Tammar Trail
Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park
Directions - The Houtman Abrolhos Islands are located about 95 kilometres offshore from both Geraldton and Kalbarri. Getting there involves either your own boat, a boat tour or arriving via light plane to East Wallabi Island. For my visit, I booked a day tour with Kalbarri Scenic Flights (not sponsored), with flights to East Wallabi Island, a guided walk, time for a snorkel and a return flight via the Pink Lake included in the six hour tour.
The Day - The Houtman Abrolhos Islands are a place that I was very much looking forward to visiting ever since they properly came on my radar while recording a two part podcast series on the snorkeling options in WA (Episodes 57 + 58). As a small child going through the WA school system, I had of course been taught all about the Batavia shipwreck and mutiny, but my interest peaked when I heard about the excellent snorkeling, given the islands are on the southern reach of the coral reef system that runs down the Ningaloo Coast.
With a family holiday booked for July of 2024 to Kalbarri, I had also planned a trip up to Kennedy Range National Park after Kalbarri, with a stop in Geraldton on the way home. Thinking if I added an extra day onto my Geraldton visit, I could book in a trip to the Abrolhos, and fulfill a wish to visit these offshore islands that from all accounts has some fantastic coral reef. In a lightbulb moment, I decided to check if there were tours leaving Kalbarri that visit the Abrolhos, and wouldn't you know it, there was. That meant I could save a day of annual leave, and not have to spend another night in Geraldton. Now I just needed to pick a free day during our Kalbarri stay, and extend an invitation to anyone else that wanted to join. Caris wasn't too keen, and we found out that Hal has a rule with planes, it needs to have two or more engines otherwise he isn't going to be sitting in one. Candy was the only one that was keen, so I booked us in for a day that didn't have any other family activities planned.
As it turned out, this was the day where a cold front was coming through, so I called up to see if I could change the booking to the Saturday, and Kalbarri Scenic Flights were very helpful with the request. With a sunny but cold day on the cards for our visit, we arrived at Kalbarri Airport excited to be heading out to this remote group of islands for a fun day out. After towing the plane out of the hangar and doing some pre-flight checks, our pilot and tour guide Daniel greeted us and ran through the safety briefing. It became clear not long after we arrived that we were going to be the only people on this tour, so would have the island to ourselves, and also the smallest plane that Nationwest Aviation has in their fleet. With only four seats, Candy volunteered to sit in the back with all the gear, while I got to ride shotgun with Daniel. After trying a few times, the cold engine decided to fire up, and we were taxiing along the empty runway ready to depart for the Abrolhos.
Lifting off, it was a nice feeling to be up in the air in a plane so small, and being able to see so much from my seat. Armed with my DSLR and phone, I was taking plenty of photos and videos as we headed over the inland part of Kalbarri, before crossing the coast on our way to East Wallabi Island. It's about a 40 minute flight to reach the Abrolhos, and there was plenty to see on the way out thanks to the annual whale migration being in full swing. Being so high up, it was hard to get steady photos using my 300mm zoom lens, but it was great to see all the dark shapes in the water below. Approaching East Wallabi Island, it was enticing to see the water below and all the darker colouring where the reef and sea grasses are located. Daniel performed a perfect landing on the gravel runway, and we were soon parked up at what I think is a relatively new section of East Wallabi Island Airport. Breathing in the fresh air as we unloaded our gear, we headed to the new information shelter as Daniel wrapped up what he needed to do after landing.
I was quite surprised at the information shelter, as I imagine there are not many visitors to the island given you have to arrive via plane (I doubt boat visitors are walking inland to this point). Even funnier was I found a map with a named Class 3 trail (the Tammar Trail) that I cannot find a reference to on the DBCA website, or TrailsWA, which is no surprise given they rely on people giving them free content. After a quick Google search, it turns out this will be the first mention of this trail on the interwebs. With Daniel all finished, we headed along the new trail that leads down to Turtle Bay, where we were treated to spotting a White-bellied Sea Eagle flying in the distance. Hopping onto the beach, there is a shelter on your right, where we found a couple having a sit down. Daniel was a bit confused as he was the only plane expected on the island for the day and this couple said they were waiting for their lift. We moved on and were soon at the shelters used by Kalbarri Scenic Tours, where Daniel setup everything we needed for the morning.
It was still a bit chilly as we sat down and enjoyed a cup of tea while soaking in the beauty of Turtle Bay, so I opted to sit in the sun where I could absorb all the warmth I could. Daniel was in the middle of telling us about the history of the island with regards to the Batavia Wreck, which I knew a little about but had long forgotten the details, when we spotted a pod of dolphins breaching close to shore. I grabbed my camera and watched for them, snapping a photo as I saw something launch out of the water. They were busy fishing for breakfast, and had found an octopus to eat, deciding to play with their food before consuming. While unfortunate for the octopus, that did get me excited for what I might see when we eventually got in the water for a bit of snorkeling. Daniel finished the story of the Batavia Wreck, and it made the imagination go into overdrive trying to picture what life would have been like here without modern convenience, and how they survived for so long, even without all the murdering.
