Kalbarri

Another long day, which had Ern wishing we were there already by the end of the drive. Western Australia is so big! Even the sky seems bigger. Everything is so vibrant here. The grass is greener; the sky is bluer; the clouds are whiter and fluffier, and the earth is redder. This is Australia in “High Definition.”

We drove from Geraldton to Denham, passing by the Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon and stopping at the magnificent Kalbarri National Park on the way. We have seen a few pink lakes on our travels, mostly disappointing with just a pinkish hue, but this one was by far the most vibrant. Of course, it was! WA is Australia is in HD, remember? The pink colour is caused by a type of algae that thrives in salty water. The algae at Hutt Lagoon was loving life, and whilst it wasn’t the bubble-gum pink that we’d seen in photos, it was a pleasant shade of strawberry milkshake.

Onwards to Kalbarri... and “Oh my!” This place is spectacular. We were surprised to find that inside Kalbarri National Park there is a full-blown town, complete with schools and bowling clubs. Not your usual national park, but what a place to live! We decided to give the newly opened skywalk a miss, due to Daph’s aversion to man-made platforms suspending you above the ground. Especially ones made of glass with no support beams. NO WAY!! Instead, we did the pleasant walk along the nature-made cliffs (which Daph completely trusts, and Ern was okay with) to the magnificent Nature’s Window. It’s a naturally formed window in the rock face that frames the view of the river flowing through the gorge just perfectly. The Universe is showing off again. And why not?! When you’re this beautiful, flaunt it, baby!

The next leg from Kalbarri to Denham was exhausting. Nothing and no one for miles and miles. Daph tried to liven up the journey with a party-mix karaoke session, but Ern’s interest was waning by three hours in. And the torrential rain didn’t help, even with Daph excitedly pointing out yet more rainbows.

We decided to bypass the planned stops at Hamelin Pool and Shell Beach, which we will visit on the way back out when the weather is more kind. We ploughed on, Ern only just making it before reaching the end of his tether, despite Daph’s upbeat attempts to distract him from the turmoil. We arrived just in time for sunset, to set up camp in the rain.

Denham didn’t look like much as we drove in through sheets of rain, but with a little sunshine, The Universe is strutting its stuff here too. The sun is shining this morning. Ern has got his legs out. And there’s a foreshore to explore. Stay tuned.