At the Skywalk Cafe in Kalbarri National Park, WA, Tony Wilton has reconnected with his Nanda ancestry.
Story Samille Mitchell Photos Tony Wilton
When Tony and Anne Wilton decided to move their successful mobile food van business from Broome in WA’s tropical north to Kalbarri in the semi-arid Mid West, they had no idea the move would spark a spiritual connection with ancestors long passed.
It was simply a practical move. Broome was proving too hot for Anne’s Irish blood. Kalbarri was not as hot and not as far to catch flights back home to Ireland. And Tony had spent his early childhood in Kalbarri. He loved the place. So, three years ago, when Tony’s sister offered to sell them a block of land in Kalbarri, they shut shop in Broome and headed south.
The mobile food van business fared reasonably well in their new locale, but local government restrictions made it tough to earn a decent living. So, when the duo visited the Kalbarri Skywalk in Kalbarri National Park and noticed the cafe was shut down, they started asking around. The setting was mind-blowing, with two cantilevered viewing platforms jutting out from the sheer cliff face, the rust-red walls of the Kalbarri river gorges plummeting far below.
This story excerpt is from issue #166
Outback Magazine: Apr/May 2026
