Shell House Gorge, south of Kalbarri

Kalbarri (including Kalbarri National Park and the Hutt River Province)
Exceptionally beautiful and interesting town in the heart of one of Western Australia's most beautiful National Parks.
Located 586 km north of Perth, Kalbarri is a delightful tourist and fishing village surrounded by one of the most beautiful regions of wildflowers in Australia.

Although the coastline around Kalbarri was explored by Europeans in the early seventeenth century the actual town of Kalbarri did not come into existence until 1951. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, that is 1951.

The coastline around Kalbarri was the scene for the notorious shipwreck, mutiny, executions, and punishments which surrounded the wrecking of the Batavia on the Houtman Abrolhos in 1629 (for a more detailed account refer to the Geraldton entry). The captain, Francisco Pelsaert, took the ship's boat and sailed to Batavia while a mutineer, Jeronimus Cornelisz, terrorised the survivors eventually murdering 125 of them. When Pelsaert returned he constructed a simple gibbet and executed Cornelisz and his followers. Two of the mutineers, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom, were marooned on the mainland somewhere near the modern day site of Kalbarri - they had the unhappy distinction of becoming Australia's first white settlers. Their arrival on land is commemorated at the mouth of the Wittecarra Creek near Red Bluff where a cairn has been erected with the inscription: 'It is believed the first permanent landing of white men in Australia was recorded here, at the mouth of the Wittecarra Creek.'

Then in 1712 a Dutch ship named the Zuytdorp was wrecked on a reef north of Kalbarri. It is claimed that the ship sunk with a bullion of 100 000 guilders and pieces of eight aboard. This was not an isolated event. By the eighteenth century it had become commonplace for Dutch ships to round the Cape of Good Hope, sail west along the Roaring Forties, and then sail north along the West Australian coast towards the Dutch East Indies.

In 1839 Lieutenant George Grey, while attempting to explore North West Cape, was shipwrecked near the mouth of the Murchison. He was forced to walk back to Perth and thus became the first white explorer to travel along the coastal strip of the Central West.

The area was settled intermittently through the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by miners and fishermen. In 1848 the Geraldine lead mine was opened up. Visitors with 4WD vehicles can visit the ruins at the eastern edge of the Kalbarri National Park.

Still, as recently as 1943, there were only a few crayfishermen living in the area and the township, if it could be called that, was known simply as 'The Mouth of the Murchison'. No one knows where the word 'kalbarri' comes from. Some sources claim it means 'seed' or 'woody pear' in the dialect of the local Aborigines while others claim it was the name of an important member of the local community.

Today the town is a popular tourist destination with fishing, swimming, horse riding, bushwalking and the usual round of tourist attractions including a wildflower park called Kalflora, a Fantasyland Museum with a display of dolls and marine artifacts, an amusement centre, a bird park called the Rainbow Jungle, canoe safaris, ocean fishing, joy flights and river cruises on the Kalbarri River Queen.

Things to see:  

Hawks Head Lookout, Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park
Few visitors would disagree that the Kalbarri National Park is simply one of the best National Parks in Australia. The combination of nearly 200 000 hectares which, between August and October, becomes a vast carpet of wildflowers, the elaborate and spectacular twists and turns of the Murchison River as it cuts its way to the sea, the dramatic beauty of Red Bluff, and the equally dramatic beauty of the sandstone cliffs to the south of Kalbarri township make it a National Park rich in variety, drama and beauty.

First contact with the park (for those people travelling west from the North West Coastal Highway) is the virgin bushland beside the road which, while dull in summer, turns into a wonderland of wildflowers in the spring. The thing which impresses every motorist is the sheer scale of the bushlands. There is literally over 50 km of roadway with wildflowers on either side.

Wildflowers in Kalbarri National Park

The first turnoffs are to Ross Graham Lookout, a conveniently located lookout which looks east along the Murchison River from a rocky outcrop above the river. A little further west on a good dirt road is Hawks Head Lookout which offers similar views.

Returning to the road and driving towards Kalbarri the motorist next comes to the turnoff to the 'Z Bend' and 'The Loop'. The road out to the viewing points, which are located above the dramatic twists and turns of 'The Gorge', is a good quality dirt road covered with a distinctive yellow sand.

It is at 'The Loop' that visitors can inspect 'Nature's Window' - a large hole in the Tumblagooda sandstone walls (they were formed about 400-500 million years ago) far above the Murchison River. To visit 'Nature's Window' visitors should not take the turn marked 'Lookout 2' - although that is well worth visiting - but continue heading west until reaching a large car park. 'Nature's Window' itself is about 600 metres along the ridge. Located on the edge of the ridge it affords superb views of the entire loop. It is quite safe - if you are careful.

