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Where ancient rugged outback meets white sand beaches, Kalbarri is the ultimate ocean-side holiday playground. On its doorstop, over 186,000 hectares of national park beckon visitors to explore spectacular 400-million year old river gorges, dramatic coastal rock formations and a kaleidoscope of wildflowers.
Located 590km north of Perth, and boasting a warm and sunny climate for most of the year, the Coral Coast town has long been a popular holiday spot for travellers of all ages. The Kalbarri National Park attracts thousands of visitors each year, and in June 2020 it welcomed the opening of the spectacular Kalbarri Skywalk.
The 100-metre-high skywalk offers visitors breathtaking and uninterrupted views over Kalbarri National Park, with two cantilevered viewing platforms that extend 25 and 17 metres beyond the rim of the Murchison River Gorge. Located at West Loop – only 1.5 kilometres from the national park’s other star attraction, Nature's Window – the new development includes toilets, shade shelters, paths, wheelchair accessible viewing structures, visitor information, parking and an environmentally friendly kiosk. This remarkable attraction offers the perfect landing to admire the region’s pristine dark skies on a stargazing tour with D’Guy Charters.
The culture and stories of the Nanda Traditional Owners are showcased through interpretive and artistic elements, and visitors to the new attraction are greeted with an entry sign stating Kaju Yatka - the Nanda words for ‘sky’ and ‘to walk.’ Inspired by the region’s heritage and beauty, several local Aboriginal artists have created interpretive artwork as an important part of the Skywalk experience. This includes the Beemarra serpent, central to the dreaming story of the Nanda people, sandblasted into the path to guide visitors.
Located just a short drive out of town, there are 14 sites within the Kalbarri National Park including the easier walking trails of Ross Graham Lookout and Hawk’s Head Lookout, and the more adventurous hikes at The Loop and Z Bend. There are a range of guided land and water tours that explore the park’s magnificent red and white banded gorges, which stretch 80 kilometres toward the ocean, and thrill seekers can also experience abseiling down the gorge faces.
Situated on the mouth of the Murchison River, visitors to Kalbarri can explore the river on a guided cruise - or hire a boat, paddleboat or kayak to go at their own pace. Other water activities include snorkelling at popular Blue Holes beach – where the protected waters and rock pools offer a natural aquarium of thriving marine life and reef; swimming at sheltered beaches such as Chinaman’s Beach on the Murchison River; and surfing - with Jacques Point (locally known as ‘Jakes’) renowned for its left-hand reef break.
For a different way to explore the coastline, ride your own quad bike or buggy along Wagoe beach on a guided tour, or adventure along the Murchison River on a quad bike safari.
From June to November, the spectacular coastal cliffs provide an excellent vantage point to view humpback whales on their annual migration down WA’s coastline, or join a charter to experience these majestic mammals up close. And from late June through to October, be amazed by a kaleidoscope of colour when over 1,100 species of wildflowers burst into bloom across the dry sand plains and coastal river gorges of the national park.
For a more dramatic perspective of the region, take a scenic flight over Kalbarri’s spectacular coastal cliffs. Get a bird’s eye view of the wonders of Kalbarri National Park, the nearby Abrolhos Islands, and the pink lake at Port Gregory’s Hutt Lagoon – which is an easy 45 minute drive south of Kalbarri.
Fishing in Kalbarri boasts some of WA’s best shore and boat angling. Try estuary fishing for whiting and black bream or drop a net to yield blue swimmer and mud crabs. Fishing charters are also popular, satisfying both the serious angler and the novice.
For families, the newly developed Nature Playground on the Kalbarri Foreshore is an ideal activity, featuring an impressive flying fox and wooden lookout tower. Parents can relax at picnic tables, with cafés and restaurants nearby.
Head to Finlay’s Kalbarri for fresh, local seafood and a locally brewed beverage from the new on-site microbrewery. Enjoy the rustic dining experience underneath the shade of the large eucalyptus trees.
Another family friendly attraction is meeting Kalbarri’s resident pelicans each morning at 8:45am, as they make their way to the grassed area on the foreshore near the intersections of Grey and Wood Streets. Here, local volunteers feed the pelicans whilst spectators watch on.
Accommodation options in Kalbarri range from self-contained units, apartment and holiday homes, to caravan parks and backpackers. The coastal town can be reached in a 6 to 7 hour drive north of Perth, along the Coral Coast Highway; or take a 45 minute flight with Qantas to Geraldton airport, and then it’s a 90 minute drive to Kalbarri.
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