As it was still a little cold, it was decided to do the walk first, warm up a little, and then head into the water. From the shelter, Daniel led us to the end of the beach and up the smallest of hills to join the Tammar Trail that follows a series of limestone cairns as you explore the north-eastern part of East Wallabi Island. Having done this many times before, Daniel was great at spotting where the Tammar Wallabies were, along with the Bearded Abrolhos Dragon, species that are only found on the Abrolhos Islands. We were lucky today, and ended up finding quite a lot of both species, along with plenty of other fun finds like the Tamala Rose, a King's Skink and Mallee Riceflower. While there are species that are only found on the Abrolhos, there is plenty that can be found on the mainland, and that's because the island group was once part of the mainland, during the last ice age some 11,000-18,000 years ago when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
Wandering around, the fluffy Tammar Wallabies we found were all having a bit of a snozzle in the morning sun, and didn't seem too bothered by our walking by. Following the cairns, we made a little detour to the eastern shores of the island, where there was plenty of evidence of when the island had been underwater at some point. Fossilised coral, similar to what we'd see in the water later in the day was all around, with the patterns providing interesting subjects to photograph. Standing on the edge of the small limestone cliffs that leads straight into the water, I could see the clear waters ahead, and a bit of life swimming around. Heading back inland to finish the walk, Daniel took us past an old Osprey nest that had fallen over at some point, with the new nest they had built way off in the distance. Even with my 300mm zoom lens, I could only just get a photo of an adult Osprey perched on the edge of the nest. Joining back up to the trail we had walked to get out here, I kept my eyes peeled for anything new, and found a Stalked Guinea Flower and Baset Bush.
Checking out the cliffs at the end of Turtle Bay, the water looked pretty inviting, even though I still had my heavy jacket on. Arriving back at the shelter, it was time to get ready for a snorkel, and putting on my rashie, I knew it was only going to get colder from here. Daniel gave us a quick guide on where to go for the best bits of the reef, with an exposed section above the water being our marker off in the distance. I grabbed my underwater camera, flippers and mask, and set off to see how cold the water was actually going to be. Candy had a wetsuit on, so would be much better protected than me in boardshorts and a rashie. The water wasn't warm but it also wasn't that cold that it was uncomfortable. After putting my fins on and getting past the initial shock of the cold water, I set about swimming out to where the good bit of reef was located. Initially there was lots of sea grass, sand and annoyingly, plenty of debris. With the winds and swell we had experienced over the past few days, visibility wasn't great but I was going to make the most of it.
Reaching the edge of the coral reef, it was good to see some colour, and a few fish species swimming about. Not knowing what to expect, I was trying to lower my expectations as seeing the same kind of reef and fish species as somewhere like Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth or Coral Bay. A little disappointed by the poor visibility, I did my best to get clear photos of the fish I saw, but that was hard given I had to get right up close to them. Trying to stick close to Candy, we were exploring the right hand side of the reef as you look at it from the beach, and I eventually found a passage through to a more protected part of the reef, where there was a variety of fish including some variety of Bullseyes. It was shallow reef for the most part, and with the currents coming through, I had to be careful about not knocking into the reef. I found Candy again, and she was waving me over to where she was. I thought she had found something cool but she informed me she was going to head back to the beach.
On my own now, I kept exploring, hoping to find something more than the minimal fish species I had seen so far. Having reached a wall of shallow coral with stronger currents that seemingly blocked my path, I decided to head west, and try and find a safer passage to the back of the little coral island that Daniel suggested we do a loop of. This was a good decision, as I found the first of many Clarke's Anemonefish, a cousin of Nemo. With the currents being somewhat blocked by the island of coral, the visibility over this side was a little better, and I had some good finds including a blue neon coloured Miller's Damsel, a Lined Dottyback, Chevron Butterflyfish and several Goldspotted Sweetlips. This side of the reef also dropped off quite significantly, and with the limited visibility, I didn't know how far it went down before hitting the sea floor. I imagine it's not too far as this area was once part of the mainland but it looked like it could go on forever.
This was looking a bit more like what I had expected, and with plenty of plate and staghorn coral about, it did feel more like Ningaloo or the Great Barrier Reef. Spotting several Scissortail Sergeants around here, this was also the area where I found a lot of the larger fish species in abundance. Making my way around the edge of the reef, I was a happy boi that I was seeing some good coral structures and plenty of fish. Now on the backside of the reef, the variety of different corals and grasses was amazing, and although the surge of the currents made it difficult to try and keep still, I just went with the flow and took photos during the lulls. Here I spotted a Redlip Morwong, a fish I usually associate with snorkeling around Perth and the South West, with the Abrolhos being the northern limits of their distribution. Rounding the reef at the northern tip, this is where the swells and currents were the most fierce, along with the reef being much shallower, so I made my way to the east and explored that area instead.
