20 - Kalbarri - wild weather, majestic cliffs, gorges and wildflowers - 4th Sept 2012

4th September 2012

We drove from Shark Bay to Kalbarri, on the WA coastline. It is a very pretty place and the National Park is full of Spring flowers, for which it is very famous. The sky above was full of threatening and dense clouds. The sun, in its efforts to shine forth for a moment, almost broke through the clouds. This caused a rainbow to form around the sun, which looked like a stain glass window. Afterwards, the weather changed for wind, rain and cold.

A great pastime was photographing the 3 m swell, monstrous waves, crashing onto the rocky cliffs of Kalbarri or breaking on a huge flat rock at the entrance to a peaceful harbour. It is a small town and a very pretty place indeed.

5th Sept 2012. Took a bus into the gorges of the NP. There were plenty of flowering shrubs and plants. There were magnificent deep green and red Kangaroo Paw - stunning. The following photos show the wildflowers, the Murchison River with a special lookout at Nature's window where the bus driver kindly took our photo.

We drove to Port Gregory to the Pink Lake today. Well, it is being mined for salt and for beta carotene which is caused by pink algae. It was strange to see it and not enjoyable. The small port was freezing, but as you drive there, wheat fields grow right next to huge white sand dunes and a historic convict settlement stands on the shores of the Pink Lake.

We also visited a wonderful Parrot House. World Class, really. Graeme got some good snaps of the parrots. The exhibition was done out so very well and quite extensive.

The icy weather has caused us to jump into our winter gear (three layers of it). Off to Geraldton tomorrow. I used to work there selling Christian books when I was 20 and still a student at College.