Red Bluff is a prominent red sandstone point near Kalbarri and is part of the Kalbarri National Park.
The red sandstone is unique on the coastline as most of the coast here is of limestone. The limestone has weathered away and exposed the iron-rich sandstone cliffs.
Red Bluff was a landmark for early Dutch explorers, known to them as Roode Hooge, meaning Red High.
Dutch journeys passed here didn’t end safely for all. The Batavia shipwrecked off the coast in 1629 near Beacon Island and the survivors may have been the first Europeans to live in Australia, at Wittecarra Creek.
The walk to the lookout is an easy 1km return walk with views from the top of the bluff itself. Around 100m above sea level, the views of the coast from Red Bluff are great. The colours of the red sandstone and the blue ocean were beautiful to see.
Pederick Lookout is on the way and only 700m return. It doesn’t have the same vantage point as Red Bluff Lookout but it is wheelchair accessible.
There is also a Bluff to Beach Trail, which starts just before reaching Pederick Lookout. It is a harder class 4 walk with loose and uneven surfaces and steep in some sections. The Bluff to Beach trail is called Gaba Gaba Yina in the language of the Nanda people, meaning bluff trail.
Pederick Lookout is named after Eric Pederick who explored and named several gorges and helped pioneer the establishment of Kalbarri National Park in 1963.