Here I found my first Giant Clam, although the colouring wasn't the captivating blues and turquoise of examples I had seen further north. Still a fun find, I reached a sandier section that didn't look very promising if I kept going, so I turned around and headed back to the southern side of the reef I had explored before. Now about 45 minutes into my snorkel, I was starting to get the shakes from being so cold, but I really didn't want to get out as I thought there would be something around every corner of the reef. That did turn out to be true, as I spotted an Ornate Butterflyfish that must be about as far south as they can be found in WA, and the best colony of Clarke's Anemonefish I had seen so far. Getting really cold, I decided that it was best to head back to the beach, as it was going to take a long time to warm back up with a forecast maximum of only 18C today. On the way back I spotted another more colourful Giant Clam, along with the brilliantly named Western Gobbleguts.
Reaching the ever so slightly warmer waters of the shallows, I sat there taking off my fins and removing my mask that had sealed itself to my face. Candy and Daniel were sitting down in the shelter, and I rushed to get out of my wet clothes and dried off. I had been in the water over an hour, and I resembled a very cold prune, glad I had brought my thick Tom Cruise jacket with me today. Daniel kindly made me a warm tea, and handed me a roll for lunch, as I sat out in the sun to get my body temperature back to normal. The roll went down a treat after the morning walk and chasing all the fish around the reef. Having done what I came here to do, and being satisfied with the experience, I could relax a little and just enjoy sitting out on a deserted beach enjoying the pale warmth of a winters day. Daniel gave us a rough time he was aiming to leave the shelter, and that was just enough time for me to have another wander around the end of Turtle Bay to get the blood pumping again.
Climbing up onto the highest point near the shelter, I could see all around the island, and off into the distance where the breaking waves looked like a mirage. Spotting my third kind of lizard for the day when I saw a West Coast Morethia Skink, it was doing what I was trying to do, keep warm in the sun. Heading back down to the beach, our time on East Wallabi Island was coming to a close. With everything packed up, we walked back to the airstrip, savouring the time we had left on the Abrolhos. While Daniel did his pre-flight checks on the plane, Candy and I read the information boards in the shelter again, now with a better understanding given we had seen some of it with our own eyes. Although we were heading back to Kalbarri, I had booked the tour that takes you back via the Pink Lake at Hutt Lagoon, and then along the rugged coastline. Loading into the plane and ready for take-off, I had a chuckle as I noticed something on the instrument panel I didn't see on the way out, a label for "Autopilot" below an empty space, that I assume there for a laugh.
Feeling the rush of take-off again, Daniel gave us a tour of the islands, flying over West Wallabi Island and showing us the first ever structure built by Europeans on Australasian soil, the Wiebbe Hayes Stone Fort, a small wall that was used to defend a group of soldiers from attacks by the mutineers. There are a number of buildings on the western side of the island, which I believe is home to aquaculture industry. No one is allowed to stay on any of the islands of the Houtman Abrolhos, but there are fishing shacks located on Pigeon Island, and Little Pigeon Island. The best way to visit the islands for more than a day is to book a spot on one of the many tour boats that will take you around all the good dive and snorkel spots around the islands, something I'm seriously considering for the future. Flying around the other islands, Daniel was pointing out all the other significant locations from the Batavia Shipwreck like Beacon Island where the ship ran aground, but the main drawcard for me was how good the reef looked from up here. After doing another loop around the islands, we headed back to the mainland, making a beeline for the Pink Lake. With a bit of time before we reached land, I was busy looking down below for migrating whales, hoping to get a clear shot of one.
There were plenty around but getting a shot was once again difficult, with my best effort showing a flurry of activity with two whales and a pod of dolphins circling something of interest to them (see gallery above). Eventually the Pink Lake came into view, and although Caris and I had visited on the drive up to Kalbarri, I was looking forward to seeing the vibrant pink colouring from the air. It didn't disappoint, and we got some great views of this naturally occurring colouring that is home to the largest production plant of the algae that produces β-carotene. This explains the dividing walls in the lake that separate it into various ponds. Getting some lovely shots of the lake, this is about as close as I'll get to drone photography for the time being. Making our way back to Kalbarri, we followed the coastline as it changes from sandy beaches to the spectacular cliffs that we had hiked along on the Bigurda Trail earlier in the week. It felt like a completion of the Kalbarri experience, having seen this area from land and sea, and finishing with a view from the air. It was great to tick off the landmarks like the Natural Bridge, Island Rock, Mushroom Rock and Red Bluff. Flying over the Murchison River mouth, we could see the town below, and followed the Murchison inland before making a turn to land at Kalbarri Airport. Safely on the ground, we unloaded and thanked Daniel for the excellent tour. What a way to spend our last day in Kalbarri, although it won't be my last visit here.
Final Thoughts - With the combination of natural beauty and history, the Houtman Abrolhos Islands are a fascinating place to visit, and hear all about.
Hoping for some enjoyable snorkeling and a pleasant walk around East Wallabi Island, it was everything I had wanted from the experience, despite the cold weather and sub-par visibility.
While it may not be in everyone's price range, especially if you're taking the kids, I found it to be a worthwhile trip that has only sparked a desire to return on one of the longer boat tours. Maybe when I get my Scuba ticket in a few years time.
Get out there and experience it!
If you've found this page or the website helpful and you want to show your support then consider making a small donation by visiting our Ko-fi page. You can give as little as a dollar with no sign-up required and everything will be put towards the website, creating new content and promoting the trail community.