On our last morning at Geraldton we visited the museum which was fantastic for the children they had a read and find hunt of information and a list for the children to each lick off (Bianca’s was pictures only) and they worked their way around the exhibits looking and reading a number of different topics. It was a fascinating museum with a lot about the history of the area, the local indigenous people and the many ship wrecks off the coast – including a number of dutch shipwrecks from as early as 1600’s.

Remember these old parking meter I loved that it was 1c per minute….not anywhere near this price in Melbourne!

A shell wedding cake photo in the museum at Geraldton

Holly found some knuckles games – made from bone..just like the game she plays at school.

Kids with BIG Rubix Cube – these were actually cool public toilets on the water front.

Holly having a go too.

Big rubix cube aaron rolling.

Aaron and Holly watching the surfers

watching local surfers on the beach at Geraldton

The lighthouse at Geraldton

Geraldton is called the windy city and there are trees bending over from the wind…this one was right in town!

Ruins on the way to Kalbarri

More Ruins at the site of the convict labour camp.

These ruins were interesting as they were for convict labour hire – WA was a free settlement – no convicts were held or sent here other than to work as labour to lay roads, buildings and other infrastructure.

jumping pillow at the Big4 caravan park in Geraldton was a hit!

Kalbarri has a beautiful river and some resident pelicans which come and receive a few fish very morning for the tourists pleasure. The kids loved this and it was fun to see the Pelicans feeding up close.

Pelicans came up close and asked for their breakfast

Watching and listening

Pelican feeding at Kalbarri daily event local volunteers

Holly very happy that she just fed a pelican!

Aaron photographing pelicans – he has a new passion for photography.

taking in the breath taking views.

Holly shot this one.

the whole family in Natures Window.

the view through natures window

Aaron in a lovely cave with stripes in the rock.

Kids in natures Window

pretty wild flowers

Murchison river up at the Zbend spectacular – although mudding water from the rain.

the cliffs coast leading into Kalbarri.

We headed further up the coast to a lovely little town on the coast called Kalbarri – we were lucky to time our arrival for the last weekend of the WA school holidays as we had not booked and only just got a river front camp due to some others vacating them earlier that morning. Kalbarri is set on the mouth of the Murchison River which normally boasts crystal clear aqua coloured water but following the northern floods and the cyclone as few weeks earler the river was running brown (not unlike the mighty Murray) none the less the town is very pretty and it is easy to see why it attracts people for the costal vistas, river and ocean sports and in addition it is next to some beautiful river gorges in the Kalbarri National Park.

River Views from camp.

camp in Kalbarri

Aaron up a tree…lots of climbing.

Lemon smiles….we had fish for dinner.

The girls jumping waves

Aaron catching waves at Jakes at Kalbarri.

Riding it all the way in.

Andrew in the waves.

Sunset on the Murchison river.

We stayed in the Anchorage Caravan Park which had a pool which the kids loved we headed down to the little local surf beach Jakes where Andrew and Aaron again caught a few waves and the girls had a paddle. Set among rocks the little surf beach was beautiful and at the entry to Kalbarri there are many cliff lookouts similar to the Ocean Road only with more red rock providing a stunning contrast to the blue sky and Indian Ocean.

Regrettably our visit was also timed to coincide with about a billion bush flies. Andrew was encouraging the kids on a hot afternoon walk to a gorge lookout he said “come on I know you are hot and bothered but its not much further” and Aaron quickly returned with “I am more bothered (by the flies) than I am hot!” The walk out to the gorge look outs were worth the effort and ice cream bribes as the views were really gorgeous. It felt like we could have spent more time here but we had to move on.