Day 51-52. 24th - 25th June 2024. Kalbarri. Lobster morning tea.

NOW we are talking seaside towns. A caravan park within walking distance of a small town, a river view which extended into the surf, sandy beaches, boats, jetties, and the promise of lobster awaited. We instantly loved Kalbarri after taking a walk the afternoon we arrived, and with the weather giving us a reprieve, sitting outside the van watching the sunset over the hills with while BBQing fish and eating fish and chip shop chips – we were pretty happy. There may have been a beer and a wine involved, but moderation was the key as we had an early start the next day.

Someone we chatted to at a campfire in Cunamulla mentioned that one of the best tours they did was the Lobster Pot pulling in Kalbarri. 7am on the boat, and as we pass through the surf break to get out to open water, the sunrise started taking some effect in heating the air. It wasn’t enough for us to regret wearing thermals and beanies.

As we sail from pot to pot, we are regaled with tales of yore and of robbery – mainly from the government - and facts about lobsters. For instance, the difference between a lobster and a crayfish is that if it comes from salt water, it is a lobster. Also, octopi are the foxes of the sea. Like a fox into a henhouse, an octopus will enter a pot with lobsters and kill them for fun. They don’t even eat them, but I presume it is because they don’t have garlic butter down there. One lobster caught on the day had lost a leg to an octopus in the pot. Considering it was then dragged to the surface, shoved in box, and later killed, cooked and eaten that night, Linda pointed out it had been a tough day for the lobster.

On the boat we were fed some lobster with ham and cheese, some with garlic sauce and some with Chili Jam which was a pretty nice morning tea. At the completion of the tour, we got a lobster each for dinner. We BBQ’d the lobster, had some bubbles and some more chips from the chippy next door. Pretty good eating day for a couple living in a caravan. We were also lucky enough for some bonus dolphin and whale spotting not too far from the boat. All done and dusted by 9am!

In between gourmet feeds, we visited Kalbarri National park and their skywalk. It’s a walk that takes you off the edge of a cliff, and the floor is a grate you can see through. The last skywalk we did was in Bangkok which was walking out onto a glass platform at over 50 stories high. A friend and I (Phil) quaked in our socks as we barely moved out onto the platform while Linda was showing us how it was done. The Kalbarri skywalk was not as stomach turning but certainly had me hanging onto the rail while Linda happily snapped photos. This small walk is outstandingly done, as is the other major attraction which is a short hike to the “Nature's Window” rock formation where you sit inside a rock frame and have your Instagram picture taken with a spectacular backdrop.

Kalbarri had given us a taste of the good life on one day, the next morning we just managed to pack up and hitch before Kalbarri showed us her dark side. The 4.5 hour drive started with a wall of water to drive through, and it seemed to come in waves. Maybe we should have got a boat.

Facilities: This is what you call a good honest caravan park with a good honest set up. Not spectacular, but clean and no shower curtain. A solid 7.5/10.