31st Oct - 3rd Nov
 
Heading north along the Coastal Highway, which is inland of course, the drive is pleasant for several reasons, the most prominent being the traffic, there is none. The road wends it way through undulating pastoral and wheat country dotted occasionally by the remains of old stone houses and sheds. Our first major township is Northampton, a lovely quaint rural township boasting a host of old and renovated shops, houses, pubs and barns. Set on a hilltop ridge it is difficult to imagine the days of horse and dray when this was a bustling community.
 
A little over 100klm north of Geraldton we take a turn westwards onto a minor road that will lead us to the Hutt River Province (HRP), a Principality set up in the WA countryside by the now Prince Leonard of Hutt back in the 1960's I think. We need turn south onto a gravel road for about 12klm and then enter Hutt River. Both of us have long wished to visit here as it is an unusual part of Australian history, well worth a visit to Wikipedia should you be interested.

Prince Leonard petitioned the Federal government just prior to Prime Minister Harold Holts disappearance, he did so because of the controlled price of wheat at that time, and his was a wheat property. HH Prince Leonard wished to sell his product on an open market in any quantity he could produce, something the wheat board strictly controlled. Hutt River Province claimed independence and to this day sells all the wheat produced on an open market.
 
Hutt River has become quite the tourist Mecca, however, don't arrive there with any preconceived ideas of grand homesteads, sweeping lawns and shady Elm trees. At its heart this is still a rural property with a handful of special purpose building scattered like thrown dice. At the heart of The Province is the Government Administration Office and Post Office & shop, here you may have your passport stayed with an entry and exit visa (for a reasonable price), or purchase some HRP stamps and post a HRP postcard (for a reasonable price). Behind the counter was the Prince himself who gave us a personal guided tour which sounded rather rehearsed, questions were not really welcome, however, after he proved to be a friendly chap for a blue blood! Then there are a couple of Chapels and a Museum and gift shop as well as a Memorial with an Asian influence, all very confusing!
 
So, in a very confused state of mind we drive slowly out of Hutt River Province with stamped passports in hand feeling very privileged, perhaps we shall be viewed in a new light now that we have rubbed shoulders with Royalty. Back on the minor road we turn west to join the main coastal road north to Kalbarri. Within a kilometre this road also becomes gravel, however, good enough that we need not drop the tyre pressures but drop the speed to around 60klm for a relaxing country drive.

We drive through wheat fields on our track north, fields bordered by a ridge of Sandhills to the west denoting the Indian Ocean just over the brow, seems somewhat surreal with rural properties on the beach. As we approach Kalbarri the road slowly climbs which seems strange at first, and by the time we sight Kalbarri we are probably 200 metres above sea level and the coast away north sweeps NW into the far distant haze showing a rugged row of high cliffs falling to the ocean. Kalbarri sits in a shallow pan of land on the south side of the entrance of the Murchison River. We soon discover that both roads in and out of Kalbarri climb quite quickly to the flat tableland surrounding the town.
 
Arriving on a Saturday afternoon means that there are virtually no shops open except the Newsagent, Cafés, Fish Shops, Pubs and Info Centre, but given that the majority of shops are Newsagent, Cafés, Fish Shops, Pubs and Info Centre we were not too badly off. We settled into the caravan park and scored a "prime site" on the road, with a water view and a grass roofed picnic shelter, cool! The mandatory walk around town and out to the river entrance then found us in the Info Centre and making an unplanned booking for a guided kayak/hike day out in the Kalbarri NP and Murchison River for Tuesday. Tuesday? Ah, yes, Melbourne Cup Day so at only $90pp for the tour we were ahead, no lunch, no bad bets, no happy Bookies!
 
Sunday and Monday we spent the days sightseeing the NP at places where we knew the Kayak Tour wasn't going to visit, and doing some wonderful walks along this spectacular rugged coastline. Windy, well thats a word, but these few days were more like windswept, it blew for 3 days along the coast, a very stiff Southerly wind, thankfully it was clear sky and very warm. We opted for several shorter walks under 3klm travelling by Patrol along the coast to enjoy very different scenes. The birdlife was interesting, and pods of Dolphin entertained us far below in the crystal clear rugged bays. 
 
Tuesday morning 8am and we sit outside the Caravan Park awaiting our guide, Helen, a local girl who has been guiding these tours for 18 years, she is also the owner. She arrives in a 4WD truck converted to a tourist bus once used for Gibb River Road tours, it's a climb up into it and once underway it's rough, noisy and rugged, and that is on the sealed town roads. We are joined by another couple and a single English chap, a good number considering the tour normally caters for at least a dozen, thanks Melbourne Cup! Helen is well versed in the local flora, fauna and history of the Kalbarri NP and provides an interesting running commentary. We first visit Natures Window, a natural window formed in the rocks on a bluff high above a tight bend in the Murchison River, a favourite for visitors. We all ham it up a little! Next is a lookout at the NE end of this section of the NP and only a short drive to a turnoff from the main road.
 
The turnoff is barred by a padlocked gate which Roscoe volunteers to climb down from the cab to open and close with much thanks from Helen. Now the track becomes seriously rough forcing Helen to chose 1st gear in low range to crawl along the 2klm of ridge-line with sharp limestone outcrops throughout, hold on or hit your head on the window, roof or seat in front. From the rough car park it's a kilometre hike down a steep spur of loose scree then along the riverbank to where Helen has a camp with about 20 kayaks and canoes chained together. How she managed to walk them down to here, well she just shakes her head and laughs. It is a pretty place with pure white sand leading up to a flat sandy area about the size of a tennis court under a vast overhang of sandstone, a bit freaky. 
 
The water is clear and calm, and surprisingly warm, as we don life-vests (bloody WPHS) and start off downstream. We have done this many times and soon leave our group well behind as we navigate some shallows and submerged logs awaiting the unwary. Evi spots goats ahead, a few big Billies among them, some down on the waters edge, others high up the steep strata of the sandstone. We paddle a few kilometres downstream until we see a flock of Black Swans with offspring about 500mts ahead. Helen has asked us not to approach closer, limit the interference with this pristine area. Whilst we await our group the inevitable happens, a head wind springs up for our return journey of course. 
 
VIDEO RIGHT ~ 
On the return paddle Roscoe suffers a leg cramp which he cannot shake, with much sympathy and help from Evi....NOT! As soon as we hit shore he hobbles out to stretch and walk it off, still no sympathy! A swim in the deep hole at camp and we are soon sitting under a tree at a picnic table enjoying our late lunch and companionship with out new friends. Helen then leads us by a road very well less travelled up a water carved ravine involving a decent amount of climbing and a lot of huffing and puffing! We have had a wonderful day, and as good a stay in Kalbarri as we had expected. A destination to put on the list as our photos should show!