Kalbarri is Western Australia’s Coral Coast crown jewel! Known for its dramatic coastal cliffs and inland gorges, Kalbarri is a great bucket list destination for your Western Australia family holiday. With so many things to do, we recommend staying at least 3 nights for your family to appreciate this wonderful destination.
Here are the best things to do in Kalbarri and WA Coral Coast region with kids:
Kalbarri National Park
This 186,000 hectares national park is Western Australia’s own version of the Grand Canyon. Murchison River has created vivid red rocks and white banded gorges, it is ever popular with hikers. Temperatures in the river gorges can reach up to 50 degrees (Celsius) in summer, so always carry plenty of water and follow the safety signs.
- Nature’s window: one of WA’s most iconic natural attractions. Go at sunset to avoid the heat and Instagrammers.
- Skywalk: you will feel like walking on air 100m above the Murchison River. Twin cantilevered structures allow visitors to look right down into the gorge below.
- Z-bend lookout: gorge plunges 150m down to where red river gums contrast against the sandstone.
- Ross Graham lookout: about 45 minutes from the other spots. Visit only if you have time
Get ready to Hangout!
The highlight of our trip – abseiling with Kalbarri Abseil! The abseil site is not far from Z-Bend lookout, so the views are simply AMAZING. The tours start early in the morning around 7.30am to beat the heat. After visiting the Z-Bend lookout, there is a short hike down the river trail down to the abseil site. There are a few walls you can abseil, the 4m practice wall to get you comfortable, then onto the awesome 25m and 35m walls!
Kids can join as a tag along without abseiling. But with Col’s expert guide and patience our originally reluctant 5 year old – was brave enough to complete both the 4 and 25 meter wall!
After abseiling, walk down to Murchison River for a relaxing lunch and swim in the river.
Coastal cliffs sunset
Kalbarri coast line is dominated by a stunning stretch of coastal cliffs which plummet down to the ocean waves 100m below. Red rock formations along with green native plants and turquoise blue ocean waters provide a panoramic scene. Look out for migrating whales from June to November.
- Pot Alley: kids will love the amazing “Mars” like rock formations. Walk down to the beach, and take your camera!
- Island Rock and Natural Bridge: walk to viewing platforms not far from the carpark.
- Eagle Gorge: famous for its wildflowers and if you’re lucky, see some kangaroos!
Relax at Blue Holes
Protected waters and small rock pools make this beach a natural aquarium for marine life. It is an ideal swimming bay for kids and is great for snorkeling. Plenty of fishes and starfishes for the little ones to spot.
Time for adrenaline rush
We had a great time riding with Kalbarri Wagoe Beach Quad Bike Tours. Choose either a quad bike or beach buggies (both are easy to operate) and enjoy a ride along the beautiful Wagoe Beach. Another highlight is the sand dunes and highest cliff top point to soak in the Coral Coast scenery.
During our tour we stopped a few times to see pods of dolphins and migrating whales!
What to bring
Fly nets
One thing we didn’t enjoy about Kalbarri: flies! Even when we visited in September, they were everywhere and there were tons of them. We came prepared with insect repellents – none of them worked! The best solution is just to put up with them or wear a fly net.
Back up food from home
During peak holiday seasons the local restaurants can really struggle to keep up with the influx of visitors. Adjust your meal times to avoid peak hours, call and book in advance or bring food from home for backup.
Getting to Kalbarri
Kalbarri is some 600km north of Perth and will take about a 6 hours drive. To keep your family’s sanity, we recommend breaking up your road trip and stop by the following places:
– Port Gregory pink lake: For so many years we avoided this place thinking “Surely the photos are edited” – they are not! It truly is a strange sight. The lake’s colour intensity changes depending on the time of day, season and cloud cover. The best time to visit is usually in the middle of the day, when the sun is high. The pink lake is located between Kalbarri and Geraldton.
– Geraldton: Stop to enjoy a nice meal at one of the restaurants along Marine Terrace or Foreshore Drive. There is also a nice ocean front playground and water park for the kids.
– The Pinnacles: Not far from Cervantes and Jurien Bay, Pinnacles of Nambung National Park is a desert with natural limestone structures.
Accommodation
With views of Chinaman’s Beach and Murchison River, we stayed at Murchison View Apartments. Our accommodation was a 2 bedroom, one bathroom apartment. It has a modernised kitchen, dining and living area as well as a private terrace (to escape the kids). Laundry and a full kitchen with a microwave, oven and refrigerator are standard in all apartments. Common facilities include a swimming pool and barbeque area. Free parking is also available on site.
For places we have visited, Checkout our website’s travel Destinations section. We buy of our travel essentials online via Ebay
