Cervantes to Kalbarri

28/4/12 Total 9056km for day 386km
Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Geraldton, Northhampton, Kalbarri


Not  a big day today but ended up in the pouring rain.  It had been spitting and tempting rain for a long time, you could see all the clouds and rain all around and it caught us out on the Kalibarri Coast road.  Could hardly see 5 metres in front of us, so called it quits for the day.


Left Cervantes along the new Indian Ocean Drive that has only been there for a year.  I think it is big for the little towns along the coast as it makes them more accessible for weekend travel from Perth.  The main industry for Cervantes is fishing and of course tourism with the Pinnacles being so close.


Stopped off for breakfast at Geraldton, but breakfast was off the menu by that time at the cafe we stopped at so had lunch instead.   We visited the museum in Geraldton, which showed some of the history of settlement, rock lobster fishing is the main industry with the fishermen having their own co-operative to process and export the product to America, Japan, Taiwan etc.  Grain farming, sheep and cattle are also big in this region.


Geraldton offers pristine beaches that have become a mecca for windsurfers, kitesurfers and other aquatic lovers. With the Chapman Valley to the north, the Moresby ranges to the east and the Greenough River to the south, the city is uniquely framed.


From Northampton we took the coastal route to Kalibarri, not that we actually saw much coastline.  It had started to spit when we left Geraldton but was still very hot.  Wow then it poured, we could  hardly see 5 metres in front of us at times for about 50-60km.  Then through the pouring rain I saw a pink lake and some factory there.  Found out that they make perfume there.  You could smell it as you went passed, they also make beta-carotene from the algae in the lake.  Stopped for the night in Kalbarri.  When we went for dinner the rain pouted down again, it came in through the roof and down the walls, they had not had rain since last November.  We later heard that they had 50ml in two hours.


Met up with a guy on a 650 VStrom that is doing the same as us, he started from Melbourne, so I guess we will catch up with him along the way.


Kalibarri is at the mouth of the Murchison River is  popular for fishing and tourism


There is a parrot jungle (breeding place) here so might go and check that out in the morning.


Motel at Kalbarri Hotel $120


The rain cloud passing over



Was just heading  out this way when it started pouring again