Windy Lancelin – Sandboarding, Surfing, and A Seaside Getaway

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Lancelin is a beautiful sea side town around one hour from Perth, and makes for an easy day trip north up the coast of Western Australia. Keep going up the coast and you may just find yourself in Exmouth or even Broome!

The trip to Lancelin is an easy drive along the Indian Ocean Drive. Take the Mitchell Freeway, pass through Joondalup, take the turn for Wanneroo Road, which leads to Lancelin Drive, and then head straight up the Indian Ocean Drive. You’ll pass by Yanchep, and the small seaside towns of Seabird and Ledge Point to get there.

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Cervantes - Seaside Town, Crystal Blue Waters and the Pinnacles

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Cervantes is a beautiful, laid back town north of Perth, where the sun shines most days, and where the crystal blue water entices you to have a swim. It’s an easy 2 hours drive along the Indian Ocean Drive and makes for a perfect weekend getaway from Perth.

The Indian Ocean Drive was put in around September 2010, and cuts travelling time significantly from over 3 hours to under 2 hours. It’s straight up Mitchell Freeway, through the modern Joondalup township, then onto Wanneroo Rd, then Lancelin Drive, to take you onto the Indian Ocean Drive.

Along the drive to Cervantes, Yanchep, Seabird and Ledge Point all make good stop off points for a break, morning tea or a visit to a local attraction. Those who have an interest in astronomy will want to pay a visit to the Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin.

Cervantes is a great base for sightseeing if you have the Pinnacles on your to do list.

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Busselton Jetty – The Longest Jetty in the Southern Hemisphere

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Earlier this year, the famous Busselton Jetty overlooking Geographe Bay reopened after a major overhaul that cost $27 million dollars. Its claim to fame is for holding the record for the longest wooden (or timber-piled) jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at 1.9 kilometres. Post renovation, it is now in a much stronger position to maintain its special record.

At the jetty entrance, you will find the boat shed visitors centre – that’s if you don’t get distracted and find yourself at a few hundred metres away indulging at Simmo’s the local ice cream outlet!

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Pinnacles – Amazing Landscape Shines Bright in the Desert Sun

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The sun is shining bright and it’s a clear blue sky sort of day, which is not unusual for Perth. We are off to visit the Pinnacles in the Nambung National Park from our nearby base at Cervantes. The Pinnacles Desert is 10 kilometres from Cervantes heading south back towards the city off the Indian Ocean Drive.

It’s a top attraction that is on the must see list for many visitors to Western Australia which receives over 150,000 visitors each year. Given its closeness to Perth (a couple of hours drive), there’s really no excuse not to visit since the Pinnacles makes for a great day trip or a weekend overnighter if you would like to explore nearby areas as well.

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Camping in Perth - A Spectacular Night Under the Stars

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There are quite possibly more sublime free experiences than lying back on a cool, clear evening and watching an outback sky transit from glorious sunset to a spectacular theatre of stars, but for the moment what it could be escapes me.

We ventured around six hours north-east of Perth to a station 50kms south of mining town Mt Magnet to find a camping spot. The drive itself is part of the experience. Don’t hit the north western highway too early, instead wind your way through Toodyay and Dalwallinu.

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