing, wistfully, the Swan Brewery. Historic building, iconic location, essential fare for the visitor.

This palm frames up-town Perth perfectly.

This sample of the red flowering gums found so frequently along WA roads was young compared to some of the others, allowing me to get underneath the blooms and capture the stunning colour and delicate form of the flowers.

From the Ranges that the Swan flows from, Perth looks even more impressive, with green patches and plenty of room to grow. And grow it will, with WA officials looking for a 3 million population target by around 2040.

Bridgetown, WA

An unexpected pleasure

We arrived at Bridgetown after checking distances and coming up with a dead-set easy day to a place with a rural park near a town with some fun and basic supplies. Like cider, food, wine, fashion clothes for the Ballet (!) and maybe a bistro with a brewery attached.  
At right, Zan checking out the site - and making noises of delight and anticipation. Nobody behind us, where the view of the river and parklands were. Keith, Park manager, is a gem.
Bridgetown is also a gem, with one of everything and in top quality at that.

View from the van towards the Bowling Club at Bridgeport. New green, nobody on it, open invitation to roll-up.  We did.

Then we headed for the Cidery and Brewery for a great lunch, tasting and appreciating the local produce.

With Cider made from Pink Lady apples. Our tree is looking better even now before I start trying it.

Magic Plastic, new green running 14.5 secs. No dumping tolerated!

Along the road from Denmark we saw (again) such dramatic changes in the bush, ranging from 'More bushes in the under-storey' to 'Wow, the trees here are twice the size of the ones five km back' to 'Look! Grass trees! And they're huge..'
This time, I found a semi-precarious place to stop and take pix.

Below, the Navigator and Minister for War and Finance in her normal  state of afternoon ooperations.
Note coffee (another one),  binoculars - mostly for show,  as those readers who know Zan's optical  condition will know;  the yellow spray bottle is Lemon-scented Metho, used by most people to clean windows.

In town we found a boutique and equipped the Z Traveller with the gear required to visit Perth's Arts Centre and WA Ballet's Balanchine presentation. Marvellous!

This beautiful park is just the spot for the bird-lovers, with wrens, wagtails and a handful of other small birds.

Frankly, we really liked Bridgetown. It's a bit yuppy in a friendly sort of way, and the Arty-Farty element is prominent, but as yet, few travellers seem to have found it.

The Waterway behind the Bridgetown CP is appealing and a walk for a kilometer or so is pacific and worthwhile.

DENMARK

Western Australia

A surprise in more than one way

At every stop, a second look is a good idea. What you see is not always what you are getting. Both the roadhouse at Caiguna and the Rivermouth Caravan Park are cases in point, appearing to be one thing and turning out another.

After Fowlers Bay, SA, we crossed the Nullabor with the usual effect it has on us. The vista is huge but it is never boring - unless you spotted the sign announcing that wildlife abounds and Prancing Camels might appear. For those who like more subtle changes in their diet, this is it, and as you draw west past the Border Village the sweeping plains offer ever more variety.

Plunging off the plateau just after Eucla, the road runs alongside a scarp face where the first of the visible grazing enterprises start. Only the hardiest and most determined have survived but their impressive spreads had me admiring the results in a big way. The yards for the annual sales were bigger and better organised than some towns' stockyards. The scarp ran with us until we began to wind through the forests of Salmon Gums, their reddish trunks ranging in colour from delicate pink to lairish orange. Finally we crawled through the last of the roadworks and settled for a night behind  the BP Roadhouse and Motel at Caiguna.

These gums run for about 150 Km between the beginning of the forested area to Norseman
They vary in size from mallee to 35m

The roadhouse  looks old, tired, rusty and dusty - but that's on the outside. The welcome we got was warm, and one-of-everything was available if basic needs was it. Water you need to be carrying, but he who crosses the Nullabor without it is a fool.  The whole place is huge, old, clean and there is even a bar for the thirsty. Nobody we saw stayed longer than overnight and for that, it's perfect. 

Drive through sites alongside Loo - Showers: clean as a whistle

Caiguna's park centre

 The next day we put some distance down and gently rolled in to the bush camp style Ravensthorpe Caravan Park.

The roads are pretty good considering the amount of heavy traffic (means seriously large semi-trailers, mostly triples, many oversize 'Big Ones').
Those wider than a couple of metres have 'Pilots' with them who will tell you, if you ask on Ch 40, how wide. The biggest we've met was 5.8m and that meant stop and get out of the way. If you keep monitoring ch 40 you will hear the road news often, and although there's the odd Blue-Tongue, most of the radio traffic is business, news and views.  

Raventhorpe CP. Bush atmosphere, small park personal service from Clare, the owner.We spent a couple of days at Raventhorpe, a pretty park in a mining and wheat belt town, including a magnificent celebratory dinner for our wedding anniversary.  For which we were given a single red, red rose by the owner of the Ravy Kitchen to complement our Lamb Shanks! Perfectly slow-cooked shanks, country-fresh veggies and BYO wines from Mudgee for which no fee was asked: we insisted after a great meal and excellent company.

And so to Denmark we went. Gave Esperance and Albany a miss for two reasons; been there before, and the weather was unkind for ttravelling. Well, the second reason turned out to be a furphy. Sure, the wind was 35 - 40 km/h, at and more - but it kept swinging round to follow us more than anything.

Greeting Gnomes at the gateway to the Park

When we saw the gnomes our friend had painted on her last visit we knew we were in the right place, but when we met Paul and his partners that was confirmed. Paul is young, enthusiastic, personable and positive. He turned out to be versatile in the extreme, too.  We had the pick of the park at this time of year so we did a lap and chose well.

Then the goodies rolled in. Yes, there was a supermarket in town - not Coles or Woolies. Yes, there was a brewery / winery nearby. Yes, the prices were pretty good.  And did we want a free boat tour of the Inlet? We did.

The bowling club welcomed us but the weather did not, so we dined at the Willoughby Brewery - Winery. Great fire-side table, brilliant service from happy, young staff. Wine-tasting was expertly handled and we followed a couple of tips. But you can't take the beer with you in bottles, and overloading the internal tank is not for the poor old pensioner.

We loved the (free) boat trip on Wilson's Inlet, the purpose built craft as safe as a house and as comfortable as any we've seen.
Paul, Park Manager and boat  operator, gave us plenty of factual and interesting info. And a touch of class. For instance, above is Honeymoon Island, where a young couple were left behind during a picnic trip. They spent a day waiting for resue before deciding to chance it and swim for it. And found the water shin deep!


Great spot, Denmark's Rivermouth Caravan Park. A complete retirement village on the premises but entirely separate from the rest. Excellent cabins, new and well kept, constant upgrades of the rest, especially the camping area and van sites. We left in good spirits after a 4 km walk along the north side of the Inlet and a drive to Ocean Beach.

Gorgeous, even in the gloomy early morning light of an overcast day.

 Above, in the middle of Wilson's Inlet, magnificent examples of the typical WA huge rocks.

At left, the bar across the Inlet. In the old days, they used a  horse and cart to dredge a channel to flush the inlet.  Now, more modern and controlled
methods are used. I hope they use them again soon because the northern shore smells like a drain.

At right, the Rockville Winery where Julie showed of the local products with expertise and pride - so much so we left with a box of goodies.





We left happy at the new experiences we'd had, confirming our friends' recommendations. We'll add ours to the Reviews!