Kalbarri Skywalk: Everything you need to know
Only about half a day’s drive north of Perth, Kalbarri has quickly become a Western Australian tourism hotspot.
Perfect for those chasing a bit of adventure without having to travel twice as far, there’s gorges galore, world class surfing, thrilling walking and hiking trails and much, much more.
In June of 2020 Kalbarri continued leaning into this tourism boom with the addition of the stunning Kalbarri Skywalk within the Kalbarri National Park, and here’s all you need to know.
What is the Kalbarri Skywalk?
The Kalbarri Skywalk is two exhilarating walkways that hang out over the Murchison River Gorge in Kalbarri, some 100m above the Murchison River. Open from 6am-6pm daily, there are two viewing points, one at 17m out and one at 25m out (for the more heights-friendly visitors).
Where is the Kalbarri Skywalk?
The Skywalk is located within the Inyaka Wookai Watju site (the West Loop) in the Kalbarri National Park, at the highest point of the Murchison River Gorge and about a 30 minute drive straight out of Kalbarri along the Ajana-Kalbarri Road. Kalbarri itself is just over six hours north of Perth, pretty much a straight drive up the Brand Highway, or you can go via the Coral Coast up Indian Ocean Drive.
What to do:
Put your fear of heights on ice and enjoy the views! Underfoot the pathway becomes grated giving you a clear view straight down to the Murchison River below, along with of course unparalleled views of the entire gorge over the railing.
Take some time to learn about the traditional owners of the land and their Nanda heritage and culture via a series of interpretive signs and artwork, and keep your eyes peeled on the little animal structures hiding in the bushes on the walk out.
The Kalbarri Skywalk Kiosk is located nearby and open from 8am-3pm in case you need to stock up on water and snacks (there’s no freshwater on site).
What not to do:
Camp – there’s no overnight camping in the park so don’t even think about it.
Be a dill – look it goes without saying but we’ll say it anyway, 100m down into the gorge is a long way to fall, so we suggest keeping your person inside the Skywalk railing at all times.
Come unprepared – make sure you bring plenty of water and sunscreen, it gets bloody hot and the kiosk is only open so many hours of the day.
Anything else?
The park has an entry fee of $15 per vehicle, so make sure you’re prepared. The design and planning of the Skywalk has access for people of all ages and abilities in mind, and you can get there in a 2WD.
There is plenty of parking available at the Skywalk, including parking that caters for campers and caravans.
Image Credit: Tourism WA