Murchison River Gorge

The Murchison River has cut an 80-kilometre gorge through red-and-white banded sandstone laid down on tidal flats some 400 million years ago — its exposed layers among the most accessible places on earth to read the trackways of some of the first animals to walk on land. Nature's Window, a wind-eroded arch, frames the river at the head of the 9km Loop walk; Z Bend marks its sharpest turn. Nanda Country, in Kalbarri National Park.

The 9km Loop walk past Nature's Window is closed to starters after 7am from November through March, because temperatures down in the gorge can hit 50°C — the cooler months, May to October, are the time to walk it. There is no drinking water and very little shade: carry three to four litres per person per day, wear a hat, loose clothing and sturdy footwear, walk with someone, and tell a third person where you are going.