To read about the first part of our road trip from Perth to Cervantes, you can click here.
To read about the second part of our trip from Cervantes to Kalbarri, you can click here.
After a hearty breakfast at Gecko Lodge, my husband and I were keen to hit the road before the weather became too hot. It was expected to be a scorching 41 degree day! Kalbarri National Park is broken up into 2 main sections – inland and coastal. The plan was to visit the inland section first to beat the heat and the coastal section later during the day.
Kalbarri National Park – Inland
From Gecko Lodge, it took us about 40 minutes to drive to the inland section of the park. On the way, we stopped by a newsagency to pick up some fly nets, which were highly recommended by our B&B hosts. I’m so glad that we did because as soon as we stepped outside of the car, we were covered by so many flies!
The park itself is quite large and covers an expanse of 186,000 hectares. There are 14 different sites with many hiking trails, however we only had time (and the energy!) to visitย 2 of its most famous sites – Nature’s Window and Z-Bend. Our first stop was Nature’s Window and it was a surprisingly short 10 minute or so hike to one of the most amazing, natural rock formations I’ve ever seen! We would have stayed longer to soak it all in but at 11am, the weather was already 30 degrees plus and we were sweltering under the sun.
From Nature’s Window it was a short 5 minute drive to our next stop to see the Z Bend. Compared to Nature’s Window, it seemed to be a much longer 20 minute hike in the dry bush that was accentuated by the relentless sun beating overhead. By this stage, we were both struggling due to the heat and the flies, and it was with relief that we finally arrived at the lookout. The lookout overhangs the Murchison River, which follows a “Z” bend. There was a raw, rugged beauty to the place and so lovely to experience without anyone else around.
Although we’d only been out a few hours, the heat and the sun had really taken it out of us, so we headed straight back to the air conditioned comfort of our room to cool down. After a cold shower, we chilled in bed and took a much needed nap before heading back out to visit the coastal section of the park.
Kalbarri National Park – Coastal
After a much needed nap, we got ready to explore the coastal section of the park. Similar to the Great Ocean Road Drive, there are key sites to visit along the coast not far from the centre of town. It begins (or ends, depending on which point you start) from Natural Bridge through to the Red Bluff lookout. Since we’d already visited Natural Bridge and Island Rock the previous day, we headed straight to the Shellhouse Grandstand and worked our way to the lookout.
Shellhouse Grandstand
Eagle Gorge
Pot Alley Beach
Red Bluff Lookout
Upstairs Restaurant
Following a long day of sightseeing, we enjoyed a dip in the pool back at our B&B before heading out for dinner at the highly recommended Upstairs Restaurant. Talking to the owner and manager of the restaurant, we found out that it had only been open for a few months and she was a former Business Analyst in Perth who had recently relocated to Kalbarri due to her partner. Although she worked as a BA, she has a lot of experience in fine dining, which we experienced through the delicious tapas style food we had.
We had 4 different dishes to share – Kalbarri caught fish wings, Sharkbay prawn brioche burgers, bruschetta with goat’s cheese and scallop salad. All were absolutely delicious but my favourite dish of the night were the fresh, crispy fish wings. What a delight! Afterwards, we indulged in some desserts and coffee’s but sadly, we weren’t a fan. Despite this, we still had a lovely dinner and enjoyed our last night out together in Kalbarri!
Stay tuned for the final part of our road trip adventure!
Marie xo