Jurien Bay, WA – natural beauty and mysterious towers

After revisiting the clifftop lookouts on the way out of Kalbarri, we continued south along the coastal road until we caught a glimpse of a lake we wanted to check out on the way to Jurien Bay. It was supposed to be pink, caused by bacteria that live in the lake. We passed a track that appeared to lead to the edge of the lake, so after turning around and doubling back, we parked the car and walked along a narrow path that cut through the reeds. It was not a very well trodden path and at times we weren’t sure if we were still on it, but we decided to push on and after about 10 minutes we arrived at the lake’s edge to see a vast expanse of pink with sand dunes reflected in the water at the far edge. Although it was really pink right next to us, as we looked out across the lake the pink colour faded a bit. We decided to find our way back to the car and push on to the town of Gregory on the other side of the lake to see if we could find a better vantage point. As we approached the small seaside town, we came across the official lookout which gave a great view of the lake and showed off the colour of it much better. Em got dressed up in all her pink clothes and posed for a few photos with the lake in the background.

The rest of the drive that day was really stunning, taking us right along the coast, where the road was only metres away from the water’s edge. Having stopped at a few places along the way to enjoy the views, we ended up taking longer than planned to make it to our stop for the night, and once we realised we would get in after dinner time, we decided it would be smarter to stop for food on the way. We found a lovely seaside town of Green Head, about 30 minutes north of Jurien Bay, and bought some takeaway from the local store. It was located just across from the water, so we took our dinner and enjoyed it by Dynamite Bay while watching a lovely sunset. We drove the last 30 minutes in the dark and experienced our first post sunset setup. Although we managed fine, we were still happy that we had not had to do this before.

The next day we headed off early to explore the nearby Lesueur National Park which was famous for its wildflowers. We drove about 45 minutes before arriving at the entrance. It was a brilliantly designed national park, with a one way road that wound its way through the park, showcasing the amazing array of flowers that WA is famous for. It allowed us to pull over for a closer look whenever we wanted, and we spent a couple of hours slowly working our way through the park, stopping for lunch at a picnic spot along the way. We enjoyed listening to talking books as we drove through the park, starting with Storm Boy before moving on to The Witches, which kept us amused as we took in our surroundings. Once we reached the end of the loop, we headed back to camp where we relaxed for the afternoon before heading down to a great park by the waterfront to watch the sunset. Kat and I enjoyed some cheese and biscuits with a beer while the kids played in the park. Once the sun went down, we headed home for dinner and bed.

The next morning we wandered down to the park again so the kids could have another play while we got coffees, before hopping in the car for the day’s adventure. This time we went to a place called The Pinnacles, showcased in another nearby national park. The Pinnacles form an intriguing landscape, made up of hundreds of limestone pillars that rise up out of a stark base of yellow sand, with scientists unable to explain their origins. Again WA national parks had done a great job of showcasing this spectacle, with a one way road leading through the very heart it, allowing us to get out and wander around with no fences or restrictions on access. We stopped a few times along the way to get out and explore, the kids also having a go at artistic photography, before heading back to camp for lunch. After another afternoon at the playground by the water, the weather turned so we had a quick dinner and an early night.

The next morning we packed up early and headed down to the park for a final play and coffees, before the rain again interrupted our fun. We were happy to head off at that point anyway, as we were all keen to get to Perth, our next stop. We had a special treat planned for the kids and they were super excited about it, almost as much as Kat and I were!