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Published: January 26th 2009
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We managed to get out of bed early this morning (although I do admit Matt had to drag me out for a change) as we had a long day ahead.
After filling up our tank full of diesel we began our longest journey yet. Matt’s plan was to get as far as we could before nightfall.
We set off along the ocean road towards Port Gregory, where we passed alongside a stunning pink lake. Yes, you read that right! The lake was completely pink and apparently beta carotene is produced from it. Even the clouds above it were pink from the reflection. It was bizarre yet beautiful at the same time.
After another endless seeming drive we arrived at the small coastal town of Jurien Bay. We knew there wasn’t a lot there but it looked like a pretty bay in the brochures and it wasn’t too far out of our way.
As we drove in past lots of lovely holiday apartments and brick chalets with wide panoramic picture windows, I started to see what a pretty place it was to own a holiday home. There wasn’t much in the town but that was it’s attraction -
it was somewhere to switch off and get away from the crowds. I guess only local tourists visit the area as it’s slightly off the beaten track (everyone we’d met on the road so far had done the same places and no-one had even mentioned this place!) It felt like a hidden gem - somewhere with a deserted white beach and breathtakingly blue ocean that looked good for windsurfing and kite surfing, plus it was only 226km from Perth which in Western Australia terms is practically around the corner. I could quite happily have stayed and not left. Unfortunately for me I had a husband eager to push ahead so after a quick walk and photo stop we got back on the road again.
As we drove towards our next stop further down the coast, we were treated to a view of some randomly placed, massive transitory sand dunes that were slowly making their way inland towards the forest. Some of them even had trees growing out of the top of them! It was very strange.
Our final tourist stop of the day was at the Pinnacles - strange rock formations in the desert just north of Perth.
We arrived at the national park in the late afternoon. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to wait to view the rocks around sunset when the guidebook said was best as the long shadows create a creepy atmosphere. Not that we minded too much as it was an eerie enough place during the daylight as it was!
The park was full of stone structures of all shapes and sizes, formed from ancient shells. Over millennia, natural erosion processes removed the surrounding sand to reveal them. There were literally thousands of them standing proudly in the yellow desert. The floor wasn’t sandy as you’d expect though - it was hard to the touch and was dotted with tiny round stones. We spent some time walking amongst them and climbing on the ones that were strange shapes.
It’s vastness was impressive and it was great to be able to do the driving tour through the 4km site and barely see any other people. That’s what’s great about Western Australia - it’s so much quieter and more laid back that the east. Even the tourist attractions aren’t that touristy! If this place was in the UK you’d have to view it
from behind a fence along with a few hundred other people.
We could have spent much longer hanging out amongst the rocks but it was getting late and we still had further to travel. Matt had wanted to try to make it further down south but I made him agree that the outskirts of Perth was far enough as he’d been driving all day.
A couple of hours later we pulled into our campsite just as they were closing. We can’t get over the fact the offices of the caravan parks here shut at 6pm in peak holiday season, whereas in NZ even in their low season they mostly stayed open to 8pm!
We parked up and I cooked up a hearty chilli - just what we needed after a long day of travelling and eating nothing but snacks of fruit and biscuits all day.
Once we’d eaten and enjoyed a beer, it was time to get stuck into the Thailand research. I was pleased that by the end of the night I’d managed to book up the first five places we were planning on visiting which was a relief as places were seriously beginning to
get booked up due to it being the main holiday season.
We finally fell into bed around midnight not looking forward to the sound of the alarm in the morning.
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