The Coral Coast: The Drive North of Perth

Bangkok to Perth

Our main goal in heading out to Western Australia was to catch up with family, but always wanting to explore, we also took the chance to sneak away for an overnight trip north of the city.

We rented a car right on arrival at Perth Airport (we chose Europcar, but there are plenty of options), and even though it took us a bit of extra time to get sorted with the car seats, the kids handled it surprisingly well. The six-hour flight from Thailand had been pretty comfortable, and with Thai Airways flying direct from Bangkok, it didn’t involve any of the terrifyingly short layovers we’ve run into before.

Yanchep Lagoon

After a few days relaxing on the beaches of Perth city, we decided to drive north towards some of the sights of the Coral Coast. I hate to drive and as I usually manage the kids’ needs in the car, we hadn’t bothered to add my name to the car rental agreement. But here the driving was so easy and with only one real road north, it was completely impossible to get lost, and I really could have given it a go.

About an hour and a half after departing Perth, we stopped at Yanchep Lagoon. With a large pool created by a limestone ridge that juts out into the ocean, the water was varying shades of blue, and the views from the cliffs above were spectacular. It was a bit too windy and cold for me to jump in right after flying in from the Thai tropics, but the kids braved the water, and I’m told this is a great spot to snorkel on a calm day.

Lobster in Cervantes

Once the kids started to get hungry we continued north to Cervantes, and stopped for lunch at the Lobster Shack on Catalina Street. We sat on a veranda overlooking the lobster boats moored out in the ocean and indulged in fresh local lobster, oysters, mussels, a fried fish platter, lobster bisque, prawns, and kumara chips, all nicely accompanied by a chilled bottle of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc.

The restaurant gets packed and you have to pay everything upfront before sitting down at your table. This is a method I quite like because you can just get up and go when you’re done, but a little confusing if it’s not what you’re expecting.

Golden Hour at the Pinnacles

After lunch, we drove over to Nambung National Park. We started at the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre, to spend some time learning about the rock formations while waiting for the light to soften and the wind to drop. The discovery centre houses displays about the region’s geology, native wildlife, and Aboriginal history and is a meaningful way to spend 30 minutes or so.

Not yet aware that someday we would attempt to worldschool the kids, we explained that tens of thousands of years ago, sea shells had crumbled into lime-rich sands. Over time, rainwater dissolved the calcium carbonate in the shells, cementing the sand into what’s know asTamala Limestone. As water seeped down around ancient plant roots, it carved deep vertical channels into the soft stone, forming subterranean pillars. Coastal winds eventually blew away the loose soil above, exposing the thousands of spiky limestone pillars that cover a surprising amount of space in the desert.

By the time we walked out to see them, the sun was still hot, but much lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the golden ground. The wind had not quite dropped, though, and after initially playing hide and seek around the pillars, the kids took a dislike to being pelted by sharp sand and took shelter behind the rocks while Mike jogged back to fetch the car. You can walk around the park, but given the conditions that day a drive was much more comfortable.

Family-Friendly Jurien Bay

For the night, we stayed at the Jurien Bay Tourist Park. It was an exceptionally family-friendly spot with a massive jumping pillow, regular beach movie nights, and story readings. The kids made instant friends, and eventually we had to drag them away from the play area to go walk down to the bay to see the shorebirds and wheeling gulls.

When dinnertime came around, we headed straight to the Sandpiper Tavern & Pizzeria, just across the road from our accommodation. Known for its laid-back beer garden and classic pub hospitality, the Sandpiper is great for families earlier in the evening, and draws in plenty of grown-ups at the bar after dark. The kids happily tore into slices of wood-fired style pizza, and we enjoyed cold beers on tap. Surrounded by relaxed Aussies enjoying their holidays and locals catching up, it was a lovely way to end the day.

Shy Sea Lions

Early the next morning, Mike and Isobel headed out on a boat to visit the protected islands of the Jurien Bay Marine Park, which is famous for hosting one of Western Australia’s largest breeding colonies of Australian sea lions. On a good day apparently they’re quite happy to play with the humans that come to see them.

While the goal was to swim with them in the water, the wild sea lions decided to remain on the shores of Essex and Boullanger Islands that morning. From the boat, Mike and Isobel were able to watch them lounge on the shores, and the crew led the tour with a talk on the sea lions’ habits and biology. Isobel was interested to learn that sea lions can crush sharp rock lobsters with their powerful jaws, and the females even possess the ability to keep a pregnancy on pause until environmental conditions are just right. Seems like a great skill for any mum-to-be.

Powdery Beaches

With the morning sun still getting going, we got in our rental and began the drive back toward Perth. The first stop was the gorgeous Hangover Bay, perfect for a quiet look at the Indian Ocean. We wandered down the beach, and as the wind had not yet started to blow, even I might have been able to get in for a swim. Not far south from there we stopped again at a beach next to Wedge Island, which featured the whitest, most powdery sand I have ever seen.

Pies, Dunes, and UV

In Lancelin, we grabbed a quick meat pie from a local bakery and headed over to look at the giant Lancelin Sand Dunes. These expansive mountains of white sand are all part of the still active Lancelin Dune System. Unlike the limestone pillars of the Pinnacles, these dunes are constantly shifting, growing, and reshaping themselves as the wind blows in from the sea.

Visitors can rent sandboards or book ATV tours to get a bit of a thrill out of the steep slopes, and though I well remember how much Henry and Isobel had enjoyed sledding down the dunes in Dunhuang, China, it was January in Australia and I was nervous about the sun. Our kids burn easily and the UV index was soaring, so, causing minor disappointment to our children, we decided to save dune-sledding for a less problematic time of day.

Back to the City

We were back into Perth by mid-afternoon, and in less than 48 hours, it felt as though we had been worlds away. If we’d had more time we would have driven all the way to Ningaloo Reef, to see the whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales. But as that’s around a 12-hour drive from Perth, we’ll look forward to coming back to Western Australia and enjoying that adventure next time.