Ahh, holidays!

Family Malone is just returned from 10 days at Kalbarri on the stunning mid-North coast of West Australia. It’s time off from work for hubby, and it’s time away from screens for me with my writing, (and for our boys with their darn addictions to Fortnite et al,) in our campervan, with lots of long walks through stunning coast and country.

We missed the major bloom of the spring wildflower season, but there were still patches of colour here and there. The real action for us was going on in the ocean, with whales heading south for cooler waters. I love seeing the spouts of whales out in the ocean, and knowing these huge mammals are out there, doing their thing. I’m so very glad they’re now protected species in our Aussie waters. They make me feel happy just knowing they’re there.

We did a heap of walking on this trip with our two boys. 8km was the longest walk, on The Loop at Z-Bend in the Kalbarri National Park. We got a cool day with very light rain and it made for excellent walking conditions.

Last year we did the same trip at the same time of year. I remember clearly going for a walk on the ‘Bigurda’ Trail – running 8kms from the Natural Bridge to Eagle Gorge along the coast. Last year I saw whales very close to the clifftop walk, breaching, carrying-on and just exuberant as they slapped the water. I couldn’t see another person north or south of me, and it felt like these whales were showing off just for me! (Do I have a big ego or what?)

So this year I did the Bigurda trail again, late afternoon. I did see whales, but they weren’t so close in as last year, nor did they put on such a display. Not that it mattered to me. I walked an hour north from Natural Bridge and then sat on my butt on a flat rock and watched the ocean for another half-hour before walking back.

Typical for me, my eye gets caught by wildflowers every bit as much as by whales… I have to be very careful that I don’t do this…

 

So thank you for having us, lovely Kalbarri. We hope to see you again next year 🙂

xx Lily