Western Australia Travelogue | I Captured Pink Lake and Jellyfish Bay on Camera

The route north of Perth is less crowded, with straight roads and dramatic scenery. Whenever I have some free time, I want to take a short trip. From the white dunes to the Pink Lake and then to the Pinnacles, one trip can connect several different landscapes. After three days of driving, my biggest feeling is: with the steering wheel in my hands, I can stop anywhere I see something beautiful, and that feeling is incredibly liberating.

 

Day 1: Perth → Lancelin → Lobster Shack → Emerald Bay → Leaning Trees

In the morning, we drove north from Perth. The first stop was Lancelin Sand Dunes, about an hour and a half drive from Perth. From a distance, we saw a patch of white, the sand gleaming brightly, fine and soft underfoot. We didn't rent sandboards at first, but seeing a family nearby covered in sand and having so much fun, we couldn't resist and went to rent one. Those few seconds rushing down the dunes, the wind in our ears, occasionally getting some sand in our mouths, but it was truly exhilarating.

 

At noon, we arrived at the Lobster Shack near Cervantes. The advantage of self-driving is not having to rush, so we sat down and slowly ordered a whole lobster. The meat was bouncy and sweet, served with butter and lemon, and after eating it, we felt the trip was worth it.

 

In the afternoon, we continued north. Emerald Bay and the Leaning Trees are very close to each other. The color of the water in Emerald Bay was a bit surreal, a blue-green that looked almost mixed. We parked the car by the roadside, walked down to dip our feet in the water, which was perfectly cool.

 

The nearby Leaning Trees have been fenced off, so we couldn't get as close as before, only standing outside to look. The tree trunks twisted and bent downwards, as if violently pushed to the ground by a strong wind. There was a sign on the fence, probably to deter tourists from climbing and damaging them. I took a couple of photos from afar; even though I couldn't get close, the pictures still turned out well.

 

Day 2: Pink Lake → Kalbarri → Skywalk → Nature's Window

This day involved a longer drive, from Geraldton north to Kalbarri, so we woke up early. Hutt Lagoon, the Pink Lake, was right by the road, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the sign. We parked the car and walked over; the sun was hitting the water perfectly – it truly was pink, not a vibrant pink, but a gentle pink like strawberry milkshake diluted with water. We stood by the lake for a while. We had a drone, and when we flew it up, we were stunned. It looked most beautiful from above, the lake surface like a spilled palette.

 

We arrived at Kalbarri National Park before noon. As we drove into the park, red gorges and cliffs began to appear on both sides of the road. The Skywalk was suspended at the edge of the gorge, with an open mesh floor beneath our feet. Looking down made our legs a bit weak, but the view was truly stunning.

 

Nature's Window was not far away, a naturally formed rock that perfectly framed the blue sky and gorge behind it. I lay on the ground and took over ten photos. A couple nearby asked me to take a picture of them together, and after I finished, they looked at it and said, "No need for editing!"

Day 3: Geraldton Shipwreck Museum → Jurien Bay → The Pinnacles → Return to Perth

On the last day, we started our return journey south from Geraldton. The first stop was the Shipwreck Museum. This shipwreck museum was quite interesting, not large but very much to my taste. It was filled with genuine artifacts salvaged from 17th-century Dutch shipwrecks: bronze cannons, hull parts, and navigation tools. The most legendary was the Batavia, and a 1:1 replica ship was moored in the harbor outside, which was also quite stunning to see. Looking at these antiques, my mind automatically conjured up scenes from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

 

Next, we drove to Jurien Bay. The sea here truly resembled jelly – transparent, with colors gradually shifting from light blue near the shore to deep green further out, in layers. I took off my shoes and walked in; the water was cool, and the sand was fine and white. If I weren't pressed for time, I could have sat there all afternoon.

 

The last stop was The Pinnacles, located in Nambung National Park, about a two-hour drive from Perth. We arrived around 4 PM, and the sun was already starting to dip. Thousands upon thousands of limestone pillars stood in the desert, some two or three meters tall, others barely above the knee. Walking among them felt like being on Mars, or some ancient ruin. I found an angle with no one around, crouched down, and took a photo; the long shadows of the pillars stretched out, and I was incredibly satisfied.

After taking the last photo, the sun had already begun to set. We started our return journey to Perth, encountering several kangaroos hopping by the roadside, so we quickly slowed down to let them pass. With the car windows down, the wind blowing in, and our favorite songs playing on the stereo, we had driven over a thousand kilometers in three days, and my back was a little sore, but looking through the hundreds of photos on my camera, I felt it was all worth it.

If you also enjoy trips where you stumble upon surprises as you drive, then this route in Western Australia is definitely one to take.

 

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