Well, after just over two and a half very busy weeks here in Kalbarri, some fine fish on the table, wonderful scenery visited and absorbed, a number of good afternoons on my kayak on the Murchison, festivals, Hutt River, and a jolly social scene, it was almost time to pack up our tent and make tracks again further north.
This had been one of the few places we have visited to date which had fully lived up to our expectations. A great spot and one I'm sure we shall revisit next year if time and our schedule allow.
So let's leave Kalbarri with a few 'non aligned' memories and snippets of our stay beginning with a last look at the local coastline.
I am sure I have previously lamented the fact that I did not photograph the enormous Indian Ocean breakers which were pounding the coast under the influence of the hooting westerly which had greeted our arrival in town. But nevertheless, thumping surf is a constant at Kalbarri, as indeed it is along most of this coast. This is the surf over the Murchison River entrance channel outer reef on a quiet day!
And here, on Kalbarri's Back Beach, during a day of off-shore winds, the break was standing up sharply over the inshore reef.
As one could expect with surf like this the Kalbarri area is a marine mecca for those who chase the waves.
The break at Jakes Point is probably the most popular of all which is on offer in the district. Whilst is it impossible to pick them out in this shot (taken from the observation tower at the Rainbow Jungle), there is a group of surfers walking out over the flat rock shelf towards the sea and the curling left hander which rolls in here constantly. The only real variation of the break at Jakes is the size.
As could probably be expected, once the surfies arrive for the season, there is someone keen to take advantage of the commercial opportunity on offer....the caravan type vehicle parked immediately behind the assorted 'woodies' (now there's a 60's term) houses a local purveyor of coffee, hamburgers and other fast foods to sate the demands of the cold and peckish.
I am sure I have previously lamented the fact that I did not photograph the enormous Indian Ocean breakers which were pounding the coast under the influence of the hooting westerly which had greeted our arrival in town. But nevertheless, thumping surf is a constant at Kalbarri, as indeed it is along most of this coast. This is the surf over the Murchison River entrance channel outer reef on a quiet day!
And here, on Kalbarri's Back Beach, during a day of off-shore winds, the break was standing up sharply over the inshore reef.
As one could expect with surf like this the Kalbarri area is a marine mecca for those who chase the waves.
The break at Jakes Point is probably the most popular of all which is on offer in the district. Whilst is it impossible to pick them out in this shot (taken from the observation tower at the Rainbow Jungle), there is a group of surfers walking out over the flat rock shelf towards the sea and the curling left hander which rolls in here constantly. The only real variation of the break at Jakes is the size.
As could probably be expected, once the surfies arrive for the season, there is someone keen to take advantage of the commercial opportunity on offer....the caravan type vehicle parked immediately behind the assorted 'woodies' (now there's a 60's term) houses a local purveyor of coffee, hamburgers and other fast foods to sate the demands of the cold and peckish.
Speaking of local food suppliers, apart from our two sorties to partake of the excellent buffet on offer each Sunday evening at Jakes Restaurant, we did occasionally abandon the galley in favour of gastronomic laziness. The Jetty Seafood Shack had come highly recommended. It's reputation is well deserved. The fish and chips which arrived in these colourful boxes were first class.
All this is pretty unremarkable stuff in itself, but I had to share some of the wording on the take-away menu. Listen to this, from a 'fish and chippo' no less....."Fish from Western Australia is in general, premium table fish, sold to the best restaurants or exported. This means the fish may be more expensive than fish from other regions in Australia, and is definitely more expensive than imported fish. We now know that fish is good for our health, but quality fish is not a cheap meal, with many species are [sic] considerably more expensive than fillet steak".
What a marvellous con. A vain attempt to justify the fact that fish in WA is not just expensive...it is exorbitantly priced. One of our biggest disappointments over here is the price of seafood (and pub beer), even in towns which house substantial fishing fleets. In other states it has been our experience that fishing towns invariably offer bargains to those on deck to shop on the wharf. Not in WA. The industry is tightly controlled and regulated and any wanting less than premium priced seafood have to 'wet a line'.
But who can really whinge for too long when able to sit with good mates during river front happy hours taking in a marvellous Kalbarri sunset or two. Some were bright golden,
whilst, every so often we were treated to a day which ended with an initial blush of pink
and a final stunning splash of crimson.
But then, practical reality is never far away in the caravanning world. "When did we last change the hot water system anode, Liz?" "In Busselton, when we had the new hot water service installed....how could you forget?" Good point....how times of trouble are quickly erased from the memory...could this be an innate human survival mechanism?
Anodes are a critical bit of kit in any caravan hot water system. They are 'sacrificial' in that their purpose is to slowly 'die' whilst protecting the tank of the heater from the corrosion which would otherwise be inevitable in these systems. Replacement is advised at least every 12 months, but when the quality of the water on offer is questionable, more frequent inspection is strongly recommended. With the water we have had to use here in WA in many places, we decided that I should check the anode at 6 monthly intervals.
What a good idea that proved to be. So, out with the trusty box socket set and out with the anode. I know, I know, Marshy with a spanner in his hand can be a scary sight and did not often lead to a good outcome....it's amazing how expertise improves with practice born of the notion that to have had this done professionally would probably cost $50 or more!
High time to replace this one? You be the judge. Here are the new and the old side by side. There was so much residual anode crap in the tank I had to use a bottle brush to remove it all. Lesson learnt....every 6 months at least from now on until the quality of water improves. Take note, Neil J!
With another maintenance job completed, we were off. Carnarvon beckons. And, as you now know, this is where our life on the road took a radical turn.
Given that we are now here for two months, I've decided to leave our exploration of Carnarvon till later. So we shall skip the initial week we had here and, in the next few episodes, take a look at the North West Cape and Exmouth.
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