Coastal Cliffs and Beaches

Nanda Country

A viewfrom the top of Meanarra Hill of Kalbarri and the Murchison River where it flows to the ocean, Nanda Country 

The Aboriginal people of this area are called the Nanda, the Salt Water People. For at least 50,000 years they have subsisted off the abundant sea life from the ocean and river. British colonialists who settled Western Australia in the 1830s committed the same brutal ethnic cleansing here as they did in North America and all their other conquered lands. There were several massacres carried out by settlers, as late as the 1920s. And of course the horrendous residential schools. Population estimate of the social and language groups of Nanda is now about 800 people. It wasn’t until late 2018 that the Nanda people were finally recognized as the traditional owners of 17,000 square kilometers of land encompassing the upper Murchison River and the western seaboard from Northampton to Shark Bay. They have exclusive title rights to several key areas.

South of the town of Kalbarri visitors can experience the beauty of Nanda Country. There is a well-designed and maintained trail system that takes you along the ancient rocky cliffs above the Indian Ocean. Fantastical rock formations, fossils, ocean-carved bridges, lookouts, and sandy benches. We saw many sea birds, the red bigurda kangaroos native to the area (as opposed to the ubiquitous larger grey roos), echidnas, and diverse plant life that thrives in this hot environment. It's a contradiction of moist ocean air and arid sandy soil.  

Red Bluff Beach

Here are some photos from both me and John of the dramatic coast.

The beach at Red Bluff was our favorite swimming spot tho the current was strong and the waves could get pretty big. The main visitor car park was along the lower edge of the bluff, but we found a less used spot

We only ever saw one other person sitting under this canopy, the only shade. She was local and said this was her favorite spot, too, good for whale watching tho it wasn't whale season. She and I chatted while John swam.

Our beach looking north toward town. Most tourists went swimming at Blue Holes around the point. Both beaches had a lot of rocks but the water was warm.

Mushroom Rock Loop

I think the cliff hike I liked best was Mushroom Rock Loop Trail, about 3K. The trail takes you down thru a draw to ocean level, past 400-million-year-old sandstone fossil cliffs, along a boulder-strewn beach, and back up a sandy path lined with unfamiliar plants and flowers.

Interpretive signs say these long burrow structures in the cliff were made millions of years ago by a worm-like creature then fossilized and eventually exposed by ocean waves.

Rocks with zebra-like stripes

Totally tubular

Mushroom Rock at the ocean's edge


Bountiful sea life on the tide line


Bigurda Trail and Boardwalk

From Natural Bridge to Eagle Gorge there is an 8K trail along the edge of the cliffs. Part of it is a boardwalk. The views are stunning. We made several trips to the 4 trailheads in the park. I shot a short video clip of the boardwalk but I can't show it here sadly.

The Boardwalk is over a kilometer between Natural Bridge and Island Rock

Natural Bridge


Island Rock


We believe this is the red bigurda (also called a euro or wallaby) glimpsed on the Bigurda Trail. 



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