Day ONE:
Imagine, my dear friends in the Seattle area....jumping in your car and driving to San Fransisco. BUT there are no other vehicles, or people or stores or towns along the way. Or if you will, hopping in your car and driving from Paris to Madrid. Same M.O., no people, towns, lights, cars.....you get the picture. Pretty far and pretty remote. This is all part of the adventure of getting to Coral Bay from Perth. AND though a bit biased, well worth the efforts. Sure, you can fly. What fun is that?
I suggest departing the city early. Driving at dark is not recommended in the outback, but you can certainly get away with it around Perth. If you leave by 5:30 or 6 in the morning, you miss the commuters and can be in the Pinnacles by 7:30 or 8. Bring a picnic breakfast and you have already sorted an incredible beginning to your trip. Otherwise known as Nambung National Park and is a crazy surreal area full of strange rock type outcroppings. A must see while on your travels. You are officially in the land of endless blue skies and the occasional Roo carnage on the side of the road.
For the next few hours, you should bring plenty of great music or driving companions, as the scenic vastness of the Australian outback goes on and on and on and on. Stop for Petrol when you can. Always have water on hand. This area not for the faint of heart and can be quite warm. Summer temps will be in the 40's ( over 100 for those of you in the Fahrenheit world ). At times you will be driving adjacent to the Indian Ocean, other times next to immense cattle stations. Be sure to watch for "road trains" they don't stop for anything and can be a tad intimidating.
Regardless of which, the scenery is always breathtaking. There will be the occasional Road House and sometimes even actual towns. Stop. Stretch your legs. Grab a cold beverage. Watch out not to swallow too many flies.
Next must see, Kalbarri National Park. Plan on spending at least an hour here, depending on the heat factor. The red rock and incredible formations are super interesting to explore and take photos of. Wild flowers in the spring...the intense color of the rock against the deep blue of the sky, simply stunning. Kalbarri will be about four and a half hours North of Nambung. Another great location to bring a picnic lunch. If you've left at the suggested time, you should now have enough daylight hours to make it to Denham and the World Heritage Site of Shark Bay.
Grab a hotel room or fetch a spot in a caravan park, depending on what you chose to drive....relax and watch the sun go down. This area is spectacular and holds several days worth of entertainment. More on that to follow....
