Exploring the Pilbara and Beyond
After a long, hot summer in Karratha, the kids and I were ready to head south and explore somewhere different. We have done Karijini, Coral Bay and Broome, so these school holidays we decided to head further afield and check out Kalbarri. Everyone I’ve asked who has visited Kalbarri has said it was beautiful and definitely worth a visit, and they weren’t wrong!
We broke the drive up from Karratha to Kalbarri with a one-night stop in Carnarvon. We embarked on our trip not long after Cyclone Narelle had been through the area causing destruction and road closures. We almost thought we may not be able to get through, but the road opened two days before we left and we had smooth sailing all the way (albeit, with the fuel light coming on just a few kms out of Carnarvon after our last stop at Nanutarra, as the Minilya Roadhouse was closed – eek!).
The next day was on to Kalbarri; a shorter and easier drive, with a few more options for fuel stops along the way. We made our base with our camper trailer at the Kalbarri Tudor Holiday Park for 5 nights, which was a little back from the beach and main drag, but still easily accessible to all the shops and attractions. This was a delightful caravan park, with grassy spots and shady trees. Whenever we were onsite, the kids were kept busy making friends and hanging out at the jumping pillow, playground or riding their bikes. Kalbarri has quite a range of holiday options to suit everyone; several caravan parks either in town, at the beach, or on the river, as well as cabins, motels and slightly more “resort-style” options.
The town of Kalbarri itself is a gorgeous little seaside holiday village, with numerous swimming and fishing spots along the beach and river mouth. All matter of watersports can be enjoyed, with kayak, pedal-boats and tinnies for hire, plus numerous fishing charters, rock lobster tours and canoe expeditions to join. You could spend all your time just hanging around town and enjoying the laid-back life, however a major drawcard is the Kalbarri National Park, with its stunning gorges, breath-taking rock formations taking and we were lucky to witness the Murchison River in all its glory with vast amounts of water flowing down after the cyclone. A drive out to the Kalbarri Skywalk is essential, providing a great view of the river gorge from the cantilevered walkways. While in the National Park, a stop at Nature’s Window is also worthwhile. The walk is paved almost all the way, with just a staircase to start and a little rocky patch at the end to make it a Grade 3 track. It is iconic to get your picture “in the window”, so was worth dragging a tired and frustrated 7yo along for the walk.
An easy 50km drive south from Kalbarri is the Pink Lake, another major drawcard for the area. We happened to visit on a fairly overcast day, so the lake was only a pale pink in colour, however if you visit on a sunny day, it is said to be a very vibrant pink. The pink colour comes from algae living in the salt lake. On the drive back to Kalbarri, we stopped in at a number of the lookouts along the way, including Natural Bridge, Island Rock, Shellhouse Grandstand and Red Bluff. The coastline is absolutely stunning and while lacking the Twelve Apostles, definitely gives The Great Ocean Road a run for its money!
To break up our journey home from Kalbarri, we spent 3 nights at Wooramel River Retreat, about 100km south of Carnarvon. Wooramel is a working station and provides spacious off-grid camping options, as well as cabin rooms and permanently erected canvas tents. There is a café that is open daily for coffee and snacks throughout the day and dinner in the evening, often with live entertainment. The main attraction of Wooramel though are the 4 hot baths, filled daily with water from the underground artesian bores. The water sits around 33 degrees and is just perfect for relaxing at any time of the day. The Retreat sits on the banks of Wooramel River, which is typically known as an “upside-down” river. This means generally it is a dry riverbed, with water deep underground. Lucky for us, thanks to all the rain, we were able to enjoy a running river on the surface, and the kids enjoyed spending many hours wading in the water and exploring the riverbank.
While technically not part of the “Pilbara” (it is actually in the Mid-West region, bordering the Gascoyne), Kalbarri is still within the spread of The Pilbara Regiment, so a definite recommendation for anyone posted here. Depending on how far you have to travel, I would recommend no less than a 3-night stay, 5 nights was spot-on for our family, though you could easily stay longer if time permitted. The relaxed seaside vibe of the town was perfect for a reset from the hot Pilbara summer, and I would definitely visit again.
Written by Kylie Thompson
