170 km north of Geraldton, on the coast off North West Coastal Highway. Kalbarri is a quiet little resort town with a pleasant protected beach by the mouth of the Murchison River, almost 70 km west off the highway.

Not much happens here, apart from the daily feeding of the pelicans; but all around is some of the finest scenery in Western Australia. This is in the Kalbarri National Park (www.parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/kalbarri), which stretches for scores of miles over the surrounding hinterland. The main landmark here is Red Bluff, home of the first two European residents in Australia (see Houtman Abrolhos Islands). A number of unsealed roads run through the park. Also worth a visit are Rainbow Valley and Mushroom Rock. Off these, trails run through the spectacular gorges and valleys, and you can explore the long and desolate coastline, home to a wide variety of birdlife – as well as some curious wild pigs and some equally curious surfers.

At the Tourist Information Centre (www.kalbarri.org.au) on Grey Street you can find details of organized tours in the National Park, as well as walks and helicopter trips.