Continuing from the great picnic lunch and ocean dip at Hangover Bay, it was time to press on and head over to Nambung National Park, home to the Pinnacles Desert. Without the stop at Hangover Bay, it would probably be about 3hr drive north from Perth City towards the coastal town of Cervantes.

The Pinnacles Desert was added to the existing National Park that was named after the winding Nambung River. Nambung means crooked in the local Aboriginal tribal language. It is a park with a 26km stretch of sparkling coastline bordered by rolling ancient sand dunes that extend inland into banksias woodlands.
credit: Wikipedia

One of Western Australia’s most unique landscape and tourist attractions, the Pinnacles is a desert area scattered with a series of limestone formations shaped like termite hills. They vary in size but can be up to 3.5m high.

It’s believed the Pinnacles were created millions of years ago as seashells were broken down into sand and then eroded by water and wind.

If you’d like to read up more about the desert, near the entrance to the trail is The Pinnacles Desert Discovery, where they house displays and literature providing an insight into the natural processes that formed the pinnacle structures.

The best time to visit the Pinnacles Desert is at dawn or dusk when it gives the limestones and sand a orange/yellow colour wash on the back of a blue sky. Shadows too will make quite interesting photographs.

There are two ways to go through the Pinnacles, either by foot or by car.

If you’re walking, don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated, wear a cap and some sunblock; it can be hot out there!

If you’re going by car, there is only one access road (and one way) into the Pinnacles Desert, which is about 27km long. There are stopping points if you’d like to get down and take photos.

This is the sort of place you’d go once, and that’s it.

I recommend planning other activities around the trip. Don’t just drive 3hrs all the way from Perth just to see the Pinnacles because you might be disappointed.

Driving Directions

1. North along Brand Highway
2. Left at sign to Cervantes
3. Head south 2km to Nambung National Park boundary
4. Continue further 14km to pinnacles

On the way to see the Pinnacles in Cervantes, we detoured off the GPS route to have a picnic lunch. Not knowing where the road signs would take us, we headed towards a place called Hangover Bay, just coz the name was funny. But you know what? That was the best decision made on the whole trip, because that place was a hidden gem!

Hangover Bay is a ten minute drive from the entrance to the Nambung National Park, or 3 hours from Perth City. This place was perfect for all kinds of water fun like swimming, windsurfing, snorkelling.

Apparently, based on the Perth tourism website, you can even spot bottlenose dolphins or a local sea lion playing offshore.

Hangover Bay’s white sandy beaches stretches for miles and the crystal clear waters were so inviting on that hot afternoon. When we were sure the coast was clear, I stripped down to our under garments and took a dip because I forgot to pack in bathers. Oh don’t give me that! It’s the same thing as wearing a bikini!

There are a few picnic tables and barbecue pits, but since it was a weekday, there was no trouble finding a vacant spot. We ate leftovers from last night’s Ciao Italia dinner, and did I mention how reheated Ciao Italia tasted just as amazing?

I took tons of photos at Hangover Bay, especially the combination of the beach, water and sky. It was just a beautiful palate of blues and beige, it was hard to stop at just one angle/perspective.

Picture top right above is of me walking on a giant patch of seaweed which got washed up on the beach. You could hear the seaweed crackling and drying up under my feet.

Bottom right picture: I wasn’t the only one leaving footprints behind