The third day tour that I joined had combination of Wheatbelt and Perth region. Lancelin and The Pinnacles Desert are both part of Wheatbelt while Yanchep National Park and Burns Beach are both part of Perth.
Though the tour seems to had uncertainty at the start of the day, but it ends well, because my wished in every travel that I made is to maximize my time in Perth, I really don’t like wasting time, for not seeing and for not being in a new place. For this tour, I had seen additional spectacular places to discover in Western Australia. I only see these places in photos before, but the tour helped me to achieved my dream to make it come true. My main objective for the tour was to visit The Pinnacles Desert, but reaching Yanchep National Park and Lancelin made the tour more fulfilling and appealing.
Here’s the complete itinerary of the third day tour that I had while I was in Perth.
This is one of the oldest national park in Western Australia state. The park is just more than 50 kms from the city. Though public transportation are available but it requires transfer and more expensive if will compare to driving directly or joining a tour that includes the park. Wildflowers can be enjoyed inside the park when visiting during its blooming season. Some animals can be seen as well such as koalas and western-grey kangaroos. The park also boasted three caves and one of it is Crystal Caves where it features lots of beautiful different formations of stalactites, stalagmites, shawls and flowstones. It is worth to spend sometime in the park. The full story of my visit in Yanchep National Park was described here.
Crystal Cave
Loch McNess (Yanchep Lake)
It is a small town that we had a chance to visit (which I felt glad that we did) for lunch. We had lunch in a restaurant near the jetty and lovely shore. Because the town has beautiful and fascinating beach and coast, I cannot stop myself to be amazed and appreciate its amazing turquoise water that surrounds the waterfront.
Towards Lancelin Jetty
Lancelin and Edwards Islands Nature Reserve
At Lancelin Jetty looking towards Lancelin
Ocean Drive
After leaving Lancelin, we took Ocean Drive highway to reach The Pinnacles Desert and the scenery along the road were already panoramic in a beautiful day. Along this highway, some of the white sand dunes are visible from a distance.
The Pinnacles Desert (Nambung National Park)
One of the main reason why I booked the tour was because of The Pinnacles. The said desert has thousands limestones astray in the desert. When I reached the desert, just being there, standing in the middle felt like I was in another world like being in another planet. The Pinnacles for me is a kind of surroundings that is so unique. This kind of natural settings made me think that the world is indeed so amazing. During the visit, our tour guide Patricia and the other Singaporean guest walked a bit in the middle of the desert. While walking within the desert, I found out that guests and visitors has the options to drive around it since the limestones formation are spread within 190 hectares inside Nambung National Park.
The Pinnacles was said to be formed underground 500,000 years ago and only exposed 6000 years ago, then covered again due to shifting sands and only exposed again few hundred years ago.
For other scientist, they believe that the story of Pinnacles beings off shore, where shell fragments breakdown to from fine-grained sand rich in calcium-carbonate (lime).
As the water’s edge, beach sands accumulate as a mixture of shell-based sands from the ocean floor and quartz sands carried by the rivers from the hinterlands. Blown by strong winds, the beach sands form extensive dunes along much of the coastline.
By : Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre
A unique shape (like a monstrous) limestone
Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre
Emu scat with quandong seeds
Quandong seeds and necklace (Santalum acuminatum)
Bobtail skink (Tiliqua rugosa) and Tick (Ixodes australiensis spp)
limestone
Some information display inside Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre
Burns Beach
Before ending the day tour, we stopped to witness sunset in Burns Beach as a plan. The beach is just almost 35 kms from Perth. But when we reached the beach, the sky was gloomy and clouds covers the sunset, therefore we were unable to see the full colors of the sunset. But even we haven’t enjoyed sunset, I appreciated the stopover because it gave me a chance to see Burns Beach for a short period of time which additional adventure of the tour.
Before our tour guide dropped-off us in our accommodation, I was very thankful because Patricia drove us a bit in Hillarys Boat Harbour to gave me a chance to see it before I embark myself in my last tour the next day which will start at the said harbour. Until then.
Notes :
1. Plan to visit Yanchep National Park? Check here. How about Lancelin? Here’s their official site. A tour in Pinnacles Desert? Go here. And Burns Beach? Visit here.
2. Location : Yanchep WA 6035, Australia
Pinnacles Dr, Cervantes WA 6511, Australia
Jetty, Lancelin WA, Australia
Burns Beach, WA 6038, Australia
3. Directions to Yanchep National Park :
Transportation :
a. Join Day Tours from Perth or
b. Drive towards Yanchep WA 6035, Australia or
c. Take train (Joondalup Line) from Perth Underground Station, then get off at
Butler Station and take taxi to Yanchep National Park or
d. Take train (Joondalup Line) from Perth Underground Station, then transfer
to Butler Station and take bus to Marmion Avenue After Revolution Avenue,
and take taxi to Yanchep National Park
Official Website : Yanchep National Park
4. Directions to Lancelin :
Transportation :
a. Join Day Tours from Perth or
b. Drive towards Lancelin WA 6044, Australia or
c. Take bus from Wellington Street Forrest Place (in Perth) and drop-off at
Lancelin YHA or
d. Take train (Joondalup Line) from Perth Underground Station, then transfer to Jundaloop Station and take bus to Geraldton, and drop-off at Vins Wy
Lancelin or
e. Take Integrity Bus to Broome and get off at Lancelin YHA
Official Website : Lancelin
5. Directions to Pinnacles Dessert
Transportation :
a. Join Day Tours from Perth or
b. Drive towards Pinnacles Dr, Cervantes WA 6511, Australia or
c. Take bus from Wellington St Forrest Place R10 / Y14 (in Perth) then transfer
to Cervantes Post Office to take taxi and drop-off at The Pinnacles Desert or
d. Take bus from Wellington St Forrest Place R10 / Y14 (in Perth) then transfer
at Vins Wy Lancelin and take taxi to The Pinnacles Desert
Official Website : The Pinnacles Desert
6. Directions to Burns Beach
Transportation :
a. Join Day Tours from Perth or
b. Drive towards Burns Beach, WA, Australia or
c. Take train (Joondalup Line) from Perth Underground Station, then transfer
to Butler Station and take bus to Burns Beach and get off at
Burns Beach Rd After Kontari Lnk and walk to Burns Beach
e. Official Website : Burns Beach, Joondalup City
