Motorhome Australia Episode 20 - Geraldton to Pinnacles Desert

The next part of journey took us from Geraldton to the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung Geraldton's countryside bursts into bloom between July and October, so we drove inland to find wildflower meadows erupting with colour.Our mission was to find the wreath flowers. This region has rich history, with many interpretive site to visit along the way. The landscape was ablaze with colourful wildflowers especially with the pink, white and yellow everlastings. 100km east of Geraldton we reach Mullewa, the centre of wildflower country.Starting at Mullewa you can take the southern or northern loop to find the colourful carpets of wildflowers. Mullewa was also where Monsignor John Hawes spent most of his time.While the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in Geraldtion was one of his finest works, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church was the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of Monsignor John Hawes’s church designs He designed and built this church almost entirely by himself with some help from local farmers to cart stones from the local quarry. A further 30km east, we reached the small township of Pindar.Pindar is one of the few places in Australia you can find the rare and unquie wreath flowers.Another 10km on a dirty road from the Pindar Hotel,we found them on the sandy shoulder of the road. Ticking off the Wreath Flowers from the must see in WA list, we headed 90km south of Pindar to the Coalseam conservation park. In the morning, we set out on a hike to explore the nearby Irwin River, Plateau Loop trail and lookouts. You can see coal seam outcrops on the river banks but seams was only 15 to 35cm. The early miners discovered it not viable for mining. With our flynets on, the 3.2km Plateau loop trail took us through meadows of wildflowers, some which were unique to this area. Ellendale Pool is a beautiful waterhole naturally formed along the picturesque Greenough River (Gren uf) surrounded by magnificent gum trees and a rocky gorge. Its a popular picnic and camping spot with toilet facilities. Camping is free for a maximum of 5 nights. Dongara and Port Denison are known a twin towns separated by the Irwin River. This area is said to be one of the largest and most productive fishing boat harbours in Western Australia. The lure of another Pink Lake and a huge Tractor sent us back inland to the wildflower country towns of Mingenew and Carnamah. The Yarra Yarra salt lakes, 1km west of Carnamah, ranges in colour from bright white to a striking pink.When we visited, its had a pale pink hue which provided an interesting contrast the surrounding farms lands. Just 2.5hr north of Perth we arrived at the small coastal town ofJurien Bay.Jurien Bay renowned for its crystal-clear turquoise waters, thriving marine life, and as the home to Australian sea lions. Fitted with our wet suits, we boarded the Oceanic Experience boat at the Jurien Bay Harbour and set sail towards the Essex Rock Nature reserve. The crew where wonderful, ensuring we had all our gear in order and introduced us to the Australian Sea Lions and the behaviours Sea lions are easy to spot with their visible ear flaps, long flippers that let them almost “walk” on land, and their loud, vocal nature. True seals, on the other hand, don’t have external ears, have much shorter flippers, and move around on land by sliding along on their bellies. The Sea Lions were curious and provided us an up close and playful show Hungry from our early morning start and swim with the Sea Lions, we headed 26km south of Jurien Bay to the Lobster Shack in the small coastal town of Cervantes. The Lobser Shack is renouned for its fresh pot to plate lobsters, so how could we not indulge. Cervantes is Australia's most valuale single species fishery. After lunch we joined the Lobster Shack tour to learn about their Lobster processing facility. A short video gave us an insight into a day in the life of a lobster fisherman, followed by a walk through the processing plant. At the end of the tour, we an opporturnity to hold and feel the rough texture and flapping strength of a large adult lobster. 17km south of Cervantes, we arrived at Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre in Nambung National park The Pinnacles desert is only 6km inland from the ocean yet it appears otherworldly.Theres bright yellow sand, and strange limestone pillars scattered around the landscape. Small vehicles can easily drive the Pinnacles Loop, or you can explore the area on foot, at your own pace. While they remain a mystery, the two main theories suggest the Pinnacles were either formed when acidic rainwater dissolved limestone around ancient plant roots, leaving hardened limestone columns behind, or that they are the calcified remains of an ancient petrified forest later exposed by wind and erosion. This eerie landscape feels surreal, standing in stark contrast to the diverse surroundings that stretch beyond it. Join us on the next episode as we continue southwards towards Perth.