Location: Cervantes, Pinnacles, Geraldton.

Region: Gascoyne WA.

Dates: Monday 11 – Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Temperature: 11-25 Sunny, overcast, very windy Wednesday.

Monday 11th September

Perth to Cervantes, Turquoise Coast.

Rob and I were looking forward to heading North, planning this part of our trip up the Coast as far as Monkey Mia, with some side trips covering the next three weeks. The weather has started to warm after what felt like a cold winter and we want to see some of the North Coast before it gets too hot.

Driving Nth from Perth we head through an area of eucalyptus and then the landscape flattens and becomes more coastal.

We decide to stop at Nilgens lookout. Walking to Nilgens lookout and a brown snake skitters across the path about 6M in front of us! No photo.

😬😳😱 first one of the season.

We arrive and make camp at Cervantes Tourist park which is right on the coast. After setup we take a walk along the foreshore noting a strong sulphur smell which we attribute to the piles of seaweed along the shore but on closer inspection find bubbling holes in the white sand and under the shallow water of the foreshore so maybe there are natural springs beneath this area of the coast?

After a quick dip we head out to check out the Stromatolites at nearby Thetis Lake.

Stromatolites look like rocks but they are one of the oldest living organisms and importantly contributed oxygen to the atmosphere on earth and are only found in a few places. Some of the oldest (3.5 billion years) are on WA’s coastline.

Stromatolites are formed through the activity of primitive unicellular organisms: cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and other algae. These grow through sediment and sand, binding the sedimentary particles together, resulting in successive layers which, over a long period of time, harden to form rock.

After walking the trail around lake Thetis we head back into town in time to watch the sunset over the water.

Tuesday 12 September

On Tuesday we head out early to go see the Pinnacles in a Nambung National Park which is about 25km South of Cervantes.

The Pinnacles are amazing natural limestone structures, formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars exposed to the elements. The Pinnacles range in height and dimension – some stand as high as 4.0m and the area where they are found is truly amazing!

You can drive the Pinnacles, recommended, as there is a lot to see and the park also has several walking trails crisscrossing the park.

After the Pinnacles we head for Hangover Bay and take a walk along the beach. We spy a group of seabirds in the distance and head that way.

We usually carry a bag on these walks as we collect rubbish off of every beach we visit. A habit we started years ago. Today we find a lot of rope, some too heavy to fully remove so Rob hauls it up off the beach as high as he can. Another long bit makes it back to the car for disposal. Rob also finds me a “sea flower”, he’s so sweet.

I snap a good picture of a pair of seabirds and with the help of a fellow named Jim from Bundaberg, Qld who is birdwatching, I am able to identify them. We had run into Jim and his partner at the Pinnacles too and he identified the honeyeater. Thanks Jim!

We head back to Cervantes for a late lunch at the Lobster Shack, an eatery on the bay not to be missed if you stop at Cervantes.

Wednesday 13 September

When you travel you are always watching the weather and my friend Louise had warned us that Sep – Nov can be very windy in WA, particularly on the coast towards Geraldton. We had been watching the weather forecast and Wednesday was forming as a rough, very windy and stormy day so we set off early from Cervantes aiming for Geraldton.

The weather and the storms tail is all the way to Geraldton. The clouds are racing with 25-30km/hr winds with gusts to 60 and 70km/hr.

We stop at Port Denison for a toilet break and the wind makes it hard to walk. The coast and the sea is wild and it’s a relief to get back in the car.

As we approach Geraldton the weather catches us and it feels like we are in a ship on the high seas rather than in a vehicle on the road as we rock and sway with wind.

We had planned to stay on the foreshore which on a fine day at Geraldton would have been lovely. With the wind and rain though it was quite unpleasant when we arrived with wind and rain increasing. The site wasn’t level either so between having to level the van in the weather and a chain fence nearby that was making a lot of noise in the wind, we decided to head off again in search of a more favourable spot.

We head East and about 20kms outside Geraldton fins a lovely free camp on a hill at Bringo.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day, weather wise.

Hope you are all well. Stay safe and look after one another. xx