Overview
About Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge
Why stop
- Two nearby viewpoints make an easy coastal stop.
- Late light brings out the layered cliff faces.
Heads up
- Exposed edges and strong surf call for care.
Map
Where it is
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kalbarri Tour Guide
Your drive to Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kalbarri National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kalbarri audio tourRecorded for this place
Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge“You're coming up on the access for Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge, two lookouts over the layered coastal cliffs.”
Plays as you drive up to Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge in the Parkwolf Kalbarri Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Built to Hold a Fish
- Natural Bridge, Castle Cove and Island Rock
- Sentenced to the Mainland
- Eagle Gorge
- 58 audio storiesacross Kalbarri’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Perentie, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Western Grey Kangaroo, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 18 trails, 19 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge
Two lookouts in one stopShell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge are paired coastal viewpoints over Kalbarri’s layered…
Shell House and Grandstand Rock Gorge are paired coastal viewpoints over Kalbarri’s layered cliffs and open water. It’s a short walk from the small parking area, and the two lookouts are about 250 metres apart, so see both if you stop. It’s an easy way to take in this stretch of coast, and the longer Bigurda Trail passes through as well.
The cliffs and their nameFrom offshore, fishermen thought one cliff looked like a shell-shaped house, which is where…
From offshore, fishermen thought one cliff looked like a shell-shaped house, which is where Shell House got its name. Waves keep cutting into the soft coast and leaving remnant cliff shapes along the water. For a photo, include the surf below a layered edge so the sea gives the cliff a sense of scale.
Walk the Bigurda TrailThe 8-kilometre Bigurda Trail runs one way between Eagle Gorge and Natural Bridge, passing both…
The 8-kilometre Bigurda Trail runs one way between Eagle Gorge and Natural Bridge, passing both lookouts. The full walk takes 3 to 5 hours; arrange a drop-off at Eagle Gorge if you’re walking south to Natural Bridge. You can also make Shell House and Grandstand a short stop or a pause on part of the route.
Keep an eye on the waterVisitors sometimes spot whales from these lookouts, so give the water a slow scan before you…
Visitors sometimes spot whales from these lookouts, so give the water a slow scan before you leave.
Go for the late lightLate afternoon is the best time for the cliff faces to catch the sun.
Late afternoon is the best time for the cliff faces to catch the sun. Stay well back from edges and overhangs: rocks can be slippery, and large waves can surge onto the coast. Dogs aren’t permitted in Kalbarri National Park.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Kalbarri
29 sightingsPerentieMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
12 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
33 sightingsWestern Grey KangarooMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsBlack-flanked Rock WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsEmuMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
23 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kalbarri. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
