Kalbarri

Our last day in Denham was spent doing a major sort out and re shuffle of the van. It was also the least windy of the 7 nights we spent there, and most spectacular sunset, with plenty of cloud in the sky to make it interesting.

Today (26 th September) we left Denham for Kalbarri, our first real show of rain since Yepoon. So much for winter hey! We set off at 7:30am from Denham, Pips breaky in a tupaware container, as once again we nearly had to pack her down with the van. She was pushing zzzzzz until 7:29am. She just had time to brush the pegs and have a loo stop before Mike was on the road “again”. First stop 40 or so Ks down the road to Shell beach. It was actually a great looking spot, especially with the dark storm clouds looming.

We then took the near 400 Km trip to Kalbarri with showers and dark storm clouds looming most of the way. Absolutely fabulous were the wild flower display on the trip in to Kalbarri, I am looking forward to getting some nice photos of them between here and Perth.  The wheat belt is obviously getting closer now as the wheat fields were prolific and equally as spectacular in the stormy light the day cast.

We set up at the speed of light to miss the rain.. we did it!, yay, nothing worse than a wet bed. After the rain passed we decided to take a drive and check out the town and also the cliff laden coastline.

We head off to a place called Red Bluff and just happened upon a whale pod. Probably about 7 or so in the pod. They were breaching, tail slapping and throwing their dorsal fins around like there was no tomorrow I’ve never seen such a magnificent display. Pip was getting annoyed with me saying “mum! all I can here is you going …..oohhh did you see that”. My reply “ this is nature at its best Pip”! In fact you not only could see it, but because a few of them were sooooo close to the cliff, you could actually hear them hit the water after they breached (yeah even with my hearing Margsie). Without a lie I “recon we saw one mother and calf breach at least 15 times in the 10 or so minutes I WAS ALLOWED to watch them. It was pretty windy and getting a bit on the chilly side (still in shorts but definitely the coldest day on the trip so far !!!!!).

Good weather prevailing we will head into the Kalbarri national park tomorrow. We have been in touch with Lil’s mum and dad (Pips new best friend) and we will all head off together for a day of gorges and adventure... (Next day) we had a fab day catching up with Rog Barb and the kids, went out to Kalbarri national park so Rog and I could take some great photos. unfortunately mine weren't that great. Some how overexposed them. But here they are all the same.

The road into the national park was about 25 ks of dirt YELLOW dirt?? Check it out in the top left pic. Great for the photos. We also had an afternoon checking out the other side of Kalbarri which is its 170 m cliff face, and did we see some marine life. Pods of 20 or so more dolphins surfing at Eagle bluff and whale after whale breaching and slapping themselves down the coast line, even saw a seal surfing the reef.. oh and the human kind catching some real tubes.

last but not least we took a trip to see the rainbow jungle which was also great, so much wild life in one day.. not to mention the FLIES, man we've never seen so many flies not even this many in the outback. We have a date with Rog and Barb and the kids at the tavern then dinner tonight, a spot of fishing tomorrow and its ofski again to our next destination Horracks beach.

no flies on me!!!