Carnarvon to Kalbarri

 A day of change. Firstly the weather. Overcast nearly all day and the temperature struggled to get to 20. Extra layers have been added for the first time since just after Melbourne. No wind today though thank goodness  The clouds looked ominous at times but we stayed dry.

Second, the landscape. New Zealand might get 4 seasons in one day but boy we’ve seen some changes today.

We rode through basically a desert first up, nothing to see in any direction. Then the scrub managed to grow up a bit and the wild flowers are out, lining the road in white, lavender, purple, red and yellow. Very pretty.  

We stopped at a rare high point and took in the view, really nice but the low cloud kept the colours subdued. The sea was in the distance. 

Then there was brief spell of quite large woodland scrub and then we came over a hill around a corner and bang, it all disappeared and we were in the wheat belt! As far as the eye could see wheat heads wafting in the breeze.  

We stopped for a break at a roadhouse and debated whether to go up to Monkey Mia, it is very beautiful but not the season for whale sharks so we decided to push on.

After another spell of  scrublands we turned off and entered the Kalbarri National Park, 186000 hectares of what looks like at first glance to be flat scrub lands but in actual fact is full of gorges and ravines. The wildflowers were still everywhere all different colours and varieties. 

We entered the Park proper and passed through the manned entry gate, then set off to visit a couple of lookout points just a few kms in. Just a beautiful landscape even on a dull day. We then retraced our steps and entered again a few km down the road. 

This was a 26km access road to the skyview platform. Jaw dropping and gobsmacking vistas. Absolutely incredible views from the steel cantilevered viewing platforms. 

Then back to main road and about 20km up the road we found ourselves on the coast in the very pretty town of Kalbarri. Our accommodation is extremely nice tonight and our host offered us homemade carrot cake and tea for afternoon tea!

There is a river entrance here and the recent storm has produced a bigger than normal swell. The waves are massive where they break over the reef  and where the river mouth is, it is a seething cauldron of white water.

So I don’t know how many changes of scenery we had today but it seemed a lot, each one beautiful and dramatic in its own.