Pinnacles Desert WA
𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦 – 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘩 – 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴
We got up at the crack of dawn on a chilly suburban Melbourne morning and by lunchtime had arrived in Cervantes. It was Mr Wren’s idea he was attracted by a Subaru Car advert he’d seen filmed in a Pinaccles Desert (not this one it appears, but don’t let that put you off!)
I’m not quite sure driving our little white rental car around the Pinnacles was quite the experience he had in mind, but it did prove that you don’t need a 4WD to conquer the desert here.
The Pinnacles Desert
Visiting the Pinnacles Desert
The Pinnacles Desert is found within the Nambung National Park Whilst all reports say the best time to visit is either early morning or in the evening, we couldn’t wait that long and were out there late afternoon. It turned out to be a great time after the day trippers and before the sunset brigade. The absolute highlight was having this magical place virtually all to ourselves.
You can see more on my Pinnacles Desert Instagram post
Pinnacles Desert Lookout WA
Geology and other Fun Facts
The Pinnacles are named one of Australia’s top Natural Attractions:
“Formed 25,00 to 30,000 years ago, the Pinnacles is a mammoth collection of giant limestone pillars, some standing as high as 5m (16ft) tall. Throughout the centuries, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements. They are a truly humbling and majestic natural site, and guarantee a new perspective of our place in a vast history”
Nambung National Park
Flora, Fauna and Animal Life:
The Atlas of Living Australia gives you an idea of what you can expect to see within a 5km radius of Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre. You might be lucky enough to spot an Emu, Roos, or even a white-tailed Fairy Wren. There was not much around at the time of our visit, even the notorious pesty flies of WA were well kept at bay by the winds.
When to Visit?
August to October is the best time to visit to see the landscape burst into flower.
The Pinnacles Desert
Nambung National Park
💲The entry fee to the National Park is $15.00 per vehicle Or you might be interested to buy an annual or holiday Park Pass.
Plan around 1.5 hours here if you want to wander the Emu Bush Walk Trail and the drive. Remember no dogs (or other pets) are allowed in the National Parks.
The Pinnacles Desert Walking Trail
Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre
The Pinnacles Desert Walking Trail
The Emu bush walking trail is a 1.6 km easy wander through the desert and starts at the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre, where you’ll also find a lookout. It’s a lovely trail amongst the Pinnacles. In each direction you look you’ll find a different perspective. For more see Trails WA.
A gentle reminder of the seven principles of Leave No Trace to minimise your impact when using the trails. You’ll not find picnic areas or barbecue grills here.
The Pinnacles Desert Drive
A 4.5 km drive meanders through the barren landscape. It’s a short but majestic road trip that was one of the highlights of our WA trip.
Where is the Pinnacles Desert?
- Located 2 hours from Perth
- A 15 min drive from Cervantes
Cervantes
Where to Stay
We stayed in the small fishing town of Cervantes, a gateway to the Nambung National Park (15 mins). A great choice of destination for its proximity to the Pinnacles. We chose the 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭, Cervantes, a 4-star hotel which was a good enough place to crash for the night.
For more places to stay in WA and across the globe check out Little Wandering Wren’s Good Hotel Guide.
𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭, Cervantes
Where to Eat
Cervantes is a famous cray fishing town and you should not miss eating rock lobster at the 𝐋𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤, Cervantes. We were lucky to be offered a waterfront table by arriving after 2 pm. Lunch was delicious, those locally caught lobsters are so tasty! The local seagulls are sure to be on hand for a floor show and you can even take a Factory Tour which gives an insight into the region’s multi-million dollar lobster industry.
Note: The restaurant is large, popular and gets extremely busy and is open for lunch daily 11.00 – 3.00 pm
The Lobster Shack, Cervantes, WA
Lake Thetis
Whilst you’re into admiring the geology of the area you might like to stop by Lake Thetis to admire the stromatolites in Cervantes.
From one million to three billion years ago, Stromatolites (living fossils) were found on the shores of lakes and seas around the world. Cervantes is a place in Western Australia where you can easily view thrombolites which are closely related to stromatolites. Thrombolites are believed to be over 3,000 years old.
Lake Thetis Cervantes WA
How we travelled
Flight Details
Little Wandering Wren flew 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 from Melbourne, Australia. The flight time was 4 hours.
Car Hire
We hired a car with No Birds Bayswater with Perth Airport pick-up. We are not sponsored by them just pleased with their price, car, and service!
Nambung National Park WA
Final Thoughts
For some, The Pinnacles Desert might be a load of bazaar rock formations in a desert, and not worth the drive. For others, thousands of ancient limestone Pinnacles dating back thousands of years is a wonder to behold.
We believe this is a half-day must-do if you are heading north out of Perth and we would say that even if you are not planning on heading north from Perth, consider it. We hope you find this as wondrous as we did
Do let us know if you have enjoyed this post, and/or if you are planning a WA road trip to this area soon.
📌𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.
For more Western Australia wanderings see: Hamelin Bay Stingrays WA.
3 comments
Hello, Wren,
I enjoyed this post and photos, your visit to the Pinnacles Desert and park. The Lobster Shack sounds like a yummy place to eat. Take care, have a happy weekend.
I had no idea about this desert and enjoyed the virtual trip through it — as always you are a great tour guide. Loved how you drove the rental car through this “4-W country” — that’s something we would do. It was interesting the juxtaposition of the coastal town and the lobsters so close to the desert.
Hi Sallie, Thank you so much for joining us for our Road Trip. Yes, it’s a great place to visit, the roads are fantastic in WA and I would love to go back and do some off-roading in a 4 WD or even tackle the Lancelin Sand Dunes which looks so much fun! The car in the main photo passed us when we were walking on the Cape to Cape track, and wasn’t our rental car which was a lot smaller but got us around!
Have a fabulous weekend
Wren x