Kalbarri Gorge and Kaju Yatka

Today we explored the gorges of Kalbarri, that is the section Andy and I didn't manage to get to on our trip here in 1999. Most people would have heard of this memorable trip, but for those who may not have, it goes something like this -  we had planned to hike and camp over 3 nights beginning at the eastern end of the gorge and finishing at the western end. All was going well until day 3 when we hadn't expected or planned for the river to be so high. The rock platforms petered out turning into impassable vertical cliffs and as our packs were not water proof, our only option was retrace our steps a little way and then clamber up the side of the gorge!! It was a very nervous time but we are here to tell the tale so all ended well!

Our hike with the girls was much less adventurous - we had opted to do the 9km Loop Walk via Nature's Window. The path to the window was nicely paved and had a constant trickle of tourists. Past the window, few groups ventured and so we were mostly by ourselves.

The start of the (real) hike was along the cliff top providing spectacular views of the Murchison River. A few kilometres later, the small rocky path descended to the floor of the gorge. We stopped on the way down to refuel and soak up the glorious colours of the walls.

Second stage of the hike was by far the most exciting with the path taking us along the rocky platforms and at one point clinging and crawling was required. The walls of the gorges were impressive in both colour and height. We chose a small overhang off the beaten path for lunch. Turns out it must have been a good feeding spot as after we consumed our lunch we noticed quite a few old bones scattered around!! We were surprised to see 4 black swans happily floating around on the river.

 

The final part of the hike was sandy and hot. The floor of the gorge had widen out significantly y this stage. We saw several rock wallabies nibbling grass, unconcerned about our presence. It was a short steep climb back to Nature's Window and along the paved path back to the car.

From there we drove to Kaju Yatka (Skywalk). We were looking forward to a refreshing drink or ice cream at the cafe however unfortunately for us it was still closed due to the damage it sustained from cyclone Serosa. It was a quick wander out onto these two platforms that extended into the gorge. Nice but not as nice as our views on our hike.

The remaining part of the afternoon we relaxed before testing out the local pub for dinner after a recommendation by the park office. We weren't lucky in the pub raffle but the food was good.