Western Australia

Last week was particularly stressful, so it was very welcoming to revisit my WA Day long weekend road trip and put this blog post together. After eight years living in Perth you would expect that I would have seen much of Western Australia, but sadly being a foreigner means that most of my annual leave goes to visiting my family and friends around the world – very hard done-by, I know – and leaves little time to discover this wonderful place I call home.So for the WA Day long weekend I decided that I would try discover what I could of Western Australia in three days! We headed up North to Kalbarri National Park and along the way visited some of the most iconic, exquisite and diverse locations WA has to offer! And here it goes…Dongara Sand Dunes Althoughthere are more obvious – and bigger – sand dunes around, for instance those in Lancelin, Dongara was our baseand it made sense from a timing perspective to stick to sites that were in proximity to where we were staying. Having also been to these sand dunes before and remembering how wonderfully isolated they made me feel, I really wanted to go back.A few things to consider:1. The only way you will come across these small sand dunes is if you take Kailis Drive towards the beach, the sand dunes are right opposite the limestone plant – yes not the most ideal setting!2. Take your shoes off, there is nothing better than feeling the sand between your toes. But do watch where you step, I did come across a scorpion – which was very exciting and scary at the same time!Pink Lake/ Hutt Lagoon – Port GregoryThe pink salt lake has been on my list for a long time and was nothing short of incredible, I can’t say I have ever witnessed anything quite so dreamy and astonishing, so it really surprises me that this incredible location isn’t spoken about more often! What gives the salt lake its pink and red is hues is the presence and combination of the algae Dunaliella Salina and the halobacterium.A few things to consider:1. The pink colour does change depending on weather conditions and the salinity of the water, so if you are planning a visit I would check #PortGregory on Instagram to see what the lake is looking like!2. Sadly only after I visited the lake did I read that the best time to see the iridescent pink hues and take photos and is in the late afternoon and during sunset. We visited it around lunch time on a very sunny day, which meant the sky was reflecting on the lake and it was hard to capture how pink the lake really was – when you’re not a great photographer!Grandstand Cliffs – KalbarriThis a great little stop on the way to the Kalbarri National Park, if you have time there are plenty more view points that have beautiful lookouts onto the seascape. If you are on a tight schedule, I would either Trip Advisor the best things to see or choose one wing it, like we did here!Kalbarri National ParkThe Kalbarri National Park is one of WA’s most iconic attractions, boasting some of the most spectacular views – outside the Kimberley, of gorges and rock formations carved out by the Murchison River. One of the most popular spots in the park is of course Nature’s Window – the natural rock frame, but that aside there is so much to explore and so much beauty to take in, my photos truly don’t do this place justice… so you’ll just have to visit it yourself!A few things to note:1. If you don’t like flies, you will not like it here! I suggest you take some insect repellent – natural is better.2. It looks very isolated and empty but it does get very busy – especially at the Nature’s Window formation, you literally have to queue to get a photo. Which unfortunately takes away from the beauty of this location and makes the whole experience feel a little bit inauthentic.3. Plan your trip well, we were on a very tight schedule and did not have enough time to do a big hike and definitely missed out on seeing a lot. Next time I plan to arrive in the early morning and do one of the bigger trails.4. You cannot buy any water inside the National Park, so take plenty with you!5. There is no reception out here and you have to take several dirt roads, so make sure you travel in a reliable car or just ensure you have jumper leads and a spare tire!The Pinnacles – CevantesThe Pinnacles, another very iconic WA destination which is the rather close to Perth – so this was our last stop on the way home. This was my second visit, and to be completely honest I preferred it the first time around, possibly because this time being a long weekend there were masses of people and it was very hard to observe and admire the landscape in peace and tranquility.Nevertheless if you haven’t yet been forget the people around you, it is worth going to see these eerie yet spectacular limestone formations reminiscent of a Sci-Fi landscape.A few things to consider:1. Make sure you have cash on you to pay the entry fee into the park, you are able to pay with card at the information centre however it’s a walk for you and they prefer you to pay with cash.2. If you have the time I would suggest parking your car and walking the trail, this way you get a better and different perspective of the Pinnacles and you can go off the track and away from the crowds – I think I’ve made it clear that I like my personal space!Hope you have enjoyed my little WA Day road trip overview and that it has inspired you to discover more of WA. If you have any recommendations of what else to see please let me know as it is my aim to do several more road trips and discover more of WA this year! Xx Nadine

#BeautifulWarriors

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