When we left Shark Bay we called into Shell Beach, a beach covered in countless tiny cockle shells, layered over 10m deep and stretching for over 120 km. These shells cement together after rain and can be made into bricks. We saw buildings made up of the shell bricks in Denham.
We also drove to Hamlin Pool, a marine reserve, containing the worlds best known colony of stromatolites (the oldest living organisms on the planet). These rocky looking lumps in the water resemble the oldest and simplest forms of life on earth, dating back 3.5million years and can be viewed from a viewing platform over the water. (Bet you didn't know what stromatolites were until you read this - neither did we!!!!!)
Continued on our drive to Kalbarri, stopping for a roadside lunch at Billabong Roadhouse, and booked into Murchison Caravan Park ($34 power & great water) in the town of Kalbarri. Kalbarri is a holiday town, situated where the Murchison River meets the coast and is surrounded by national park.
for the first time we can receive 7 TV stations, but we still cant find anything we want to watch!!!!
On our 2nd day we drove along Red Bluff Road, stopping to walk to the various points of interest along the coastal cliffs. We walked the Nature Trail that connects Mushroom Rock and Rainbow Valley, walking to the ocean through a gorge filled with wildflowers which were just beginning to bloom. We also stopped to view Eagle Gorge, Shellhouse Grandstand, Island Rock and Natural Bridge, all interesting rock formations along the spectacular cliffs. Saw lots of whales, but they were a fair way out. When we returned to town we decided to have a late lunch and visited a local cafe for an excellent burger & chips.
We awoke the next day to blue skies, sunshine and also cold blustery winds and spen he morning in the van. After lunch we went for a walk along river and then back around the lagoon to the ocean where we saw a whale and her calf. We couldn't believe how close they were to the beach and watched them for a long time. We found out later at the local fish and chip shop that the local boat hire business will ferry people across to the island and come back to get them when they ring the bell. Had we known this we would have gone across and would have seen able to see the whale and her calf from no more than 50 metres away. They were so close to the sand that we thought they might beach. The locals told us that whales often come into that spot to rest.
It was freezing in the van that night and I went to bed in my flannette pj's, thermal jumper, thick socks and woollen hat and thought it would be a good idea to buy a heater!!!!
Cheers
Rhonda (Sam) and Pete
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