Kalbarri National Park @ Kalbarri, Western Australia

What else to do on a vacation in Perth? Travel up north to Kalbarri for a road trip! Yes we went to Kalbarri National Park during our Day 8 of Perth Trip. Kalbarri National Park offers a range of adventure activities such as bush walking, gorge hiking and canoeing while admiring the colorful wildflowers. Read on for more!

Located six hours drive north of Perth and a 20 minute drive from Kalbarri, The Loop and Z Bend are just one of a plethora of amazing natural attractions in the Kalbarri National Park that must be seen. We spent 3 days 2 nights in Kalbarri as the travel distance (return) already took almost a day. 

Upon arrival, we paid $13 per car (up to 8 legally seated people) as the entrance fee to the Kalbarri National Park. Holiday Park Pass for $48 per car is available too to entitle for multiple entries to as many parks as you wish for any four weeks period.

Nature's Window

Kalbarri National Park is huge, covering about 1800km² of area size which include the Murchison River gorge that runs for nearly 80 km (50 mi) on the lower reaches of the Murchison River. The Murchison River gorges in the Kalbarri National Park are also breathtaking. The gorges have been carved over millions of years to form dramatic sandstone cliff faces which plummet into the Murchison River as it meanders towards the township of Kalbarri.

Since we were there for just half a day, we did not go for the hiking. We just dropped by some of the famous attraction points such as Nature's Window and Z Bend Lookout. Nature's Window has to be the most well known among all attractions, formed from layers of Tumblagooda Sandstone. 

It's quite easy to access to the Nature's Window as we just parked our car at carp park, followed the stairs and walked down a picturesque trail. The rock formation of Nature's Window perfectly frames the rugged upstream view of the Murchison River. It is an easy 800m walk (return) to the Window. 

The Nature's Window is also the beginning and end of The Loop walking trail. It is a Class 4 Trail where the paths are often rough, steep and uneven with few modifications. A moderate to high level of fitness is required for the 8km walking trail. 

When visiting to Kalbarri National Park, it is recommended to wear real covered shoes, apply lots of sunblock and wear a hat! Since there is no any shelter along the way, weather can affect safety too, so be sure to always bring more water than you think you will need.

From July to October, Kalbarri National Park is ablaze with color as wildflowers like banksias, grevillias, kangaroo paws and feather flowers spring to life. The park is rich in bird life and other animals. Since we went in the early October, we get to witness all, so be sure to go at the right time!

Z-Bend

The other one that we went for was the Z-Bend Lookout. The Z-Bend was aptly named given the enormous Z bend the Murchison River have created as they flow through the gorges. Same like The Loop, there is Z-Bend River Trail as well with a distance of 2.6km (return) but we only went to the lookout. The scenic views are equally spectacular! 😍😍😍

All in all, I do think that Kalbarri National Park certainly worth the visit! The rock formations and the gorges were breathtaking, definitely great for photographs. So if you happen to travel to Perth, make sure Kalbarri National Park is in your list!

Kalbarri National Park

Best Time to Visit: Winter-Spring. 

Best to avoid during the wet autumn due to high river levels 

and during the dangerously hot Summer months.

Stay tuned for more Perth posts!