On to Kalbarri - Estuarine and Ocean Beauty

Long Drive Up the Coast - March 15

We got to the rental car place in Perth right at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. It's been a couple of years since we drove anywhere on the left, and it's always a little nerve-racking to start the switch in a big city. Going to the left in round-abouts is freaky. But we adapted quickly. Highway 1 north out of the city becomes two lanes quite soon and then we had 7 hours to practice--575 kilometres of coastal savannah.

It feels odd being next to the ocean on the left with no tall mountains on the right. Where the land hasn't been cleared for wheat fields, it's mostly flat, a few gentle hills, with a variety of low shrubs. We weren't certain about grocery shopping in Kalbarri (pop. 1,500), so we stopped at the Aldi in Geraldton (pop. 41,000) about half way, to get essentials for the next few days. It wasn't particularly well stocked, tho, which made me worry a bit about supplies in the tiny village we would inhabit for the next month.

It also concerned me that coffee here seems to mean instant. So far none of the places we stayed had a coffee maker in the room. There were no coffee making devices at the Aldi and no paper filters. Okay, we've seen whole beans, and ground coffee, and expensive espresso machines, but it's definitely a tea culture.

I needn't have worried. The grocery store in Kalbarri is very well stocked and has plenty of local produce and many gourmet products. We found a French press at the little hardware store. They have all the amenities here one would expect in a major tourist and fishing destination.

Here are some shots on the beachfront in town, a short walk from our "self-catering" villa apartment:


On Back Beach Point in the city park. Top: main beach on the Indian Ocean.
If you turn 90 degrees north (selfie) and you can see the bar at the Murchison River. Turn another 70 degrees east and you see the mouth of the river. The city park stretches along the riverfront for at least 2 kilometers.

The river shoreline park is only about a block from us. Every morning at 9:30 without fail there is a talk by a member of a volunteer group that showcases the local pelicans for visitor amusement. 


Other favourite birds are galah and ringneck parrots (called 28s by the locals). Here are some of John's bird photos:



We've spent several mornings exploring beaches and shoreline along the ocean south of town--it's my first time seeing the Indian Ocean. I think I'll do a separate blog about those visits, especially our hike to Mushroom Rock. I will leave you with one of John's lovely photos of the cliff at Island Rock at sunset.

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