Two massive skywalks are to be built above the Murchison River Gorge in Western Australia’s iconic Kalbarri National Park.
They will be located just 100 metres apart at the Inyaka Wookai Watju site, also known as West Loop lookout, and will extend 20 metres and 12 metres beyond the Murchison River gorge rim. They will offer visitors spectacular views across the area, which is famous for its wildflowers and sandstone cliffs.
The skywalks, to be funded by the Government’s Royalties for Regions, will also feature interpretation signs, shade shelters and caravan parking.
Although almost 371,000 people visited Kalbarri National Park last year, state premier Colin Barnett says more can be done to stop people from ‘driving through’ WA’s central coast, which he now wants to be known as the Indian Ocean Coast
The $5m skywalk initiative is just part of a $20 million tourism investment in the region announced by the government. Some $12 million has also been set aside seal the Loop/Z Bend road, and there will be money to build new shelters, toilets, sealed paths and signage at three sites in the park and to employ a ranger, and fund Aboriginal engagement and promotions.
“I think one of the weaknesses is it is not promoted as a broad area of coast,” Mr Barnett told the West Australian newspaper. “The Kimberley is the Kimberley and the South West is the South West, and this is sort of disparate.”
Construction of the new skywalks will begin next year and they are expected to be completed by 2017.
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As we live in Kalbarri this is great news ,the road into the park has always been a bugbear so sealing it should have been a priority years ago but better late than never, the “Grand Canyon” style of skywalk will hopefully get more tourists into town which is what we really need. Excelent news!!
The first thing they want to do is, seal the rotten, rough, road into the place, at present it’s a disgrace to call it a National Park, the Entrance fees charged, Should have payed for the sealing of this “Dirt track” years ago. !!!
Can’t believe they’ll be putting an eyesore like that there. What a spoiler of a magnificent size. Been to Kalbarri many time and loved it. Glad I got to see this awesome place without it as it will turn me right off.