Flourish travel: Kalbarri

Published : May 08, 2015

by Dallas Downes

If anyone mentions Kalbarri, my head gets filled with copious amounts of memories. Long family road trips, lunch in Geraldton, fishing in the wee hours of the morning, horse riding, drinking coffee over-looking the beautiful beach. As you can see I could go on for a while explaining all the things that come to mind when I think of Kalbarri. That’s because I’ve been there 12 times. So what makes Kalbarri so appealing, to not just me, but the many other West Australians who want to get away to take some time out to soak up the sun and leave any worries back at home?

Located 577km from Perth means that you better prepare for a long, roughly 7.5 hour journey, if you wish to drive to Kalbarri. Don’t be disheartened by this travel time though, as there are a number of stops available on the way.

Places to Stay

Kalbarri provides a number of accommodation choices. If you enjoy the simple pleasures that a bed and breakfast has to offer then look into Cable Cottage. Set in beautiful cottage gardens with native bush and an array of birds you will feel as if you’re in a home away from home. Continental breakfast is served upstairs on the balcony. There couldn’t be a better view to enjoy whilst having breakfast.

If you don’t mind caravan parks then consider Kalbarri Tudor Caravan Park. This three and a half star rated accommodation is perfectly located with everything including the beach, shops and restaurants within walking distance.

For the more “equipped” accommodation, look into Kalbarri Beach Resort. This place is perfect for young families as it offers everything rolled into one. Two or three full self-contained bedroom apartments are available to choose from. Enjoy the luxury of having air cooled rooms, television with DVD player and free in-house movies and your own little kitchen space. When you’re not spending time in the apartment, you and your family can take advantage of the large swimming pool, toddler’s waddling pool, extra large children’s pool, two playgrounds, guest laundry, tennis courts, volleyball court, poolside barbeques and games room.

Experience It All At Kalbarri

Kalbarri Family Entertainment Centre – This is the perfect place to spend a portion of your day with the kids. A range of activities are available to participate in including mini putt putt, trampolines, euro bungy, spider net, amusement arcade as well as a toddlers play area and a bike hire facility.

Rainbow Jungle - The Australian Parrot Breeding Centre – Regarded as Australia’s most beautiful parrot habitat and described as one of the wonders of Western Australia, you simply cannot pass up the chance to experience this place. As you follow the paved brick pathways you will see a vast array of colourful birds, who may even greet you with a “hello”. Free barbeque facilities are available so you can sit down and relax in between bird spotting.

Murchison River – If you enjoy your fishing, then this is the river for you as it is renowned as being one of the best fishing spots in WA. Make yourself comfortable on the shore and throw in a line and you will most likely score yourself a bream, whiting or mulloway. Fishing not your thing? How about a sunset cruise or hiking and canoe trips? These tours can be arranged allowing you to experience the second longest river in our state.

Kalbarri Wildflower Centre – Take a stroll along the 30 minute nature trail that this centre presents and view a beautiful range of native flora. 200 species of flowers have been labelled for easy identification if you choose not to take a guided tour of the flowers with an experienced botanist.

So, if you’re feeling like it’s time for a holiday where you can roll relaxation, exploration, entertainment into one then seriously consider Kalbarri as your place to go. With its low-key, carefree environment and friendly local people to make you feel like one of the locals yourself, Kalbarri is the perfect holiday destination. Trust me, I’ve enjoyed every single time that I’ve been!