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Coastal charm in cool Kalbarri

Pelican watch. Picture: Alistair McGuinness

When you live in the South West of Australia, it's a natural tendency to stay put for the New Year holidays and enjoy the abundant beauty nearby. But this year we wanted to escape from the holiday crowds and decided to explore the Mid West instead.

Our destination was the seaside town of Kalbarri and if the promotional travel material proved correct, we would love it.

As we travelled north towards Perth, the traffic heading in the opposite direction steadily increased as the summer exodus commenced. But the highway was relatively empty, prompting hesitations about the decision.

Would it be too hot to camp that far north? Why was everyone travelling south?

From Perth we opted for the romantic-sounding Indian Ocean Drive and soon realised that many other travellers were also venturing along the same road. This alternative route partially hugs the coastline and gives drivers an occasional ocean view and the added opportunity to avoid the road trains on the Brand Highway.

The downside is the lack of overtaking lanes and patience was required as the outside temperatures crept higher and the kilometres rolled past.

After a 10-hour drive (including an overnight stay in Perth and numerous coffee/fuel breaks) we arrived at the outskirts of Kalbarri and took an opportune detour to witness the rugged shoreline.

Our first destination was Pot Alley, named after the rock lobster- pot buoys visible from the cliff tops.

A fresh wind tore across the empty carpark as we made our way to the Pot Alley lookout to admire the fractured coast.

The expansive view and feeling of remoteness were welcome and we immediately felt that the decision to explore the region was going to be a good one.

We entered the township of Kalbarri in the early afternoon and turned into the nearest parking bay to appreciate our first view of the surrounding area.

To our left was the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, dotted with fishing boats. Fishing is serious business in Kalbarri and those who venture from shore can be rewarded with snapper, tuna, dhufish and Spanish mackerel.

But the coastline can also be treacherous. Even getting out of the river mouth into the sea requires a competent level of marine expertise, with reefs and dangerous swells creating a natural barrier between the meandering Murchison River and the ocean.

To our right, the azure waters of the river were far wider than I had expected as it wound past the town towards the hills and distant gorges.

Home for the week was the Tudor Holiday Park campsite. Like the other holiday parks in town it was close to amenities and in a few days we had settled into the relaxing rhythm of Kalbarri life.

Heat dictated our daily behaviour, with an early morning dip or snorkel at Blue Holes becoming a firm favourite.

Just minutes south of town this pristine area is now a fish habitat protected zone and those who venture there are advised to only leave footprints and to take nothing but memories.

The rock pools are safe from the pounding waves that crash against the nearby reef and during the week we sighted some of the 70 species of finfish, sponges, crustaceans and sea grass that abound in the clear, warm waters. It was a safe and refreshing way to start each day.

One activity that occurs all year round is pelican feeding. The daily ritual commenced in the 1970s when a local businessman named Cliff Ross began feeding scraps of fish to the pelicans. If he didn't arrive at the foreshore they sometimes waddled across the road and waited patiently by his front door.

The feeding now takes place at a designated area on the foreshore at 8.45am, opposite to where Cliff once lived. He has died but his legacy continues, with a team of volunteers taking turns to feed the pelicans.

Each volunteer has their own way of interacting with the pelicans and visitors usually get the chance to help out with the feeding, to the delight of the children.

Most volunteers also carry a basic pelican first-aid kit consisting of a sharp knife and a pair of pliers, which are used to remove fishing line and hooks from distressed birds.

On the day we visited five pelicans and about 30 visitors had gathered at the feeding station, waiting patiently for the volunteer to arrive. Metres away, early-morning bathers, paddle-boarders and kayakers frolicked in the river.

One of the volunteers is Felicity Graham. She arrived at the foreshore by bicycle armed with a cheery smile, a bucket of fish and a small container for gold coin donations. For 20 years she has been an active helper and some of the pelicans seemed to know her well. They came up close and hustled for position as the fish were handed out.

During the feeding Felicity shared her love of Kalbarri and offered tips and advice on special places for visitors to visit and experience. She also explained that the donations not only paid for the pelicans' food but also went back to the local community to fund various initiatives.

Over the years the money has helped pay for school equipment, seasonal festivals and to purchase supplies for the local first-aid volunteers.

It is a worthy initiative that highlights how pelican feeding is enriching the lives of tourists and the local community (plus the pelicans of course).

If you crave something a little more action-packed there are plenty of options in Kalbarri and the surrounding area.

The friendly staff at the tourist information office reeled off a long list of activities ranging from abseiling in the gorges and deep-sea fishing to kayaking on the river and quad biking in the sand dunes.

Our two sons chose sand boarding and after an 8am pick-up by local guide, Ben, we were off.

Our destination was 25km south of town, in a sunny spot where pure white sand dunes swept down to a wide inlet called Lucky Bay.

After a brief introduction to our fellow passengers it was clear that we were a cosmopolitan bunch, ranging in age from 8 to 50 years and from many different countries. Early starts are necessary because of the risk of heat exhaustion and with each excursion to find bigger dunes the sand became hotter.

For those with sensitive skin, gloves and socks were a welcome relief.

Lucky Bay provided an ideal location to cool down in between "wiping out" on the dunes and after a refreshing swim we were eager to finish the morning whooshing down the biggest dunes that Ben could find.

It seemed that youth has the edge in this sport and our two boys, 8 and 10, were eager to attempt all the dunes, whether it was standing up, sitting down or lying backwards.

The family from Austria were naturals with years of snow-boarding experience proving invaluable.

To launch from the dunes you must first walk up them and each climb through the soft sand eventually took its toll.

At midday Ben drove us all back to town. We were exhilarated and exhausted and ready for a welcome dip in the camp pool.

During one afternoon we joined the locals at Chinamans Beach for a spot of fishing. When I say locals I mean the pelicans. They have an amazing sense of when fish are about to be caught and will sit patiently nearby as you reel in a line. But be warned, as they expect to share in the catch.

Chinamans Beach is just metres away from the town jetty but was surprisingly free of other anglers during our stay. My guess is that anyone serious about fishing was chasing the big ones in the ocean.

At sunset we headed back to camp to catch up with other guests and prepare for the next day's adventures.

Kalbarri has a laid-back vibe that is infectious. The locals are friendly, the afternoon sea breeze offers welcome relief and the designated town beaches are a paradise for children.

It is the type of town that still has kangaroos living close to the centre and flocks of galahs that appear each morning to congregate in the trees.

As the sun set kangaroos would bounce past our tent door in search of fresh grass and adults would call out to the children on the bouncy mattress that dinner was served. The heat of the day would slowly fade and the campsite would take a breath and settle down for the evening.

By the end of the week we realised there was still much to explore but our summer holiday was over.

The famous gorges would have to wait until next time.

We had jumped from the town jetty, discovered the funky coffee shop called Gorges at the north end of town, enjoyed sundowners with other campers and had fallen in love with a special little seaside town called Kalbarri.

Kalbarri has a laid-back vibe

that is infectious. And the designated town beaches are

a paradise for children.