Hay in fields to the north of Kalbarri

The road then goes into the small township of Kalbarri. If you follow the road through town it becomes a dirt road once again and runs along the cliffs for some kilometres. It would be easy to spend a day exploring all of the paths which lead to the cliff faces. It seems as though every few hundred metres there is another sign inviting the visitor to inspect dramatic cliffs with names like 'The Shell House', 'Castle Cove', 'Island Rock' and 'Rainbow Valley'. 'The Shell House' was named by the local rock lobster fishermen. From the sea the cliff resembles a house with a shell shaped roof. This feature obviously cannot be seen from the top of the cliffs.

This must be some of the most beautiful and spectacular coastline in Australia. The cliffs rise over 100 metres above the sea which crashes far below. The shapes of the gorges and the little promontories are dramatic and quite frightening. This is an adventure which is not for the faint hearted. There are no handrails on the edge of the cliffs and there is this awful feeling that any minute a giant piece of sandstone will collapse sending the visitor into the sea below.

The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) have a brochure of 'do's and don't' which includes a good map of the whole of Kalbarri National Park which should be obtained by anyone intending to do some bushwalking or exploring.

The road between Kalbarri and Port Gregory, while not being a major highway, is quite adequate. The early section through the National Park may be a little rough in places but once out of the park it is a dirt road which is nearly as good as a sealed road.

The entrance to Hutt River Province

If you continue on (do not take the turn to Port Gregory) you come to the infamous Hutt River Province, the unassuming home of Prince Leonard and Princess Shirley of Hutt. This amusing episode in Australian eccentricity resulted when Prince Leonard renamed his wheat farm the Hutt River Province, declared himself a prince and his wife a princess, seceded from Australia and Western Australia and, as a nice little earner, started printing his own stamps. Of course none of his grandiose ambitions had any validity but he did attract an inordinate amount of publicity. There is some doubt about the Prince and Princess's enthusiasm for visitors. There is no welcoming sign at the gate - which boasts a rather faded replica of the province's coat of arms.

Interestingly Prince Leonard is not alone in his regal aspirations. In Strahan in Tasmania there was a self-proclaimed Lord who ran his own Ba-k (he was legally not allowed to call it a bank). He was closed down a few years ago and the ba-k is now a gift shop.

	Tourist Information
	Kalbarri Visitors Centre Grey St P.O. Box 219 Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1104 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1474
	Motels
	Kalbarri Palm Resort Motel Porter St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 2333 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Kalbarri Motor Hotel 188 Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1000 Rating: ***
	Resorts
	Kalbarri Beach Resort Holiday Units Cnr Grey & Clotworthy Sts Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1061, 1800 096 002 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1323 Rating: ***
	Apartments
	Kalbarri Gardens Apartments Glass St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 2211 Rating: ***
	Kalbarri Murchison View Apartments Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1096 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1522 Rating: ***
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Av-Er-Rest Holiday Units Mortimer St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1101 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1455
	Kalbarri Reef Villas Coles St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1165 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1465 Rating: ****
	Kalbarri Riverfront Holiday Units 16 Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1032 Rating: ***
	Kalbarri Seafront Villas 72 Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1025 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1525 Rating: ***
	Marina Holiday Units Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1040 Rating: **
	Pelican Shore Villas Cnr Grey & Kaiber Sts Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1708, 1800 671 708 Facsimile: (08) 9937 2057 Rating: ****
	Riverfront Budget Units Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1144
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Wagoe Farm Chalets Wagoe Beach Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9936 6060
	Lodges & Chalets
	Sun River Chalets 2 Nanada Dve Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1119 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Anchorage Holiday Village Anchorage Lane Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1181 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1806 Rating: **
	Galena Bridge Caravan & Camping Ground North West Coastal Hwy Murchison River Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1355
	Murchison Park Caravan Park Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1005 Rating: **
	Wagoe Farm P.O. Box 210 Wagoe Beach Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9936 6060
	Kalbarri Tudor Caravan Park Porter St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1077, 1800 681 077 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1720 Rating: ***
	Red Bluff Caravan Park Red Bluff Rd Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1080
	Backpackers
	Kalbarri Backpackers Lodge 2 Mortimer St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1430 Facsimile: (08) 9937 1563
	Camping & Other
	Courtis Family Villa Unit 2 Kelsar Gardens Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9455 5062 Facsimile: (08) 9455 5064 Rating:
	Restaurants
	Echoes Restaurant Porter St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1033
	Galleon Restaurant Palm Lodge Resort Porter St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1008
	Lobster Pot Kalbarri Motor Hotel Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1000
	Lure & Line 29 Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1122
	The Zuytdorp Restaurant Kalbarri Beach Resort Grey St Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 2222
	Cafés
	Sea Breeze Coffee Lounge Kalbarri Arc. Kalbarri WA 6536 Telephone: (08) 9937 1288