Pink Lake & Kalbarri National Park

After Geraldton, we continued to Horrocks. There wasn’t much to see here. We walked briefly on the beach and had lunch with a strong wind blowing against us. Pink Lake was our next destination. We had seen beautiful photos of it and were really looking forward to it. And it was definitely worth it. The weather was good, there weren’t many people around, and the lake really appeared pink. Behind the lake was a large white salt flat, creating a nice contrast and showcasing the colors well.

After taking some photos, we continued to Kalbarri. We had a beautiful view of the ocean and the national park upon arrival. Kalbarri was a nice town offering us a campground for the night. Despite the strong wind, we could camp in a sheltered spot. However, when I saw some cockroaches crawling around while cooking and, on top of that, a rat (we later found out it was a different kind of rodent) climbing up the trees, we decided to move to a different spot with the three of us (Linde sleeps on the ground in a tent).

Kalbarri National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in Australia. We drove about sixty kilometers through the national park to reach Nature’s Window. We had a stunning view of large red rocks, reminding us why we came here. It was absolutely breathtaking. We did two hikes through the gorges. It was scorching, and we were hoping for some relief at the end of our hike. Unfortunately, the rivers were completely dried up, and we only found stagnant water. Swimming in it would be dangerous due to the high temperatures. There is a high risk of serious bacterial infection. To return, we climbed up a steep path. Linde was feeling very hot and was struggling with the heat, so we decided to rest and not continue hiking. We suspect we are a bit more acclimated to the extreme temperatures in Australia. We also visited Hawks Head and Rossman River lookouts. We booked an extra night at the campground in Kalbarri. Inez and I were still up for a long 9-kilometer hike we planned for the next day.

Inez and I woke up at 5 am to start the hike early and avoid the day’s first heat. As soon as we woke up, it started raining. Here, rain means just a few drops, and it quickly stops. Linde chose to stay in bed and join us later after the hike. On the way to the national park, it was still a bit dark, and we saw a lot of kangaroos. About fifteen of them dared to sit by the road, and some jumped over it. We had to brake hard twice to avoid hitting any of them.

We walked from Nature’s Window to the start of our hike, about 500 meters away. It was cloudy, and the temperature was perfect, ideal for our hike. We were all alone and looking forward to completing the 9-kilometer hike in record time. We walked across mountains and rocks, descended into a dried-up river, conquered deep sand dunes, saw many kangaroos, and occasionally had to make an effort to find the way. We had a brief two-minute rain shower, but it didn’t stop us. It was a beautiful hike that brought us great joy!

Satisfied, we drove back and picked up Linde, who had enjoyed a relaxing day of shopping. Along the coast, we visited several other spots in the national park. Linde was treated to a dose of Australian wildlife during our first stop. A snake crawled across the hiking trail, leaving her amazed! Inez and I were also happy to see one again. We had our sandwiches by the coast and drove toward Denham. We had a long five-hour drive ahead of us.

We took a break in Hamelin Pool to see the stromatolites, sedimentary rocks of biological origin. Here, we could witness life forming just as it did three billion years ago. It was particularly hot in this area. The campground here wasn’t worth it, so we decided to keep driving. It became an exciting ride as it got dark, and we had to be cautious of kangaroos on the road. We saw a few of them, but they stayed by the roadside. Just before Denham, we camped at a free campsite called Whalebone Bay. We were completely alone, except for one other car. We had something to eat, played a card game, and went to bed.