Kalbarri

Our journey south is slow. Yes, there was a head wind but the temperatures are colder....not good.

Kalbarri was home for a week.

With a golf course nearby, coastal cliffs with passing whales and dolphins less than five kilometers away, inland gorges and lots of wildflowers there was plenty to enjoy for a few days. That I could pay a weekly fee at the golf club was a distinct bonus. Value for money it was!

Kalbarri is predominantly a holiday destination at the mouth of the Murcheson River. The swimming/paddling is safe along the river and there are a few additional attractions around the town. We visited the wildflower centre and Rainbow Jungle, a parrot breeding centre.



Every day there is Pelican Feeding on the beach at 8.45am. Days one and two were a wipe out - lots of people, no pelicans. The next day Percy turned up, and a few of his friends dropped in regularly after that. The feeding is done by volunteers - and I have forgotten this lady's name. She and Percy made a good double act.

It was a spot for a bit of exercise as well. Beth and I complete the 8 kms Loop walk from Nature's window, and the next day rode to Red Bluff - close to 10 kms return. Add at least nine holes of golf a day, and the leg muscles should be toned up by now.

Shark Bay

This delightful locale is listed as World Heritage area.

It meets all four criteria for listing and is a fascinating place.



The peninsula is separated from the rest of Australia by an electrified fence and the recorded sounds of a dog barking (I'm not joking about this one). It is the site of Project Eden where they have removed the feral animals (foxes, cats, goats) and are trying to keep them out.

We paid good money to see dugongs, dolphins and turtles - and we saw them. As expected they were mainly underwater and our glimpses of dolphins were few and fleeting while the dugongs popped up all around us.


Since you have no idea where they will appear the few seconds they are above the surface to breathe seconds are taken up turning head and body in the general direction. The photographic result is a lot of water, and pictures of the backs of dugongs as they go below to graze on the seagrass banks of Shark Bay.

Our day on the bay was very calm, which made it easier to see them and contributed to a generally good experience. A bonus 'sunset cruise' meant we spent about 4 hours cruising Shark Bay.


At the other end of the scale the park entry was all that was needed at Monkey Mia to see the 'dolphin interaction' area. When few others were around the sight of a small pod of dolphins (6) chasing a fish less than a metre offshore was an amazing bonus.

Add some amazing views, observe a family of emus at a waterhole and other wildlife encounters we had a worthwhile stay at Denham in the Shark Bay shire.

Oh...we also got to play garden golf and have a sausage sizzle for just 5 bucks. That's all about that little exercise though. The food and company were good. The mini-golf course was interesting and well done, but the golf itself was not quite up to par. No more will be said about that little exercise .