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Our stay in the Kalbarri region has been exhilarating, knackering, exciting and one to remember.
One day driving to all the sea cliff views and walks, followed by a trip to Hawks Head, one of the iconic views of West Australia where the Murchison River has cut some gorges through the red layered rocks. To get there, you drive along a flat prairie like dirt road, totally unaware of the view soon to be encountered, as a gorge drops unexpectedly below you.
Angie reliably informs me that this is the main view that sold her on Australia back in the '70s. However at that time she had hardly been north of the Watford Gap in the UK and the largest cliff she'd seen was probably the cliffs of Dover! The name Hawks Head came from the shape of a large rock overhanging the gorge, but sadly the beak fell of some years ago, but it was already on all the maps by then. Anyway, what would you call a beakless hawk?
At a nearby lookout named after the first headmaster of the school at Kalbarri, Ross Graham, it is possible to walk down to the river, which of course we did, where totally alone, we watched kangaroos drinking at the waters edge and a heron waiting to strike. Peaceful.
Another day at a slightly more sedate pace of sand dune quad biking, a trip to a parrot breeding and preservation centre and a brisk stroll down to mushroom rock on the sea edge at dusk was great fun. Then the final more typical Varey day at the end where we try to squeeze everything left in. Another trip to the Murchisons gorges and one called Natures Window where it is possible to be photographed looking through a large hole in a rock down into the gorge. There also starts a walk called the Loop at this point and of course if it's there we have to do it! It might be called the Loop because you have to be a bit loopy to try it, but then more likely it's because the river goes round in a huge lop almost back onto itself which no doubt it will do in another million years time. The rock strata are fantastic and the river at this time of year is very low and sedate, but the temperatures are 10 degrees higher in the gorge than in the surrounding area. Thank goodness it isn't summer just now, but it's still blooming warm and when you're shuffling along a small ledge on your backside with a short drop into the river directly below you, it's not too easy to realise the beauty around. Not too difficult for the smaller thinner ones, but to men of a larger stature it is a bit of a challenge. actually the walk wasn't too difficult, but we'd also booked a flight to fly over the park at the end of the afternoon, so Sergeant Major A.Varey was making sure we did every kilometre in the right time. Still we arrived at Kalbarri 'International' with ten minutes to spare where we boarded a seven seater (incl pilot) Cessna and set of down the short runway. Being the largest passenger on board, I was in first class next to the pilot where I got a quick 30 sec instruction on the controls (if necessary) and then strict instructions not to touch anything!! The flight lasted about an hour and was thoroughly exhilarating and enjoyable even though the pilot called it a bit lumpy, though I didn't really notice it.
So apart from all that, we've been reacquainted with the West Australian flies and some corrugated dirt tracks.
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