KALBARRI, WA

July 3rd to 7th, 2012

KALBARRI, WA and Surrounds (including "The Abrolhos Islands")

Hi there everyone!  Hope all has been treating you well while we have been touring about over the last few days. :)

First things first though!  I do apologise if any photos are not too clear.  Following that wonderful picture of the waves at "The Gap" at Albany, my trusty Nikon is currently in Perth having a quote arranged for repairs after it stopped working.  So far, no answer on the problem or the parts required.  TBA!

Anyway, after leaving Dongara/Pt Denison, we travelled on to Kalbarri, stopping along the way to see a few sights.

First stop was GREGORY, with a top notch jetty and lots of big boats in the harbour!

 Interesting signage beside the wharf, and we also have noticed that any fish legally caught, must NOT be cleaned at sea.  All cleaning must be done back on land.

These guys were just laying there on the sand. 



Glad I didn't have to remove them from my hook!







 Nearby to Gregory was Hutt Lagoon.  The pink appearance of the lagoon is an algae that produces beta-carotene.

Apparently Roche Pharmaceutical were the first to show interest in this by-product of the lagoon and it has now become a major supplier in Australia of the Beta-Carotene for the Vitamin market.

Also in the lagoon, salt is harvested for the retail market.  We saw quite a large quantity of salt piles and trucks travelling in and out continuously with it on raised contour banks within the harvesting area.

The pinkness of the lagoon really made you think of maybe masses of fish (or something) that have bled severley into the water.



Close up of the thickness of the algae in the lagoon.

  Behind the lagoon further along the road we were travelling, there was also surprisingly, a Garnet Mine.  Unfortunately (especially as this is my birthstone), they did not do tours.  Greg was exceedingly happy about that little sign I must say.

Further along, we came to this interesting site.  Privately owned, but open to the public, the owners are restoring the main homestead and also much of the original village/depot.

 We assume a bullock skull?  but it looks like it must have come off a dinosauric one if you ask me!

I don't think even bison would have a skull this size.


The original homestead, in the process of restoration.
Absolutely magnificent views over the ocean from this hilltop position too.

                               
This is a side section of the homestead.  It will very obviously become a spectacular home one day for these people too (or maybe their intent if for farm-stay accommodation, as they appear to have quite a substantial acreage lot).

And look what we found inside the homestead!


Once we arrived and set up our site in Kalbarri, we went for a little walk across the park to see what was on the other side  -- Ah ha!  The Murchison River. 

 Just out of Kalbarri was the Bird Park.  What a treat!

Gang Gangs tend to all have bad hair days!

The Red Macaws (not quite as friendly as the Blue/yellow ones apparently, hence why you don't see as many in captivity as the blue)

                                                        

 The Bird Park was set out beautifully, and all the birds had enormous areas to fly.  The Park itself is a refuge and breeding park for endangered australian parrots and birds.  The birds are bred for release into the wild, so this area was only for the public to view, but the "wild" birds have very little interaction with the people and have to "hunt" for their food in their area so as to not become dependent on human feeding.

Where these wild birds are kept was hugely larger than the wonderfully large public areas.

On a drive we went to several lookout places, beaches and escarpments.

 

And then it happened!    *lol*  Greg decided it was time to fly!..................

 Over Kalbarri................

                                ......... past the southern cliffs, ..................

                                                                   ........and past a few more................

..... and onto some more .......

.... and then out to the west .....................towards ...............

The Indian Ocean............

and

"THE ALBROLHOS ISLANDS"

                                                                                          

The Abrolhos Islands
where the ship "BATAVIA" wrecked.
I am on the lookout for the book on these islands as the only book shop here was sold out at the time, but the history of the islands is spectacular and haunting.

                                           


Tim (our Pilot)

After landing on one of the islands, we walked from the airstrip with our guide and pilot Tim (no, no, not Greg) and headed across to the other side.

Once across the centre of the island, we emerged on the eastern side and found this beach.  We headed down the beach towards that little hill in the distance.  Carrying our back-packs, snorkels, goggles and flippers, we wondered what on earth Tim was thinking by bringing us to this spot.  The wind was howling, the chop was up, the white caps were very definitely capping the waves and our hair had gone from clean and tidy to one of those Gang Gangs styles I showed you earlier!  The man was nuts. (especially if he thought Greg was going to go swimming in 17*C water, in the wind, and in a swell that clouded the water so you couldn't see 6" in front of you, let alone your toes)



View from the lookout to the other side of the island



 These little guys were sitting up on top of the small bushes in the sun, warming up. 

 Above in the centre of the picture is the remains of the Osprey Nest displayed on the signage below.  Unfortunately, during the severe weather pattern the previous week the next fell over.  Tim thought the rangers felt that the pair of Osprey would either use their other nest on the other end of the island, or possibly build a new one close to here.  The nests are used for many years and the birds continue to add to their nests each year.



After the informative walk and talk with Tim, we then headed back to our pavillion for snacks -

   and to retrieve our snorkelling gear!!!!!!~~~~

Hehehe!  Lookit Greg  (he's got a jumper on *lol*)....................

                                                    Hehehe!  Lookit me.................

                                                               A little colder than I thought it would be !!!!!!              Tim must have lied (he said about 17*C, but it didn't feel like that for a few minutes or so)

Once in it was lovely and we (but not Greg) snorkelled out across the sea-grass beds seeing lots of little fishies (and a couple of larger ones) and over a drop-off into a deep hole.  The fish in here were huge (like arm length some of them - Pink snapper, grouper, trevally)  Lovely time there, and then we walked back across the island to the pavillion again and back to the plane for the return trip.

Now Sue, I know you are going to think this is another of my illusions, but I promise you there really was a mother whale and her baby down here ...........

Heading back to the mainland, Tim flew us over the agricultural land and then onto the Kalbarri Gorges through which the River Murchison makes is spectacular meandering way to the ocean.

After our big day, Greg sat quietly watching a bit of TV and I put on the chicken parcels and French Potatoes (which Greg thought I had a bit of a hide to serve up to him),

but which he ate in full and said "Hey, that was actually pretty good" !!!!!!!

On that note all............ 

Take care, sleep tight and we'll give you Denham and Monkey Mia for the next installment.................

(PS:  will try to load a couple of links for some interesting sites for you from areas we have visited)....

Sweet dreams all