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A Photographic Day Trip To Nambung National Park, Western Australia
If you live in Perth or are visiting Western Australia, then the Pinnacles are a great day trip.
If you’re travelling around the country, it’s also worth taking the small detour off the main highway to have a meander around these unusual limestone rock formations.
Where Are The Pinnacles?
The Pinnacles are in Nambung National Park about 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Perth.
The area is known as The Coral Coast & the turnoff to the Pinnacles is on the main highway, the Indian Ocean Drive.
You won’t miss the turn-off as it’s well signed & the road in is named Pinnacles Drive.
It’s only 6 kilometres ( 4 miles) on a sealed road to the main visitor centre.
Lancelin is the closest town south of The Pinnacles, about 80 kilometres (49 miles) & about an hour's drive.
Cervantes is only 22 kilometres (14 miles) north & is a nice coastal town worth visiting & getting some fish & chips.
Do You Have to Pay to See The Pinnacles?
At the time of writing this article, there is a $15 entry fee.
This covers a private vehicle with up to 12 occupants, so it’s not very expensive if you’re travelling with a partner or in a group.
The money does contribute toward park management & services.
There’s also the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre which has public toilets & plenty of parking for cars, caravans & motorhomes alike.
The entry fee covers entry to The Discovery Centre which has displays, soundscapes & videos & all the information you need to learn more about these formations.
Viewing The Pinnacles
It’s really easy getting around to view these rock formations.
If you enjoy walking, then you can leave the vehicle behind in the car park & spend a day strolling around, or simply do the shorter Desert View Trail which is 1.5 kilometres ( just under a mile) in length & an easy 45 minute stroll.
It’s all fairly flat, so you don’t need a high level of fitness.
The Pinnacles do cover a fairly large area though, so depending on how far afield you wish to explore, make sure to carry enough water & sensible clothing, as even in the cooler months, the West Australian sun has a bite to it.
You don’t need a 4WD vehicle to drive through this area.
The driving tracks are well formed & easy to follow, so you won’t get lost!
Because I was looking for photographic opportunities, I drove to certain spots then got out of my van to explore on foot.
You can view & purchase this image here.
What Are The Opening Hours?
The Discovery Centre is open from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm 7 days a week except Christmas Day.
But you can contact them on (08) 9652 7913, as I think the opening hours can change.
But access to the park is available 24/7, as many photographers take night shots.
You simply pay when the Centre opens in the morning.
I’ve never been out there after dark, but I imagine it would be a great experience, especially on a clear night under the amazing Western Australian night sky.
How Long Do You Need To Explore The Pinnacles?
If you’ve seen one Pinnacle you’ve seen them all!
Actually, it’s quite surprising how interesting these formations are.
Maybe because I was looking from a photographer's viewpoint, but I ended up being there until sunset.
You can view & purchase this image here.
You can drive around the main area within an hour & never leave the comfort of your vehicle.
But to really experience this area, it’s worth getting out of the car & exploring on foot here & there too.
You may even catch a glimpse of some wildlife.
Best Time Of Year To Visit
Perth is blessed with sunshine & even during the winter months sunny days are plentiful.
So there really isn’t a best time of year to visit.
Summer can be very hot, so first thing in the morning & sunset are good times to visit, especially as the longer shadows create a wonderful atmosphere.
From a photographer’s perspective, cloudy days & interesting weather are always welcome.
The area doesn’t receive much rainfall, even in winter, so the odds are good that you’ll have a dry day
You can view & purchase this image here.
6 Interesting Facts About The Pinnacles
1. I never knew this until I began writing this article, but apparently The Pinnacles have a nickname .. Rock Stars in the Outback.
2. The size of Nambung National Park is 192.7 square kilometres (120 square miles)
3. Some individual Pinnacles can be 3.5 metres tall (that’s just over 11 feet) & some are teeny at just a few centimetres.
4. They’re old .. formed about 30,000 years ago. Over time, the coastal winds eroded the surrounding sands exposing these limestone formations.
5. The Pinnacles were relatively unknown, even though the area was established as a national park in 1956. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that these formations were agreed upon by the Department of Lands & Surveys & added to the national park.
6. Although a desert, there's an abundance of critters from kangaroos to emus, cockatoos, lizards & even harmless carpet pythons.
You can view & purchase this image here.
Aboriginal Significance
The original people of this area are the Nyoongars, Nyungar or Noongar.
The language of this area is Yuat & Wajuk & Nambung means crooked or winding.
This refers to the river that runs through this area.
Although there may not be much rainfall, the river system creates a chain of waterholes & flows into cave systems which is important for survival.
There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of recent Aboriginal activity in the area, but artefacts have been found & dated to approximately 6,000 years ago.
There’s reason to believe the Aboriginals avoided the area as the Pinnacles are thought to be fossilized ghosts.
The area is significant as it is believed to be for women only to gather & perform sacred ceremonies.
Some young men wandered into this sacred area & the gods consequently buried them alive to leave behind their limestone figures.
As always, when it comes to the original people of this land, I encourage you to do your own research.
Finding Out More About The Indigenous Connection
If you’re interested to learn more, here’s some good resources to check out:
Feel free to browse through my portfolio of photographs, not only for The Pinnacles, but other landscapes & fine art images.
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