We love our free camps, and this time we found another good one at the Galena Bridge, about 80kms out of Kalbarri, we were told there were lots of the wildflowers out here, and we were not disappointed, there were fields of them everywhere on both sides of the river.
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| The fields of everlastings |
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| Fields of white |
The camp was beside the Murchison river, and by night fall it was very crowded, a very popular camp thanks to WikiCamps.
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| Another great free camp site |
Of course Laurie wanted to have a campfire, and to his delight we had our very own supply of firewood in the form of 2 palettes right where we were camped, so he didn't have to go searching, he donned those gloves and got to work, then we enjoyed a lovely big campfire.
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| "Do you need any help Laurie? - I thought not" |
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| Laurie got straight into it |
Kalbarri
From here we travelled in to Kalbarri, and what a great little holiday resort town this is. The town is situated on the Murchison River which runs into the Indian Ocean.
We had trouble booking in as all the caravan parks were full, again, so after trying them all and being turned away we parked the cars and vans and headed for a coffee shop to consider our options.
We went to the Visitors Centre and they gave us 2 more options, and so we got a great spot the 'Big River Farm' only a short 3kms out of town.
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| Our farm stay |
We shared our camp with lots of animals - horses, geese, goats, sheep, peacocks and turkeys all wandering around, taking no notice at all of us humans, but did I mention the millions of flies.
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| Wandering peacocks and turkeys |
After setting up we took a drive down the coastal road to all the tourist viewing points along the famous Kalbarri cliffs to explore this remarkable expanse of rugged coastline.
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| View from the lookout |
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| We loved these flowering bushes that were everywhere |
There are gorge walks as well as spectacular coastal walking trails where the sandstone cliffs plunge more than 100 metres to the ocean. Here we watched a pod of dolphins very close to the shore as well as a few whales out in the deeper water.
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| Famous Kalbarri Cliffs |
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| Famous Kalbarri Cliffs at Natural Bridge |
Back into town we were able to book into one of the caravan parks by the water for the next few nights; we really liked the Farm Stay but the flies there were unbearable.
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| Famous Kalbarri Cliffs |
To finish off the day we enjoyed a great dinner at the Kalbarri Hotel, and as we discovered Thursday was 'Karaoke Night', so we couldn't pass that up - we certainly had a fun night, even though we didn't partake in the 'action' we really did enjoy those who did !!! But we did help the 'singers' out in the
choruses.
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| Hawks Head Gorge in Kalbarri National Park |
Pelican Feeding
We rose early to be in town at 8.45 for the daily pelican feeding on the beachfront. Lots of people joined us on a chilly morning, but alas - it is apparently mating season and only one pelican turned up for a feed - he must be the gay one.
Disappointing though for all the kids who waited expectantly with their bucket fish.
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| Is he the only gay pelican? |
We took the coastal road towards Geraldton passing alongside the Pink Lake on the outskirts of Port Gregory.
The Pink Lake
Port Gregory is bordered by the beautiful Hutt Lagoon, known as the Pink Lake.
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| Fantastic sight of the pink lake |
Its color is created due to a bacteria (Dunaliella Salina) being trapped in the salt; this provides a rich naturally occurring beta carotene, which is harvested from small ponds in the lake.
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| Fantastic sight of the pink lake |
Our next stop is Geraldton, which is just a stop-off point on our way to wildflower country.
Geraldton - is a thriving regional city overlooking the Indian Ocean and supporting a growing population of 37,000. One of the main attractions is its warm, dry climate, and the town has become
known as 'Sun City'. It is a Mecca for sun lovers, with its long white beaches and the unpolluted clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
We set off to explore the town with a nice drive along the waterfront and port.
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| Is it really a Rubics cube here on the foreshore!? No, its a toilet! |
HMAS Sydney 11 Memorial
HMAS Sydney 11, the pride of the fleet, was lost with all 645 hands in November 1941, just off Shark Bay whilst engaging the German Raider 'Kormoran', resulting in the loss of both ships.
The search for the HMAS Sydney 11 was launched from Geraldton, and the wreck was found sixty
years after it was lost.
On a hill overlooking the town stands a memorial to all who lost their lives in this tragedy.
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| The beautiful setting for the Memorial |
The Memorial, completed in 2001, is located at Mt Scott overlooking the same ocean where HMAS Sydney 11 fought its last battle.
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| The Dome of Souls |
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| Made up of 645 stainless steel seagulls |
A silver dome - The Dome of Souls - with 645 seagulls representing the lost sailors, while a memorial wall shows ghost like photographs of the ship and the names of all those lost.
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| The Memorial Wall |
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| The Stele, and the Dome of Souls |
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| The Waiting Woman |
From Geraldton we will travel to Mullewa to begin the 'Wildflower Trail'
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