Kalbarri and the wildflowers

Kalbarri is a shadow of its former self after last year's cyclones! We both remember warm beach breaks,  leafy parks and thriving cafes and surf shops. Now there's empty hotels and cafes, trees stripped bare and countless roof panels missing along the esplanade.  We enjoy the excuse to stay four nights to do our bit to help the local economy recover. We too need some recovery time.  

Its cool, breezy and rains a little. We visit the new Sky Walk balanced high above the Murchison River. The view through Nature's Window is verdant green. We explore the base of the Z Bend Gorge along the river trail. Rock hopping, narrow ledges and caves, steep cliff climbs and rock pools make this one fun for all of us. We explore the coastline the next day, Red Bluff, Mushroom Rock and Natural Bridge. The swell is massive and the cliffs imposing. Most of all we enjoy the abundance of native wildflowers here. (Apart from the one that perfumes the air with something resembling spew).

We travel inland and camp in bush. We find places nestled in fields of soft pink or yellow everlastings. We sit by camp-fires at night while the kids toast marshmallows. They find fun in each place we visit and rarely want to leave.  They build a tee pee made from eucalypt branches, cover the base with a carpet of flowers and hang wildflower chandeliers.  They find a large pool at the base of a granite rock and collect giant tadpoles in their shoes. 

Here husband can indulge his passion for native orchids after many years away from his 'homeland'. His enthusiasm is infectious and we all enjoy the treasure hunt. These tiny floral sculptures are clever and truly captivating. Princess learns how to "pollinate" by hand and can't get enough of prising out fluffy, sticky minuscule amounts of yellow pollen with a twig. And they've already well surpassed my limited knowledge of orchid names.  

View from my travelling window.  Camel Soak, WA.